Man, Delta's customer service is useless!

[gambit57]

They don't know anything. Anyone know if Delta outsourced them? I got a distinctly Indian accented lady. Couldn't tell me squat.

 

Computer changed my seat number. Got me worried since of course, they didn't tell me. She had no idea why. They better not change my flight cuz 1, they don't tell you until like 10 minutes before your flight leaves (when you're at the airport already), and 2, no other flight will get me to the boat on time. :mad: Now I remember why I stopped flying Delta.

[vivian02]

I know how you feel. I myself am down on Delta but as a customer I haven't given up. The same thing happened to me last summer, I called to confirm my reservations and I could not get it across that I was flying out in 48 hours and wanted to confirm my reservations. The lady connected me with overseas flights since I was flying to Europe and I was immediately connect to someone who knew what I was trying to do. Yes, If you are cruising you need to confirm your seats. If you don't do this you could be going to the airport with an over booked flight. I do give Delta customer service credit for giving me the 1-800 number for their Air Partner Air France. It saved me alot of time. Unfortunately Delta shorted me on "Skymiles" but I'm still working that end. Stay on top of it. Good Luck Tim

[DanJ]

I have had nothing but good experiences with them with the recent changes in schedules.

[gambit57]

I am confirmed. Least I hope so. I've been checking nearly every day. However, today, I noticed that the seat numbers changed. I'm annoyed, but can live with it since I'm still on that flight.

 

I'm primarily worried that they'll bump me off the flight. They had no compunction about bumping me out of my seat (with no warning). I don't see why they couldn't kick me off the flight too.

 

Good luck getting your skymiles back vivian02/tim.

[DanJ]

Have you gone to the website and tried to re-select your seats?

[dog]

After booking with a TA, 3 days before Delta filed, I called Delta to select my seats. They told me they were re organizing and to call back in 2 days. I was able to go right online and pre select my seats on my own. So far, so good, nothing has changed on me yet. I don't fly out until March, but my TA must of told them I was using the flight to connect with a cruise as they mentioned this to me on the phone.

Hope they give priority to cruise passengers before making changes. I am going one day pre and one day post.

[gambit57]

I'll play around some more, but I can't see where I can reselect my seats. I had already selected them online when I booked the tickets. Somehow, they switched me.

 

I asked if I could get my old seats back, but the CS person just kept repeating the same thing over and over. I'm not sure if she could have done something or if she didn't understand me. Whenever I asked a question (like, "can you check to see if my old seats are available and switch me back?"), she sounded very confused, repeated what she said earlier ("I see your seats are seats 42H, blah, blah") and said she couldn't do anything.

 

I also asked if she could make a note in the system saying I needed to be on this flight to catch my cruise and not to bump me, but she said she couldn't do anything. Argh! Useless. Hotels can make notes like that in their systems. Can't see why she can't.

 

Think I should ask to speak to a manager or am I jumping the gun a little?

[just4kixx]

Codex... no personal experience with Delta... at least not for many moons :rolleyes: , but I'd definitely call back and speak to another CS rep. You are bound to get someone different, and perhaps they can understand your "accent";) better!

 

But seriously, you should keep calling until you get a satisfactory answer, then ask them to email the confirmation to you. Print it out and bring it with you!

 

Good luck!

A~:)

[DEL67]

Try another rep. I have called twice about seating for my disabled husband and have gotten good service each time.

[DanJ]

To get to the seat selection area, click on the "Travelling & Check-In" menu on the main page. This will bring up various log-in and flight check boxes. Enter your name and confirmation number in the "Itineraries & Check-In" box. This will bring up your flight info, and you can select seats from there.

[dog]

I did as Dan suggests and chose my own seats and was able to go back in and make my own changes. You need to know your booking number to do it.

[gambit57]

Found it. Thanks guys.

 

My original seats are gone. I'm not in a part of the plane I don't like (on the wing, near the engines). Oh well, least I'm still on this flight. That's the most important.

 

Man, Delta sucks. What's the point of confirming seats if they're just going to kick you out of them whenever they want? it's not like the plane is even full. There are still like 1/3 of the seats open.

[Mona Lisa]

Are they trying to go completely under? We have a group of 22 passengers booked on flights to/from CVG in December. Delta has messed with our flight plan several times. We have had to call and get new seats 4 times! Now, they have us scattered all over the plane with children in rows by themselves. To make it even worse, they put my mom and s-i-l in the same seat!:eek: We have called and emailed. Delta custormer service desk told us that it will be straightened out at check-in...on Christmas Eve, are they kidding?

 

Anyone know what we can do?

[ahoymatey3]

Is it too late to switch airlines? Keep calling and calling and calling and calling...

 

You can check and change your seats on delta.com also

[eroller]

Seat numbers don't change for no reason. As you know, Delta is in Chapter 11 and is experiencing many flight schedule changes. Part of this is because of a realignment of the system, and part of the reason is because some aircraft lessors want their aircraft back. Delta is trying to mitigate any inconvenience by substituting other aircraft when possible and necessary. When an aircraft type changes on a particular flight (and it can happen more than once), the seat chart also changes to that particular aircraft and can be quite different than the original. The computer then automatically reassigns seats. Delta is NOT going to call every passenger where there has been an aircraft change and seats were reissued. That would surely put them out of business as it would mean thousands and thousands of calls. Delta will call (the passenger or travel agent .. or email if on file) for any substantial flight changes. I would suggest keeping an eye on your flight (which most of you are doing), and if you don't like your new seats then go to Delta.com and pick new ones. You can pull up the entire seating chart of the aircraft and move things around as necessary (providing seats are available). If no seats are available, then enquire at the gate. A certain amount of seats are always held back and not released until about an hour before the flight. You can change the seat yourself through a self-service kiosk at the airport or with the gate agent working the flight.

 

For the person that called to reconfirm flights .... it is a good idea but most people do it online. You don't even have to call Delta ... just go to delta.com and plug in your flight number. The results will be the same that any Delta reservation agent has access to. If there have been any time changes, it will be listed there. Reconfirming flights does not mean that the flight will not be oversold or that volunteers will not be necessary if there is not enough "fall out" at departure time. It's VERY rare these days that anyone is involuntarily denied boarding due to an oversold flight. Anyway, if you call to "reconfirm" a flight, the reservation agent has no power to keep you or anyone from being "bumped". They simply check the flight schedule and see if any schedule changes have occurred.

 

Ernie

 

ps - I might add that all airlines overbook flights and have equipment changes ... and pretty much they all handle it the same way. Unfortunately those that recently entered Chapter 11 (Delta and Northwest) have even more changes than normal due to circumstances both inside and outside their control. United and USAir went through it as well when they first entered Chapter 11. It takes a little while for things to settle down into a "normal" schedule ... if anything about an airline can be considered "normal" these day. Analysts predict American will probably be next to file Chapter 11, within a year or so ... so you can expect the same issues to them when it happens. The good thing is that the vast majority of passengers have their flight schedule and seats go unchanged. Those that do are actually a very small percent but are vocal about it and I don't blame them.

[Mona Lisa]

We'd love to change on Delta's site but there are no seats left. The plane is overbooked. (I am keeping all documented correspondence just in case I have to call Howard :p ) I have searched for flights to both FLL and Miami, there are no nonstops for around the same price on any airlines. We booked so early, last January, nothing compares in price. We are flying on Christmas Eve, apparently a very popular day.

[ahoymatey3]

I'm sure you'll keep on them.

 

If a else fails, I bet you can get people to switch seats, once on the plane, in the spirit of xmas.

[SWEETNLOW2005]

Please get to the airport about 3-4 hours ahead time to get all of this taken care of. Give yourself enough time to handle the problem

[Mona Lisa]

I was on the phone with Delta for nearly an hour. I spoke to a Supervisor who spoke clear English (that was calming in itself). I found out that our flight holds 92 passengers but 196 are booked!! Geez, that's a little overbooked wouldn't you say???? They assured me that there will be "an equipment change."

 

Am I a fool to wait, as the supervisor recommended, to see if in fact they make "an equipment change?" I don't have many other options. All the other airfares are way more for similar times plus they would include connecting flights. We are currently on a direct flight.

 

Thanks for all your responses. I feel better just sharing with you all.

 

Lisa

[wrp96]

I think your best bet at this point is to keep checking to make sure they make the equipment change. No matter what happens, get to the airport as early as possible to check in for your flight. Usually the people that are bumped are the last people with seats assigned and the last to check in.

 

If you have seat assignments and are checked in you should be fine.

[DanJ]

 

For the person that called to reconfirm flights .... it is a good idea but most people do it online. You don't even have to call Delta ... just go to delta.com and plug in your flight number. The results will be the same that any Delta reservation agent has access to.

 

Not exactly true. The round of schedule changes in early September, I was told of it on flyertalk, went online and checked, and sure enough, my flights had been changed. Except there wasn't any for me to go to. So I called. The agent said everything was the same as it was previously. I pressed a little, and he realized things had changed. He rebooked us onto flights that didn't show up on the website until 3 days later. No problems, and I actually got decent seats on a couple of the legs.

 

Yesterday, I phone again. Another report on flyertalk said to check flights again. Website was now not showing my LAX-ATL flight available for booking anymore. I realize this could have been because the flight was sold out. So, the agent pulls it up on her system, and tells me everything is fine. I tell her about the website problem. She pulls up the website and is surprised the flight doesn't show up. Tells me her system says the flight is there, and it has plenty of empty seats. Says she will report to somebody the website issue.

 

So, that's 2 examples in the last 6 weeks that the website, and the agent's computers have had differing information. Which is correct, I guess I'll find out when I show up for my flights LOL.

[YogiDog]

DanJ - which forum on flyertalk did you visit to get your info on Delta? I would like to start using that site as well! Thanks!

[DanJ]

go to http://www.flyertalk.com and along the top menu bar it says "jump to forum". Click on Miles & Points. That will bring up a list of almost every airline of any decent size that has a frequent flyer program. Scroll down to Delta Skymiles. The site is geared to frequent flyers and some of the people there get really anal towards leisure travellers such as myself, but the info there is awesome. I just try not to ask any dumb questions LOL.

[ahoymatey3]

But we can still ask dumb questions here, right? :)

[flashdog_1]

Well, I've not had any flights cancelled, seats changed or frequent flyer miles denied by Delta. As a matter of fact, I recieved FFM from a complicated problem caused by the TA, so am quite pleased with them.

 

I had not been sure that I would receive FFM when using cruise air (I think i've read somewhere that they don't give them on charter flights specifically for getting passengers to cruises) but did receive them on Delta flights, Northwest, and a charter flight all for one cruise.

 

What happened was that the TA posted my middle name (maiden name) in the last name column so Delta didn't show my FF number with that name. Fortunately it did not screw up immigration!

 

When I saw my cruise tickets I called Delta and asked what to do. He gave me an address where to mail all the original boarding passes, and a cover letter explaining about the name confusion. I also had to include a copy of my drivers license and passport photo page. I did so and in about 8 weeks the points were there.

 

I like to book Delta because they have lots of flights to each destination, so if they do have some consolidation of two flights it will generally be within a couple of hours of your original flight, so you won't get stuck in the airport forever and a day (which i did see once in 1972 when the computer sold seats on a 747 and the actual equipment was a 707). I always look at the schedule and never pick the last flight out.