Delta Airlines Ruined my trip, and violated security rules, I was wheel chair bound on the way home what a nightmare!!! Sacramento California Texas
I flew to Texas from Sacramento early one morning on Delta airlines or I should say tried to. I arrived two hours early and was one of very few at the gate I tried to check in with the stewrdess at the gate and she told me to wait as she was busy, so I sat across from her. An hour went by and she began checking passengers in and assigning them seats if they did not allready have one, so I stood in line to get my seat since I was unassigned. She looked at my ticket and again told me to have a seat she would be calling my name shortly to give me my seat number. They Boarded the plane and I was still standing there with 2 other gentlemen she called my name and handed me a seat number I headed for the door, then she called my name over the loud speaker to report back to the desk, she took the seat number out of my hand and told me I had been bumped while handing my seat number to one of the gentlmen standing there and they both headed onto the palne and the doors shut. I had no choice I was furious. Oh yeah I got a voucher for 200.00 and a ticket to Jet Express to leave in 1 hour and a promise my suitcase would be taken to the other airlines. They handed me a boarding pass and told me to walk in 112 degree heat to the other terminal to find my gate. When I get to Jet Express I can't find the gates so I stop at the desk, the gal says my ticket is incorrect so she gets a supervisor to come out and fix it. They could tell I'm upset but I never said anything about it. I finally get squared away and head down the hall and around the corner up the escaltor to security and get up front and notice my ticket has been marked "security risk" so I go through the whole pat down extra security check etc... I ask why and security tells me a supervisor chose me for this lovely task (mind you I've allready done this at Delta) GRRRRRR. I am a 47 year old housewife wearing a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt and a pair of flip-flops I know no profiling ... On my trip back I double over with a kidney stone about an hour before i get to the airpot, and am in severe pain. Having troubles urinating and nauseated...just want to get home. So they call for a wheel chair transport, The first guy wheeled to restroom and waited for me just fine then back to gate then needed to leave for another passenger. Later I needed to go back so a Steward came by to check on me offered to take me. At the restroom I explained I might be a while due to my problem, he said not to worry take my time. Told me to leave my carry on, purse and other belongings with chair because it hurt too much to carry anything, and he would be right there. When I completed my business and came out of restroom, I proceeded to get into my wheelchair when I realized that here is my purse and my ticket laying out in the open, my carryon is on the ground about a foot away and the steward is GONE and 100's of people are walking all around me. I finally after waiting about 5 minutes wheeled myself back to the gate. He showed up 10 min. later with an empty wheel chair for another passenger. I asked if he realized what he had done, he said no, I told him, he laughed and asked if all was there, then said sorry and walked away. I called for a supervisor, she gave me two drink tickets and said maybe a cocktail will help with your stress and pain. Frankly I did not find either of their answers funny or reassuring, let alone satifactory
Tamara
Salida, California
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Terri
Upland,California,
U.S.A.
I agree
#3Consumer Suggestion
Wed, October 15, 2008
I agree 100% with DMC, you should have selected your seat at the same time you purchased your ticket, secondly, if the gate agent told you that you would have to wait for a seat assignment then it sounds like you were flying on stand by and ticketed passengers were allowed boarding first. As for the situation with your personal belongings and your being in a wheelchair, you could have easily hung your purse by its strap off your wheelchair, there are clear messages throughout every airport in the United States while walking through an airport about unattended baggage, you were very lucky it was still there when you came from the restroom.
Dmc21487
Columbus,Ohio,
U.S.A.
Wheelchair Guy = Not An Airline Employee...
#3UPDATE Employee
Thu, October 09, 2008
What did Delta do wrong?
The people that push you in the wheelchairs are NOT employed by airlines or even contracted by them - they work for the AIRPORT. If you have an issue with how your personal belongings were left unattended by the wheelchair runner, you should have complained about the company that HE works for.
It was unfortunate that you were denied boarding because of an oversold flight (I assume that's what happened), but it happens to thousands of people every day. Not to say that it's right, but you're certainly not in the minority. You should pick a seat when you book your ticket instead of assuming the airline will take care of it. On an oversold flight, the people without seat assignments are the first to get bumped in an oversold situation. If there are multiple people without seats, it all goes in order of check in time and just because you were there 2 hours prior doesn't mean that the other guy wasn't there 2 hours and 1 minute prior. The agent probably gave you a seat before the other guy in error and called you back to the desk when she realized it. While annoying to you, people make mistakes.
Also, when your ticket is moved over to another airline (like when Delta switched your ticket over to ExpressJet), you're automatically flagged for extra security screening. It is not done by a supervisor at the airline. It also doesn't say "security risk." It says "SSSS."
There is no such thing as "stewardesses" and "stewards." At one point in time, that's how people referred to flight attendants. The people at the gate behind the podium are called gate agents.