Why I Hate Delta

When I was a kid, and we would fly to Taiwan, I would ask my parents not to choose Delta. I always got airsick whenever I flew Delta, and so we stayed away from it. This weekend, prompted by a cheap $300 weekend fare to Austin, I decided to give Delta another try. Maybe my stomach has settled with age... but it became obvious that Delta really stinks.

Original flight plan:
Leave Boston Friday morning at 10:20, layover in Cincinnati, and land in Austin at 3:30 pm.

Thursday night at 10pm, I get an automated message telling me that my Cin - Aus flight had been canceled. They rebooked me for a flight leaving Boston Sat morning and arriving at 11:40. Since I'm only going for a weekend (and was leaving Austin Sun afternoon), this didn't sound like a great plan.

I sat on hold for a while, and was able to take a different connecting flight that got me into Austin at 11pm. Not great, but better. And they said they would rebook my first flight to 5:40 pm so I wouldn't have to sit at the Cincinnati airport all day. So nice, I think to myself.

Friday morning I check my itinerary again - it says I was still scheduled for the 10:20 am flight. It's now 11 am. Technically I've missed my first flight. Afraid they'll claim it's my fault and make me pay extra, I frantically call, and they change me to the 5:40 pm flight. They apologize for the confusion, and I think ok, they're still nice.

Bos - Cin flight is late. I have a tight layover so I sprint to the other terminal and arrive to find out we've been delayed by 30 minutes. OK, I can handle that. Then they delay becomes 45 minutes. Then 1 hour. 1.5 hours. 2 hours. They say they're waiting on a crew member to arrive. She arrives, and we wait another 20 minutes. Then she leaves. An announcement comes: the crew member we're waiting for has timed out, so she can't fly. We're getting a replacement as we speak. Another 15 minutes go by, and then the cancellation announcement comes at 11:45 at night. They can't find another crew member but since it's their fault they'll put us up in a hotel and will rebook us.

I'm told I'll be put on the first Austin flight in the morning at 9 am. After further questioning, I find out I'm not confirmed on that flight - just standby. Since my other option is a 4:45 pm flight, they put me on a flight to San Antonio at 9:30 and say they'll provide transportation.

Then the horror of hotels comes... I've got a voucher for the Baymont Inn and $14 in food vouchers that I won't be able to spend because their kitchen is closed by now and I have to be back at the airport at 7 in the morning. Great. :) I trek to the shuttle location to find out they won't pick us up for another 45 minutes. I try to find people to share a cab with. No luck at first, but then I find some folks and jump in. Kindly one the guys is traveling for work and puts it on his expense account for us.

We arrive at the Baymont, and the line is wrapped around the whole lobby. He makes an announcement about an alternative motel since he probably doesn't have rooms for all of us. Delightful. I wait for 45 minutes to hear him say (with 12 people in front of me) I think I only have 7 rooms left. Wonderful yet again. I start trying to drop the hint that I would be ok sharing a double room with another lady in hopes of having a bed to sleep on. Praise God - the girl 2-3 in front of me overhears me. The front desk says they have a room for 2 or more people and the girl offers to get that room and let me and the other women sleep in it as well. I have a room!!! I go to sleep for 5 hours and then wake up to catch the shuttle to the airport...

to be continued...