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Delta Airlines Lack of Communication/Accountability, Left me stranded w/out Hotel Atlanta Georgia
I've been a frequent flyer since I was 14 (for several decades now) and I've never seen such regularly practiced irresponsibly bad communication, and such shocking lack of accountability from any Air Carrier in the U.S. - Please read below:
On my last Delta flight I had to layover in Atlanta. Upon arrival in Atlanta I was instructed to go to a gate at the end of their 'B' terminal for my next flight segment - no problem I had 45 minutes to catch that flight after landing in Atlanta. Well we eventually made it our Gate (B31) with 25 minutes to spare - no problem, right? Wrong - there were no flights at that gate AND there were no gate change warnings at the gate (a gate change notification {at the gate} is common courtesy (and nobody has any reason to believe the information is any better at some {distant} Arrival/Departure monitor somewhere else in any given larger Airport).
We had 25 minutes before our next flight (which was THE LAST FLIGHT of the night) and there were NO GATE CHANGE WARNINGS WHATSOEVER (!!), and EVEN WORSE - there were NO Delta employees anywhere within sight to ask what's going on!
Since we had little time to spare none of us did not dare scrambling to try to find any Arrival/Departure monitor (especially as we had no reason to believe it would be anywhere nearby, or give me any better information than the information monitors at the gate). So we waited -IN GOOD FAITH- for any Delta representative to show up at our gate (B31) (as there was no information displayed on the gate monitors yet) to let us know where our flight is, and if there's any gate change to be concerned about. We waited & waited & waited - TO NO AVAIL (!!!)
At 11 minutes before our flight was supposed to leave from gate B31 we were convinced that there wasn't going to be any flights that night from B31. In a very unhealthy rush several people went scrambling from Gate B31 to find ANY Delta rep. to see what's going on. We finally found a Delta rep. 1/4 mile away and learned that many people before us were also ANGRILY scrambling to find the same flight. So an over-worked Delta gate rep. gave us the bad news: Our flight is leaving from Gate 'A'29(?) in 9 minutes (!!! - A GATE WHICH IS ABOUT 1 MILE AWAY (!!!) It was hopeless - and it was not our fault. WHY DIDN'T DELTA AIRLINES JUST GIVE A STANDARD 'GATE CHANGE NOTICE' AT THE GATE? If they had NONE of this would have happened. We had NO [reasonable] way to know of their gate change (!!). This is highly irresponsible of Delta for carelessly doing this to their passengers (!)
That was the last flight of the night and the Airline would not even put me up for the night at a hotel, or offer a blanket to sleep in the Airport with. I slept in a COLD airport terminal with only a light wind-breaker. I shook all night from the cold & achieved absolutely no rest. I missed my important appointment the next morning in Indianapolis.
I wrote a letter to Delta Airlines about my ordeal(s) and they never (to this day) wrote back to apologize for their grossly irresponsible and avoidable mistakes. SHOCKING !!
Consumers - Beware of Delta Airline's cold/heartless irresponsible business practices.
Mark
DC, District of Columbia
U.S.A.
14 Updates & Rebuttals
Lost
Barataria,Louisiana,
U.S.A.
before you assume some one is lying, you have facts, it is evident you are less than normal to call someone a lier without fully knowing facts.
#15Consumer Comment
Fri, March 06, 2009
It is one of the hardest things to explain particulars involving such a horrific and dreadful crime! For anyone to paste straightforwardly victim is lying and connect it with being paid is sad and inhuman!
If such a heartless person assumes just because a victim is lying, that person should have facts! Of course after all facts and that person should continue to wish victim is lying well that is his right, but first ask are state without facts the claim is unknown, it is wrong to assume!
Few facts that need to be clear!
Delta airline offers various promotions when delta overbooks flights. Delta has guidelines, like all other airlines, depending on flight transfers due to overbooking.
If delta transfers your flight levers are given for passengers' dilemma. The longer your delay or the further your arrival the more levers you'll receive
Of course it is common sense if you take a plane to get you to point one to point two, that is the only obligation airline has, assuring you to your destination. NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS!
However, if you book a flight that offers more, that airline has an obligation to fulfill what was agreed. NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS!
We booked many vacation packages, some offer flights therefore we were not obligated to book our flights.
Some offer ground transportation and of course the packages that did not we were obligated to provide our own and which we of course did!
If you were offered by a airline $99.00 special to fly you to Hawaii, yet they fly you to Florida, Would you be confused if readers told you, idiot it is up to you to get your self to Hawaii from Florida.
Keep in mind airline omitted facts about Florida! You were told one thing, you agreed on that one thing, you paid for that one thing. Why would you be mad!
My awful experience is no difference! No difference than complaint I read about delta sending few to a hotel, hotel clerk stated they were booked and have no idea why delta airline continues to send passengers there, these people trusted what delta told them nonetheless these people were am bonded!
Facts need to be clear, I never, ever expected Delta airline to provide me transposition, and this was in my package and for six other passengers as well.
Delta totally lied when offered us seven this package. Delta said what it wanted to say to hurry and fill the flight they purposely overbooked, and without understanding the seriousness of the impact their lies will have they shuttled us on our way.
Just reading the many complaints listed on many sites concerning Delta and remarks from agencies that govern Delta airline it is evident Delta says what it wants to get what it wants and gambles with any trouble that may arise from their poor judgment and lack of obligation to its passengers and safety guidelines!
In addition, six other passengers were betrayed, (six strangers) I did not know these passengers.
Of course all six passengers can confirm I demanded safety rules be put in place from Delta employees the minute it was made clear we were stranded and abandoned.
I stressed safeness and vocally expressed concerns for all seven passengers! When it was evident Delta clearly LIED about where our transfer flight will land and how far we will be from our original site.
How does an airline promise you your landing yet were never honest about that!
Tell me how or why is it my fault, Tell me how or why I am lying!
Tell me what you would have done differently, other then not trust Delta. Give me reason why I should have known Delta was lying in the first place!
John
Califon,New Jersey,
U.S.A.
Delta did not rape you.
#15Consumer Comment
Fri, February 27, 2009
They are not going to pay you money. Stop lying.
John
Califon,New Jersey,
U.S.A.
Delta did not rape you.
#15Consumer Comment
Fri, February 27, 2009
They are not going to pay you money. Stop lying.
John
Califon,New Jersey,
U.S.A.
Delta did not rape you.
#15Consumer Comment
Fri, February 27, 2009
They are not going to pay you money. Stop lying.
Lost
Barataria,Louisiana,
U.S.A.
DELTA NEEDS TO TAKE ITS BLAME, YES I AGREE SOME THINGS ARE UP TO PASSENGERS, BUT IF DELTA OVER BOOKS AND PUTS PASSENGERS ON NEW FLIGHT DELTA SHOULD BE
#15Consumer Comment
Thu, February 26, 2009
SEE COMPLAINT POSTED 2/6/2009
I UNDERSTAND SOME MAY FIND IT HARD THAT GATES ARE NEVER EMPTY, BUT FACT IS MANY GATES ARE EMPTY MANY TIMES.
BASED ON MANY COMPLAINTS, ALSO ACCORDING TOLAW ENFORCEMENTS THAT OVER SEE DELTA AIRLINES WHO RECENTLY REPORTED DELTA HAS THE MOST COMPLAINTS AND CONTINUE TO GROW WITH HIGH NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS!
DELTA CLEARY LACKS PROPER SKILLS, DELTA CONTINUES TO USE BAD WORKING SKILLS AND IGNORE ALL COMPLAINTS. DELTA WILL TELL YOU WHAT EVER IT NEEDS TO TELL YOU IF THEY OVER BOOKED FLIGHTS AND WANT TO FILL THEIR CURRENT FLIGHT.
AFTER MANY COMPLAINTS DELTA SHOULD NOT OVERBOOK FLIGHTS UNLESS THEY ARE AWARE OTHER EMPLOYEES AT GATES, COUNTERS OR FLIGHTS THEY ARE SENDING PASSENGERS TO ARE AWARE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING!
IT MAY BE SIMPLE TO SOME, BUT TO OTHERS ARRIVING AT AN EMPTY GATE IS SCARING, AFRAID TO LEAVE POST FOR FEAR OF MISSING NEW FLIGHT, AND FOR THOSE WHO ASSUME DELTA EMPLOYEES ARE SITTING AROUND WAITING TO HELP PASSENGERS SENT TO NEW FLIGHTS DUE TO DELTA'S OVERBOOKING IS A SAD MISHAP ON YOUR PART!
DELTA'S EMPLOYEES DO NOT, DO NOT PUT ANY EXTRA EFFORT,MORE TIMES THAN NOT DELTA EMPLOYEES USE NO EFFORT, LET ALONE EXTRA EFFORT!
PASSENGERS DO NOT SIT AROUND WAITING TO BASH DELTA'S POOR WORKING SKILLS. WE PURCHASES TICKETS AND EXPECT AN EASY FLIGHT! PASSENGERS ARE WILLING TO HELP WHEN DELTA OVER BOOKS, HOWEVER IF DELTA REFUSES TO ASSURE EASY TRANSACTION BECAUSE THEY FAIL TO MAKE SURE EMPLOYEES WORKING GATE OR COUNTERS ARE AWARE THEY THEM SELVES CHANGED YOUR FLIGHT, THEREFORE EMPLOYEES ON OTHER END IS UNAWARE WHICH MAKES TRANSACTION LESS THAN EASY. MANY MISTAKES HAPPEN DUE TO DELTA BEING PREPARED ALL AROUND!
DELTA CHANGES PASSENGERS FLIGHT ASSUMING NEW FLIGHT WILL WORK SMOOTHLY, HOWEVER WHEN EMPLOYEES ON OTHER END NOT AWARE OF CHANGES IT PUTS EVERYTHING IN A TWIRL SPEND!
I YET TO READ DELTA CHANGED PASSENGERS FLIGHT AND TOOK THEIR TIME TO CALL AHEAD TO EMPLOYEES ON OTHER END EXPLAINNING TO THEM THEIR FLIGHT OVER BOOKED THEREFORE EXPECT PASSENGERS THEY ARE SENDING! DELTA CAN ALSO HAVE EMPLOYEE WALK OVER PASSENGERS TO ASSRE EASY TRANSACTION!
DELTA WILL NOT DO THIS BECAUSE DELTA IS AWARE ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES OVER WORKES AND PASSENGERS CONCERNS NOT ON TOP OF THEIR LIST!
IT IS ALSO CLEAR TO ME DELTA HAS EMPLOYEES READING AND RESPONDING TO COMPLAINTS AS IF THEY ARE A CONSUMER, BECAUSE ANYONE THAT FLYS DELTA IS AWARE MANY GATES ARE IN FACT EMPTY, MANY FLIGHTS OVER BOOKED AND IN FACT NOT PREPARED!
IT IS SAD DELTA WILL PAY EMPLOYEES TO READ AND RESPOND TO COMPLAINTS, YET REFUSE TO SPEND FEW MINUTES TO USE GOOD WORK BEHAVIOR!
COMPLAINTS DO NOT CRY ABOUT SMALL THINGS, THE COMPLAINTS OUTLINE OUTRIGHT LIES AND POOR WORK SKILLS.
MANY THINGS CAN HAPPEN THAT IS NEITHER FAULT, YET WHEN A COMPANY IS BLUNTLY DISHONEST OR DOES THINGS FOR A PROFIT BUT FAILING TO ENFORCE GOOD CONDUCT JUST HANGING PASSENGERS OUT TO FEN FORTHEM SELVES IS UNFAIR AND CRUEL!
HOW MANY PASSENGERS WILL AGREE TO TRANSFER FLIGHTS IF DELTA TELLS THEM TRANSFER WILL NOT BE EASY, MAY EVEN MISS FLIGHT, MAY BE STRANDED NOR DO THEY CALL NEW FLIGHT TO ALERT OR PREPARE THEM!
SMALL THINGS CONCERNING COLD,HOT,NOISY OR ETC ON PLANE IS ONE THING.
DELTA'S LACK OF CONCERN, DISHONESTY AND OUTRIGHT CRUEL CONDUCT IS ANOTHER!
I YET TO READ ONE SMALL COMPLAINT, PASSENGERS THAT ASSUME OTHERWISE MAY WANT TO RE READ COMPLAINTS AND ASK THEIR SELF HOW THEY WOULD HANDLE THINGS IF IN THEIR PLACE?
IT IS CLEAR FEW FELT I BLAME DELTA FOR NO REASON (see complaint 2/6/09,rape) I ASK IF DELTA TELLS YOU, YOU ARE ARRIVING IN ANOTHER AIRPORT BUT THEY WILL HAVE TRANSPORTION WAITING FOR YOU TO DRIVE YOU SAFE TO YOUR LOCATION, HOWEVER THEY FAILED TO CALL AHEAD TO OTHER AIRPORT AND FAILED TO MAKE THE ARRANGEMENTS THEY PROMISED YOU, NOW YOU ARE NO WHERE, STRANDED, NO ONE SPEAKING ENGLISH NOR UNDERSTAND YOU, TELL ME TRUTHFULLY HOW IS IT NOT DELTA'S FAULT!
I NEVER ASSUMED DELTA WILL GET MY TRANSPORTION, I HAD MY TRANSPORTION, DELTA PROMISED ME ONE THING DID ANOTHER!
FEW READERS SAY THIS IS A LIE, EVEN THOUGH SIX OTHER PASSENGERS WERE PROMISED SAME THING, SIX OTHER PASSENGERS LIED TO AND STRANDED!
I AM LUCKY TO BE ALIVE, ALLTHOUGH I FEEL DEAD, BEING DEAD WILL FEEL BETTER, BECAUSE I RE LIVE THIS EVERYDAY, I WISH I WAS LIYING!
READERS NEED TO VIEW REPORTS WRITTEN FROM (DOT) DEPT OF TRANSPORTION THAT REGULATES DELTA BEFORE THEY ASSUME PASSENGERS ARE MAKING SOMETHING BIG OUT SOMETHING SMALL!
READERS NEED TO RESPOND TO (DOT) I WOULD LIKE TO READ A NASTY RESPOND FROM A READER (DELTA EMPLOYEE) WHO ASSUMES PASSENGERS MAKING SOMETHING FROM NOTHING!
Karl
Clovis,New Mexico,
U.S.A.
Helpless Gerry
#15Consumer Suggestion
Tue, December 09, 2008
Bottom line anywhere in the world where I have travelled is to check the closest monitor as soon as you deplane so as to ascertain the gate for your connecting flight. You don't "ask" anyone -you simply check the monitor. If you arrive at a gate 25 minutes before a flight is supposed to leave and find no plane or agent at the gate you then check the closest monitor to see if it registers a gate change.
Thousands of people every minute rely on monitors to identify gates. Sitting around at a inactive gate is simply stupid regardless where you come from in the world.
Gerry
Private,District of Columbia,
U.S.A.
No, the Airline admitted (publicly) they were at fault
#15Consumer Suggestion
Sat, November 29, 2008
To those who wrote their 'prematurely concluding' rebuttals: (let the following be a lesson for you)
THIS rebuttal is to: 'James', 'Karl' and especially 'Dave' Re: 'Mark from D.C.'s complaint about many irresponsible oversights of the Delta Airline employees that night in Atlanta:
I was one of the people there that night and there were many of us who didn't get on that flight, and 'Mark from D.C.' (who originally wrote the complaint that you immaturely slighted) omitted some info that he should not have had to include to indicate what the airline employees did to us (to show to any truly practicing intelligent person anyway). There was no special personal 'judgement' a passenger should have to 'use' as we aren't paid by the Airline. You silly unapprised Americans seem to often quickly lose your good logic and common sense over what is convenient' for you at the moment. The rudimentary principle' was lost that night which was probably Mark from D.C's purpose in making his (however incomplete) complaint that you jumped to conclude as defective reasoning' or other vilifying insult to someone so unusually intelligent as we remember Mark from D.C.' to be.
Not that it was a pragmatically bad idea, but it was NOT our responsibility to use our personal cell-phones to call and fix the Airline's problems, nor would have believed someone could have gotten through to live person very quickly at the Delta Corp. office or the toll-free number (as perhaps you might have tried, thus would have conveniently ignored the actual problems which would have hopefully corrected future problems. Two of us DID run up the corridor about mile (yes, about 1,420 of your American feet (unit of measurement) and only found long lines of angry passengers at Gates that were not pertaining to their flight either (because they were, unfortunately, the only Delta employees to be found).
*The first problem was there was no information AT OUR GATE as to re-direct passengers as other airlines do all over the world including the states, and no reason to believe the Departure monitors were anywhere nearby OR accurate particular considering the mistake(s) that the Airline already made (other mistakes not mentioned here). NO, there were NOT any Delta employees in sight whatsoever in that end of the terminal at almost 11 o'clock at night. Furthermore we had no reason to believe that something called Crown Room' had any obligation to help us, nor did we have the time to find out what 'Crown Room' was all about anyway. So that was a bad idea too. The Airline was supposed to be there for us and many things went terribly wrong which was extensively investigated later.
Mark from D.C.' did finally find a supposed supervisor a greater distance away but she played games with him for some bizarre reason instead of putting him (or any of us) on another flight as there were three flights on other airlines going to our arrival city that they could have put us on we later learned from the investigation. That supervisor' who was supposed to help, but didn't, (we later learned) was called into a Senior Managers office along with a few other' employees that were mentioned in a complaint letter to Delta. We aren't allowed to know who at Delta was fired or reprimanded but Delta finally came through and put the most rudimentary principals' back into place.
So 'James', 'Karl' and 'Dave' before you add your input in the future please don't be like typical self-seeking Americans, instead please first ponder the whole picture (& not just your own insight') before your open your cake-hole and exploit the innocent, or unnecessarily start wars off of your own troubled soil (figuratively speaking)
Thank you anyway. By this I hope you've started to learned how the real world works. (please forgive if my English was substandard)
Dave
Columbus,Ohio,
U.S.A.
Seriously?
#15Consumer Comment
Thu, December 06, 2007
How are you blaming the airline for this? This sounds like something that YOU could have prevented yourself had you used better judgment and a little bit of common sense.
It's ridiculous to me that you sat around at an empty gate at which there was no plane parked, no gate agent, no flight information on the podium backdrop, and maybe a handful of people in the boarding area. What where you thinking? Even if there was no gate change notification posted there at the gate, anyone with any common sense would think to themselves hmm maybe my flight isn't leaving from this gate anymore. I better find out what's going on. But instead, you did nothing, just assuming that the flight information monitors located in the concourse would not help you. Looking at the info screens who does that, right? If you had checked it, perhaps it would have just said A29.
I find it hard to believe that there was no Delta agent in sight. Are you trying to say that gates B20-B34 and the Crown Room were all unoccupied? I find that hard to believe considering the fact that the B concourse is used exclusively by Delta and with the airport being their main hub, it never closes. It's swarming with Delta agents, even at 10:30pm. Plus, you could go to the Delta service center in the center of the concourse. I bet you could have found someone there. You had to walk 1/4 of a mile before you found someone to help you... well, B31 is at the end of the concourse, so unless you can walk through walls, at least that 1/4 of a mile of walking was in the right direction... towards concourse A.
You said that you arrived at the gate with 25 minutes to spare, had you found an agent immediately (instead of sitting at an empty gate until ELEVEN MINUTES before departure time), you could have easily made it to the A concourse to catch your flight (yeah, in 25 minutes).
There should have been something posted at the gate noting the change of the departing flight, and in my experience, there always has been, but sitting there until 11 minutes prior to departure before coming to the sudden realization that you flight isn't leaving from there, is completely asinine, sir. And the fact that there was a whole group of you, none of whom took the initiative to find out any information, just makes it that much worse.
You weren't offered a hotel because you missed the flight. The excuse of there wasn't anything posted at the gate doesn't work, because it probably was posted on the airport boards that you felt no need to check, and that the airlines recommend that you check. If you needed a hotel, you should have called one. I've been there many times and the hotels around the airport aren't terribly expensive, and they all have shuttles. You're lucky they didn't charge you to rebook your flight for the next morning.
Gates change all the time, especially at a hub airport like Atlanta. For someone who claims to have been a frequent flyer since age 14, you seem to not know much about flying, because the grossly irresponsible and avoidable mistakes were made by YOU!
Karl
Clovis,New Mexico,
U.S.A.
Another Note
#15Consumer Suggestion
Fri, November 23, 2007
Also -ANY Delta gate agent will be glad to tell you about a Delta gate change. Just ask if you have a question.
Karl
Clovis,New Mexico,
U.S.A.
Another Note
#15Consumer Suggestion
Fri, November 23, 2007
Also -ANY Delta gate agent will be glad to tell you about a Delta gate change. Just ask if you have a question.
Karl
Clovis,New Mexico,
U.S.A.
Totally Agree.
#15Consumer Suggestion
Fri, November 09, 2007
James is absolutely correct. This story is extremely far fetched. I've experienced gate changes all the time. If it doesn't appear that my information was correct I simply check the monitor of which there are many in each concourse. Sitting around an unused gate is silly. Atlanta is one of the busiest airports in the world and I cannot believe that the place wasn't swarming with Delta personnel. Also there is always the white telephone and the Crowne Room. Hopefully you will do better next time there is a gate change.
James
New York,New York,
U.S.A.
Sleepless in ATL?
#15Consumer Suggestion
Fri, November 02, 2007
Sorry, but I have to question both your reasoning and your powers of observation.
You write this report as if you were left stranded on a desert island with no help in sight. As a Gold level flyer (was Platinum) on Delta, I want to sat that contrary to your account, the B concourse is busy 24x7. You claimed to be a quarter of a mile away from help, when in fact there is a Delta Crown Room Club at Gate B25. You had to walk right past it to get to B31! They would have been glad to help you - you don't have to be a member to ask a question.
So, in reality, you were THREE GATES away from help the entire time. Why only three? Because the odd numbered gates are on one side of the aisle, and the even are on the other. From your gate you could literally see the Crown Room entrance door and the sign above it. Guess you missed it, not to mention the mob going in and out the door. It's called the "Crowd Room for a reason.
Next, you speak in terms of "we". If that's correct, and there was actually more than one of you with this same problem, why didn't one of you go find the information screens that are literally everywhere in that concourse while the other stayed at the gate? There are these things now called cell phones, and you talk on them. So, the person going to find the monitors can call you with the info, or if your gate had suddenly come to life, you could call that person and tell them to return. Or are you actually saying that a large group of people including yourself (an experienced traveler by your own admission) really sat around for over thirty minutes watching a dark screen at an unmanned gate?
And as to your shivering all night at the airport - what kept you from getting in a cab and going to one of the dozen or more hotels located on the airport property? You clearly had that as an option.
I'm sorry for your experience, but based on your description it was indeed your fault. How could you NOT suspect that maybe there had been a gate change? How could you NOT try and get an answer? How could you NOT ask other passengers? Customer service wasn't lacking, common sense was.
James
New York,New York,
U.S.A.
Sleepless in ATL?
#15Consumer Suggestion
Fri, November 02, 2007
Sorry, but I have to question both your reasoning and your powers of observation.
You write this report as if you were left stranded on a desert island with no help in sight. As a Gold level flyer (was Platinum) on Delta, I want to sat that contrary to your account, the B concourse is busy 24x7. You claimed to be a quarter of a mile away from help, when in fact there is a Delta Crown Room Club at Gate B25. You had to walk right past it to get to B31! They would have been glad to help you - you don't have to be a member to ask a question.
So, in reality, you were THREE GATES away from help the entire time. Why only three? Because the odd numbered gates are on one side of the aisle, and the even are on the other. From your gate you could literally see the Crown Room entrance door and the sign above it. Guess you missed it, not to mention the mob going in and out the door. It's called the "Crowd Room for a reason.
Next, you speak in terms of "we". If that's correct, and there was actually more than one of you with this same problem, why didn't one of you go find the information screens that are literally everywhere in that concourse while the other stayed at the gate? There are these things now called cell phones, and you talk on them. So, the person going to find the monitors can call you with the info, or if your gate had suddenly come to life, you could call that person and tell them to return. Or are you actually saying that a large group of people including yourself (an experienced traveler by your own admission) really sat around for over thirty minutes watching a dark screen at an unmanned gate?
And as to your shivering all night at the airport - what kept you from getting in a cab and going to one of the dozen or more hotels located on the airport property? You clearly had that as an option.
I'm sorry for your experience, but based on your description it was indeed your fault. How could you NOT suspect that maybe there had been a gate change? How could you NOT try and get an answer? How could you NOT ask other passengers? Customer service wasn't lacking, common sense was.
James
New York,New York,
U.S.A.
Sleepless in ATL?
#15Consumer Suggestion
Fri, November 02, 2007
Sorry, but I have to question both your reasoning and your powers of observation.
You write this report as if you were left stranded on a desert island with no help in sight. As a Gold level flyer (was Platinum) on Delta, I want to sat that contrary to your account, the B concourse is busy 24x7. You claimed to be a quarter of a mile away from help, when in fact there is a Delta Crown Room Club at Gate B25. You had to walk right past it to get to B31! They would have been glad to help you - you don't have to be a member to ask a question.
So, in reality, you were THREE GATES away from help the entire time. Why only three? Because the odd numbered gates are on one side of the aisle, and the even are on the other. From your gate you could literally see the Crown Room entrance door and the sign above it. Guess you missed it, not to mention the mob going in and out the door. It's called the "Crowd Room for a reason.
Next, you speak in terms of "we". If that's correct, and there was actually more than one of you with this same problem, why didn't one of you go find the information screens that are literally everywhere in that concourse while the other stayed at the gate? There are these things now called cell phones, and you talk on them. So, the person going to find the monitors can call you with the info, or if your gate had suddenly come to life, you could call that person and tell them to return. Or are you actually saying that a large group of people including yourself (an experienced traveler by your own admission) really sat around for over thirty minutes watching a dark screen at an unmanned gate?
And as to your shivering all night at the airport - what kept you from getting in a cab and going to one of the dozen or more hotels located on the airport property? You clearly had that as an option.
I'm sorry for your experience, but based on your description it was indeed your fault. How could you NOT suspect that maybe there had been a gate change? How could you NOT try and get an answer? How could you NOT ask other passengers? Customer service wasn't lacking, common sense was.