[shebavon]

Flight Date: 6/8/2011
Flight Number: DL0252
Origin City: fll
Destination City: dtw

Numerous attempts at getting Delta to compensate me for losses incurred through their error or lie have been unsuccessful. Their position is that in order to be considered bumped, you need to get to the boarding gate. The fact that it was their error or lie which prevented me from getting to the boarding gate in their opinion does not entitle me to the same treatment as having been bumped.

It is appalling that Delta would resort to blaming the people charged with keeping us safe to avoid bumping charges.


On June 8, I arrived at the Fort Lauderdale airport
on time, with a valid US Passport, and valid Visa required for my trip
to Bangkok. When I attempted to check in, I was politely refused
boarding privileges by your clerk named Verna R, and her supervisor. The
reason which I was given was that I must have 6 blank pages in my
passport, and that two of these pages must be the same leaf in the book.
Supposedly it was a Homeland Security rule effective January 1, 2011.
Although my passport is not new, it did have 4 blank pages, not counting
the last page reserved for endorsements and announcements. I had never
heard of such a rule and asked for some documentation to verify this was
the case. I was told that nothing was available to me in writing, that
the supervisor was in accord with this determination, and that it was
checked by Delta Global. Since it is now apparent that there is no such
rule, I must register my disgust that the fine civil servants of
Homeland Security, who are charged with the job of keeping our airlines
safe, were besmirched by Delta's check in clerk and her Supervisor. Being a
law abiding citizen, and not wanting either of us fined, although I
could not believe for a moment that such a Kafkaesque story could be
real, I had no choice but to return home and attempt to comply with Delta's
insistance that I add new pages to my passport. This faulty decision
resulted in another taxi ride 30 miles home at full cost to me. In
addition I had to incur the cost of reinstating telephone and internet
service and finally insurance on my car, so that I may legally drive to
the passport office. Later that evening, I spoke to a supervisor in
reservations, Ms. Karen Wolff, who upon being told of all the above,
left me on hold for half an hour, she came back telling me she had
scoured regulations and found NOTHING resembling the rule cited by Delta's
check in crew, only that they were perhaps more expert than she. I also
contacted representatives of Homeland Security, Japan, and the Kingdom
of Thailand Consulates, was told by all that there was no such rule that
any of these responsible parties were aware of. Ms. Wolff offered to
rebook me on the same flight on June 9, but since I did not want a
repeat of the unfortunate instance of the 8th, I suggested she make the
reservation for the 10th, and I would make a test run on the 9th, hoping
that the check in department would concur with Ms Wolff, a Delta reservation
supervisor, and allow me boarding with my current passport on the 10th.
Surprisingly, Verna R and her supervisor again insisted that although
they could give me nothing in writing, that their initial ruling was
correct, I must proceed to the passport office if I wished to fly on the
Delta Flight. Again, they blamed Homeland Security stating that it was
their rule and somehow involved in the War on Terror. Being left with no
choice, and although a reservation supervisor disagreed with this
check in supervisor, I proceeded 50 miles to the Passport Office, and
was forced to pay $80 for expedited handling of a valid passport with
considerable pages and nearly 1 year remaining. This process would
involve me having to make another 100 mile round trip to retrieve it on
June 10th, as well as having to again postpone the trip until the 11th.
When checking in on the 11th, I spoke to a Ms Delia Diaz Montero, the
reservation supervisor, who, after ½ hour checking the facts, my now
cancelled old passport, and the rules; apologized for the other check in
staff having erred, and suggested I contact Delta. She politely assured me
that Delta would be able to recompense me for my losses and discomfort in
effectively being involuntarily bumped twice . Upon
arrival in Detroit, I spoke to the supervisor at the gate who stated
that he agreed with Karen Wolff and Delia, that I should not have been
denied boarding. He too examined my old passport, and strongly spoke of
Delta's desire to correct such errors on the part of Delta. He
gave me a $100 voucher stating that I should definitely pursue
additional compensation as that voucher did not begin to cover my
losses. Financial losses include
2 additional taxi rides to and from the airport , 3 days of meals in
restaurants, 2 100 mile round trips to Miami Passport Office, and an $80
charge for expediting the passport’s issuance to comply with your
erroneous demands, as well as 3 days less on my stay in Thailand.

[Gromit801]

Did you have a stop over in Indonesia? They DO require the blank pages.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p.../cis_2052.html

[shebavon]

No I did not. Itinerary was through Tokyo and on to Bangkok. Neither required the blank pages. Indeed I checked with both embassies after the first denied boarding.

[Gromit801]

Then they have some 'splainin to do.