Happy Crappy Father’s Day

Jun 18, 2006 by Jared Smith

I’ve spent all week in London on business. It was a great trip, but let me tell you how much I HATE travelling. Earlier today (Or was it yesterday? It’s all a blur), when leaving London, I had to wait almost 3 hours because of mechanical problems with the plane. Because of the delay, I missed my connecting flight from Atlanta to Salt Lake City. Apparently there were no additional seats on any of the 3 other Delta (or ANY other airline) flights to SLC tonight.

So they offered to put me on the first flight tomorrow and put me in a hotel and give me dinner and breakfast. Having spent the previous 12 hours on or waiting for their plane, I asked for more compensation. The kind lady told me to call an 800 number and they would give it to me – she couldn’t give more compensation for international travellers.

So, I then spent the next 20 minutes on hold to request a shuttle to the hotel, then 20 minutes waiting for the shuttle, then another 20 minutes driving in circles with Pablo the driver, then another 20 minutes in line to check in to some scary, funny smelling Comfort Inn (and I use the word ‘Comfort’ loosely here). While waiting in line, I was chatting to another guy and noticed that he had some Delta hotel vouchers too. He took a voluntary bump from a 2 hour flight to New Orleans and got the same things I did, plus $800 in travel vouchers. 800 bucks!

So while using my $7 meal voucher in the hotel restaurant (which obviously has not had a health inspection – ever!), I called Delta and was told that only the airport could offer additional compensation and that once some is given, they cannot offer more. If I wanted more, I should have asked for it at the airport. Hmmmm… But she said I could write a letter to their CEO, and he might be able to help. Really!?! Because I guess CEO’s know more about customer service than CUSTOMER SERVICE does, right?

I guess travelling 200,000 miles and working for a business that spends roughly $20,000 per year on Delta flights is only worth a nights stay and a few meals when they ruin your weekend and screw you out of the chance to spend a few waking hours with your family on Father’s Day. I’ll remember that next time I book my travel tickets.

Yeah, it’s been a crappy Father’s Day. But tomorrow I’ll be home… at last! If none of this makes sense, I apologize – it’s because I haven’t slept in… I’m too tired to figure it out, but had better try to get some now because I have a flight (that is, if my luck changes) in 6 hours.