Delta airlines pary line versus reality

[Shorex]

Flyers (including me) are territorial. My seat of preference is aisle, as far forward as possible. If not first or business, still as far forward as possible. I will acquiesce to a request to switch seats only for an equal or better seat. OK, I'll move to an aisle a few rows back (but not out of economy comfort) to accommodate a family or honeymooners or someone genuinely physically challenged. I generally respond with a polite, "no, sorry" to a polite request to switch.

 

While it IS rude to respond "bugger off" rather than "no, sorry" the result is the same. These days flying is a PITA, even more of a PITA when someone expects you to move out of your seat so a group can sit together.

[slidergirl]

I still find it hard to believe that the OP is upset so much over the "rude" passengers who would not give up their seats. Did they all really rudely tell you "no" or are you insinuating that they were rude just because they said "no" and left you bug another passenger for their seat?

Like I said, I choose my seat for a very specific reason. I won't give up my seat to accommodate anyone unless I really don't care to be able to walk at my destination without bringing my cane with me again and changing my plans to not be so mobile. Sorry.

 

Woah, we're all starting to sound like FlyerTalkers around here:rolleyes:

[lovesublime]

Wow! What a bunch of real winners on this thread. I cannot believe some of the things I've read here. The ten year who should not have been old enough to hold the baby on the flight for a while at least....or the two seven year olds who absolutely should be seated scattered about on the plane because they're big boys and would "love it". Wow! I cannot even tell you how many times I've changed seats so families traveling together could sit together.

 

 

I can only guess that most of you are single or business travelers who plan to get snockered and don't want little ones disrupting your drunken stupor.

 

 

I have traveled A LOT on early, very early flights during the work week within my own and surrounding states. It's amazing how many of the so called 'business' types start boozing at 7am. Oh yeah, true story.

[CantanaLobo]

As I said, if I responded "yes", it would be out of the goodness of my heart.

 

Just don't expect me to say "yes" and sit next to the lavatory in the back. I'm not that nice. As Shorex said, flyers are territorial. There's a site devoted to helping people pick a good seat (not sure if it's mentionable on CC).

 

I guess the bottom line is don't board the aircraft with an expectation that people will swap seats. You might get lucky, you might not. But they're not being 'rude' when they say 'no'. They're just exercising their right to sit in the seat they picked for whatever reason. Is someone having their kid sit next to them more important than me having my DW sit next to me?

 

(I'll see your ad hominem and raise you one - I've been on early flights out of Colorado and haven't seen much boozing. Maybe it's a Texas thing :p )

[greatam]

or the two seven year olds who absolutely should be seated scattered about on the plane because they're big boys and would "love it".

 

If you read the OP's second explanation, there was a PAIR of seats together and Grandma was going to be a few rows forward. How is that a big deal? MUCH bigger deal trying to get everyone to move when the plane is trying to push back and as Kenish posted, if the plane didn't make it out of the gate on time, there was a REAL possibility of having a late arriving plane which certainly impacts a lot more people than putting a pair of 7 year olds in seats together with Grandma/Grandpa/Mom and Dad on the same plane and not far away.

 

You do understand that the OP CHOSE to fly standby even though they had CONFIRMED seats on a later flight???

 

 

I can only guess that most of you are single or business travelers who plan to get snockered and don't want little ones disrupting your drunken stupor.

 

 

I have traveled A LOT on early, very early flights during the work week within my own and surrounding states. It's amazing how many of the so called 'business' types start boozing at 7am. Oh yeah, true story.

 

Definitely an over the top statement. And a real putdown to those of us that fly 75-100,000 miles per year.

 

Don't know where you are flying to see so many boozing it up at 7AM. I've never seen it to any great degree other than out of Florida after a cruise. But I generally fly once a month on an overnight flight (LAX-JFK AA flight 10 or 30) so I can SLEEP and be ready to work when I arrive JFK. And internationally, it is almost always an overnight flight. So I want QUIET so I can SLEEP, not get drunk.

[4774Papa]

If asked to move to accommodate a family, I would be inclined to assist, however, I would not accept a middle seat. Further, if I had paid for an economy comfort seat, I would not relinquish this for a seat at the rear of the aircraft.

 

As for boozing on a flight, I don't remember seeing intoxicated people on the flights that I am taking.

[waterbug123]

 

I don't blame Delta for flight delays and missed flights--i do blame them for the way we were treated/ignored.

 

So let me get this straight... You have all this flying experience and know the ins and outs of air travel, and don't blame Delta for delays BUT... you're mad because the missed connection made you lose your economy comfort seats, and you're mad because at the last minute Delta was able to find 6 seats but couldn't work miracles and make 3 of them happen to be together. Wow.

 

If you really understand air travel as you say you do, you would realize there was almost no chance of there being 3 seats together. That would mean that unless everyone on the plane was traveling in groups of 3, there were a lot of people who had voluntarily booked middle seats instead of aisles or windows, thus leaving a window/middle/aisle combo available somewhere on the plane. Sorry, but that just isn't going to happen. And Delta isn't going to move pax who are already seated just to accommodate your seating desires. The fact that you were shocked makes me think maybe you don't really have as much flying experience as you implied. There's nothing wrong with that, but your expectations just don't jive with someone who is actually a very experienced flyer.

[slidergirl]

Wow! What a bunch of real winners on this thread. I cannot believe some of the things I've read here. The ten year who should not have been old enough to hold the baby on the flight for a while at least....or the two seven year olds who absolutely should be seated scattered about on the plane because they're big boys and would "love it". Wow! I cannot even tell you how many times I've changed seats so families traveling together could sit together.

 

 

I can only guess that most of you are single or business travelers who plan to get snockered and don't want little ones disrupting your drunken stupor.

 

 

I have traveled A LOT on early, very early flights during the work week within my own and surrounding states. It's amazing how many of the so called 'business' types start boozing at 7am. Oh yeah, true story.

 

Well, good on you if you are willing to give up your chosen seat for someone. You obviously don't care where you sit, as long as you get from A to B. Most of us do care.

I traveled cross-country (CA to PA) every summer alone from the time I was 7 on (love custody arrangements!). I even changed planes. This was before the unaccompanied minor junk where you must be signed for, have an airline chaperone in the terminal. It's not that big of a deal, unless you parents can't stand to be 10 feet away from them. Once in the air, the parents were free to get up and check on their kids frequently if they chose to do so. It's not like the kids were in a separate room or not visible. Geez:rolleyes:

 

As for the drinking myself into a stupor, good ad hominem. Not related to moving to accommodate a "special" family. Just so you know, when I fly domestic, I drink water. And, on TATL or mainland-Hawaii flights, I'll indulge in a glass or two of wine with dinner and dessert.

 

I think the OP really doesn't travel as much as put forth. If they did, surely they would know by now that trying to get many people to change the seats they RESERVED so the special family could get their "required" seating arrangements was rude and futile. If it was one person moving, I could maybe see it, but they wanted multiple people to give in to their wants. They had confirmed seats on the later flight, they should have waited. They ended up inconveniencing everyone on the flight with their shenanigans. If the GA gets in trouble for having a flight leave the gate even one minute late (yes, they do, and if they get too many, they are out the door), do you think the OP is going to care...

[kenish]

As for boozing on a flight, I don't remember seeing intoxicated people on the flights that I am taking.

 

In fact, FAA regs prohibit airlines from boarding anyone who appears intoxicated as well as serving anyone who becomes intoxicated inflight. Almost every other country has similar regs. A pretty unenviable part of the gate agent and cabin crew's job.

[4774Papa]

We are from Georgia and have been flying Delta for years. From our experience and that of other adult family members, Delta is still a pretty good airline.

 

We have not encountered problems with surly or rude Delta employees. It has been reported to me by friends and family that have flown on aircraft with attendants formerly a part of Northwest. That is where surly and rude was an issue.

[sekalady]

That's good to read! Hubby and I are leaving from K.C. to Seattle for our cruise on Sept. 3. It leaves at 6:15 a.m. and supposedly arrives in Seattle at 12:05 p.m. with a layover in Salt Lake City. It's about a 3 hour layover. If Delta doesn't run too far behind schedule, we might make it to port. This will be our first cruise to Alaska.

[FlyerTalker]

At SEA, DL operates from the South Satellite. You will take an escalator down from the gate area, board a train and exit at the main terminal. Do NOT get off at Concourse B (if the train is running in that direction - sometimes they do). At the main terminal, exit the secure area, up an escalator, then right to baggage claim.

 

The good news...on cruise day, there are tons of folks with cruiseline logos on clipboards. They can assist you in navigating from the baggage claim. If you are on a cruiseline transfer, there is a special area for those buses at the end of the terminal. If using a taxi or Shuttle Express, you will need to go up to the skybridge level, cross over to the parking garage, then down to level 3, where you find taxis and SE.

 

Have fun.

[sekalady]

Thanks for the info. It is much appreciated. Hopefully, all flights will be on time, so we can make it to port by 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

[slidergirl]

That's good to read! Hubby and I are leaving from K.C. to Seattle for our cruise on Sept. 3. It leaves at 6:15 a.m. and supposedly arrives in Seattle at 12:05 p.m. with a layover in Salt Lake City. It's about a 3 hour layover. If Delta doesn't run too far behind schedule, we might make it to port. This will be our first cruise to Alaska.

 

3 hour layover in SLC. If you can buy into the Sky Club there, it would be worth the money to sit and relax there. Other than some decent airport food (Cafe Rio, High West Distillery, Squatters), not much else. The good thing is that SLC is one of the best airports to transit in. You can do one end to the other inside of 15 minutes. There is free wifi throughout the airport, too.

[pris993]

WORD TO THE WISE!!-- Beware of Delta airlines!! I guess this may be the wave of the future for all US airlines, but their overall quality is in the toilet!-- FLIGHTS ARE CONSISTENLY LATE, OVERBOOKED, AND THEIR IN-PROCESS AND IN-FLIGHT SERVICE IS TERRIBLE!! My family is so upset over our recent three flights on Delta that I feel compelled to complain & wine as loud as possible in hopes that they get the message and improve.

 

Our recent flights to Dublin were late several hours, the check-in staff were consistenty lacking in providing timely and accurate info on reasons for delays or new projected schedul departure info, and generally disinterested in cusomer service. They did excel in rudeness ( such as--always our fault in not having proper seat reservations), and always seemed to have ample time to visit and BS with thier co-workers and ignore their customers!!

 

I realize that 'stuff happens" and that some delays are inevitable, but Delta seems have to made a standard of this poor service, and skillfully compounded the problem with thier lack of poor customer interface-- or is it really due to lack of management and grossly inadequate customer training in favor of bottom line customer numbers and fare $$ in and out the gates?

 

KNow how you feel... felt like I was being held hostage on American flight from SFO to NY and NY to Rome over a year ago. ONly one flight a day each direction, late both directions every day - why, it is simple AA over books the flights and then spends 1.5 hours trying to get folks to give up their seats. What a way to run an airline.

 

On our return flight to USA, arrived at the time we were to make our connection, AA met folks missing connections handed out JetBlue tickets to us as we walk to Customs in NY, when we went to recheck our luggage to SFO, there we were told to get our butt over to the AA flight asap, they were holding flight... we had to change terminals go thru security again... we barely made it to the AA flight which was very late... when we got to the gate they had just shut the door and did not know we were coming. Not a good way to run an airline.

 

Needless to say on our last flight to Rome we went on Air France less hassel and we are planning another trip October 2014.. we will book Air France again. Sad would love to fly an American carrier... we use to fly TWA for years then American... no longer dependable and customer service sucks.

 

We have booked a flight from Barcelona next April on American using miles, I hope it is not as big a nighmare... we will see. At least I have used up all my American miles.