Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
on Juxx 13th, 2013 I had a very bad experience with DL in BOS / at JFK and the delay of flight 302.
I booked a flight on Juxx 09th, 2013 from BOS to CLT via JFK, but sometimes things change and I decided to go only to JFK because I found a connection in JFK with LO going back home to Switzerland. The connection time at JFK was about six hours, what usually shouldn't be a problem on a 36 minutes flight from BOS to JFK, except you chose DL as your carrier.
At BOS I arrived more than two hours befor departure of DL 1091, and after 45 minutes of waiting to drop of my luggage I was told, that it would be checked through to the final destination CLT. So they sent me to the DL ticket desk to change my ticket only to JFK. After another 40 minutes in the queue I was told the fare difference would be about US$ 80.00 and I agreed to change the booking to the later flight DL 302 (because I had to calculate another 45 minutes to drop-off my luggage and waiting time at the airport security). But instead of rebooking my existing ticket 006XXXXXXXXXX as I was told, they made a new booking 006XXXXXXXXXY and charged the full price of US$ 216.90 without refunding ticket 006XXXXXXXXXX.
Flight 302 left the gate on time and taxied to the runway and the cockpit crew made an announcement that due to air traffic over NYC there would be a delay of 60 minutes and the aircraft was parked on the apron. Almost 60 minutes past and another announcement was made, the aircraft had to return to the gate due to a technical issue. Passengers with connections to another DL flights at JFK were offered to leave the plane and be rebooked on other flights from BOS, there were beverages and snacks for free while waiting at the gate. However, the gate agents at BOS couldn't do anything for me, because my connection was on another airline. The technical was fixed within 25 minutes but it took the flight crew another 45 minutes to complete the paper work. However, the flight left BOS with a delay of about two hours and I still could make it in JFK.
Finally after another 15 minutes waiting to cross an active runway and 40 more minutes get my luggage at the belt the gate for my connection was already closed, also the LO ticket desk. So I went back to a DL desk and got a Military Excuse, that DL 302 had a delay of 2 hours and a 5000 SkyMiles Voucher. There was no assistance for rebooking my missed LO flight nor any assistance or vouchers for a Hotel in JFK. I spent about two hours an my foreign cell phone with LO and DL without any success to get rebooked on another flight. DL said, I have to talk to LO and LO said I have to talk to DL.
I had to spend the night at JFK and at 5:00 am on Juxx 14th, 2013 I went to the then opened DL ticket desk to get rebooked, but the answer of the agents was always "Sir, I can't do this". Without any SkyTeam status but all my confidence I eventually went to a SkyPriority chek-in desk and told the most senior appearing agent JoAnne my story with DL 302. She made a phone call and after it was confirmed that the delay was due a technical issue, she said "Well, it is DL's fault and we have to help you. It could be a little complicated, but I know, I can do it." It took here about 2.5 hours until she got control to my initially booking on LO and she could rebook me on DL 206 free of charge.
I spent another US$ 50.00 to get access to the DL lounge at JFK and get two hours sleep and a having a shower. DL 206 was on time with a very nice and dedicated cabin crew.
On Juxx 24th, 2013 I requested a refund for my the cancelled ticket online 006XXXXXXXXXX and there is no response yet.
Resume:
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(-) In general the service of the ground staff at BOS and JFK was a very bad experience.
(-) To drop-off luggage at BOS takes forever and has to be improved.
(-) The delivery of luggage at JFK takes to long, especially when it is refused to check the luggage to the connecting flight even there is an inteline agreement between DL and LO.
(-) To get told a fare difference of US$ 80.00 but issuing a completely new (full fare) ticket without refunding the other ticket is not acceptable.
(-) Leaving stranded passengers without any assistance for rebooking or to find a hotel is not what I would expect from a legacy carrier like DL.
(-) There is spreading a "Sir, we can't do that" - attitude, especially under younger ground staff at DL desks.
(-) I didn't only miss my flight on Juxx 13th, 2013 - I also missed my job on Juxx 15th, 2013.
(+) Thanks to DL agent JoAnne at the SkyPriority check-in at JFK, there are still a few employees knowing how to serve passengers, understanding and solving problems. There might be still a little hope for DL.
(+) There are no complaints about on board experiences on DL flights.
What DL could do for me:
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1. First of all, you could tell agent JoAnne at the SkyPriority check-in at JFK, that thanks to her I possibly would fly with DL again.
2. I look forward to the refund of ticket 006XXXXXXXXXX, there is still a good chance that DL is better than LH (last time it took them eight months after I involved an attorney).
3. Compared to 40.000 miles when applying for a credit card and taking into account that I missed a day at work, the just 5.000 SkyMiles seem not to be an appropriate compensation for the trouble I had due to the delay of flight 302.
Kind regards.
TAPulator
