[ksgross64]

I'll try to keep this as brief as possible. I was in kidney failure and my cousin graciously offered to donate her kidney to me. I live in Michigan, and she lives in Seattle, so she would have to make the trip here for the surgery. As we were making travel plans, I encouraged her to ask Delta if there were discounts for this type of thing and she was told that there was nothing available. I then asked Delta if I could give her my skymiles to use toward her flight. I had just shy of enough for a full flight, but was told by the customer service agent that she could still use them. When she tried, of course, she was told that she couldn't because there weren't enough for a full flight. She was able to fly back to Seattle, 2 weeks following the surgery. She had a middle seat and was concerned that it wouldn't be comfortable for her, plus she needed easy access to the bathroom. I called customer service and explained the situation. I asked if there was anything that they could do to try to make her trip more comfortable...give her an aisle seat, or and exit row, or a first class seat if available. I was told that no, they couldn't do anything for her and that she could upgrade to first class, but we would have to pay extra or use skymiles. I then asked to speak to her supervisor, who told me the same thing. I then asked to speak to her supervisor and was told that she was as high as I could go in customer service. I asked if she owned Delta, which of course she responded that no she didn't, then I said there must be someone with whom I could speak. She told me that there wasn't. I ended up using 12,500 skymiles to upgrade my cousin to first class, which I was alright about because I wanted her flight to be comfortable. I was just amazed that there is no humanitarian effort to assist people with this type of travel. I wasn't asking for a free ride, just some assistance for someone doing something that was life saving and life changing for me. I would like to encourage all people to consider organ donation, and if companies like Delta could assist, maybe it would make the process easier for the donor. In the past, I have always flown with Northwest/Delta, I now will reconsider the next time that I need to fly anywhere. I will add, Delta did, upon my request, have a wheelchair waiting at the ticket counter to take my cousin from there to her gate.

[jimworcs]

I will add, Delta did, upon my request, have a wheelchair waiting at the ticket counter to take my cousin from there to her gate.

That is the very minimum you can expect, as Delta are legally obligated to provide this. If they had not, they would have been breaking rules which could have resulted in a fine.

Asking Delta to be customer focussed... what planet are you on?

[The_Judge]

This is a delicate situation and I don't want to sound rude or uncaring so please don't take it that way.

In your phone conversation with DL to make your cousin more comfortable on the way home, you asked for an aisle or exit row seat or a first class seat. 2 of the 3 very reasonable requests. What was the response by DL when you asked for an aisle or exit? Just that they couldnt' do it? I can kind of understand why they declined an exit row seat but if there was an open aisle seat, I see no reason not to move her to one.

Also, when you asked for the supervisor's supervisor (which would actually be a manager) and you were told there is no one higher than her/him to speak with, why would you flippantly ask if he/she owned DL?? That comment will put the agent on the defensive and will do little to help the situation. Manager's (when they are there) generally don't take phone calls or deal with the public. I say generally because it does happen but for a very minor request like a seat change or upgrade which is pretty cut and dried, there would be no reason for a manager to become involved. Either the seat can be moved or it can't. A manager will have no more of a way to create a seat than an agent or supervisor.

The first class seat is the issue I really wanted to address. Delta said she could upgrade if you/she paid extra or used more miles, which it sounded like you ended up doing. But then you go on to say you were ok with that and later mention you weren't asking for a free ride. If you received the upgrade after using miles and you didn't want it for free, what is the complaint?? DL assisted you with what was available and it seems like a pretty normal transaction.

After all is said and done, I hope you and your cousin are doing well are both on your way back to good health.

[ksgross64]

Thank you for your reply, let me try to answer some of your questions.When I requested and aisle/exit seat, I was told by customer service only that it couldn't be done. I was given no explaination about why it couldn't be done.
I became flippant with the manager out of frustration, which was probably wrong on my part. I, at that point, couldn't believe that Delta could do nothing to assist in this situation. I had always heard, I had no personal experience in these situations, that some discount/financial assistance was given to people traveling for a funeral, medical problems, etc. and I was surprised that no kind of assistance was available. I became frustrated that no attempt was made by the customer service people and was hoping to be directed to someone else. You mentioned "a very minor request" about the seat change. To the customer service agent, it may have seemed minor, but to me, after my cousin had given a body part for me to live a better life, it wasn't a "minor" request.
I was okay with using skymiles because I wanted my cousin to be comfortable and I saw that this was the only way it was going to be accomplished, because, obviously Delta wasn't going to assist in any way. I wasn't asking for a "free ride". I didn't expect a free ticket, but a discount or an upgrade to an available first class seat, I didn't feel was that much of an out of the way request.
My cousin and I are doing well, and she safely made it back to Washington. After this process, I have learned the importance of organ donation first hand. I believe that maybe people would be more encouraged to do something like this if companies, not only airlines, could try to assist in any way to make the process easier for people who are considering organ donation. Thanks for you comments.

[ksgross64]

Thank you for your reply, let me try to answer some of your questions.When I requested and aisle/exit seat, I was told by customer service only that it couldn't be done. I was given no explaination about why it couldn't be done.
I became flippant with the manager out of frustration, which was probably wrong on my part. I, at that point, couldn't believe that Delta could do nothing to assist in this situation. I had always heard, I had no personal experience in these situations, that some discount/financial assistance was given to people traveling for a funeral, medical problems, etc. and I was surprised that no kind of assistance was available. I became frustrated that no attempt was made by the customer service people and was hoping to be directed to someone else. You mentioned "a very minor request" about the seat change. To the customer service agent, it may have seemed minor, but to me, after my cousin had given a body part for me to live a better life, it wasn't a "minor" request.
I was okay with using skymiles because I wanted my cousin to be comfortable and I saw that this was the only way it was going to be accomplished, because, obviously Delta wasn't going to assist in any way. I wasn't asking for a "free ride". I didn't expect a free ticket, but a discount or an upgrade to an available first class seat, I didn't feel was that much of an out of the way request.
My cousin and I are doing well, and she safely made it back to Washington. After this process, I have learned the importance of organ donation first hand. I believe that maybe people would be more encouraged to do something like this if companies, not only airlines, could try to assist in any way to make the process easier for people who are considering organ donation. Thanks for you comments.

[ksgross64]

Thank you for your reply, let me try to answer some of your questions.When I requested and aisle/exit seat, I was told by customer service only that it couldn't be done. I was given no explaination about why it couldn't be done.
I became flippant with the manager out of frustration, which was probably wrong on my part. I, at that point, couldn't believe that Delta could do nothing to assist in this situation. I had always heard, I had no personal experience in these situations, that some discount/financial assistance was given to people traveling for a funeral, medical problems, etc. and I was surprised that no kind of assistance was available. I became frustrated that no attempt was made by the customer service people and was hoping to be directed to someone else. You mentioned "a very minor request" about the seat change. To the customer service agent, it may have seemed minor, but to me, after my cousin had given a body part for me to live a better life, it wasn't a "minor" request.
I was okay with using skymiles because I wanted my cousin to be comfortable and I saw that this was the only way it was going to be accomplished, because, obviously Delta wasn't going to assist in any way. I wasn't asking for a "free ride". I didn't expect a free ticket, but a discount or an upgrade to an available first class seat, I didn't feel was that much of an out of the way request.
My cousin and I are doing well, and she safely made it back to Washington. After this process, I have learned the importance of organ donation first hand. I believe that maybe people would be more encouraged to do something like this if companies, not only airlines, could try to assist in any way to make the process easier for people who are considering organ donation. Thanks for you comments.