Your Flight Delay Story Here, Please

Delayed 23 hours in Philadelphia because of a mechanical problem with the plane - a problem totally in the airline's control, so, for me, less excusable than a weather-related event. PA system not working to keep people updated, alternative flights not suggested until it was too late to take them (particularly with the very long lines that ensued to speak with an agent), no back-up plan for if they could not get the plane working -- we were just told to keep waiting, but they couldn't promise anything. When we finally took off with a new plane, 23 hours late, the crew told us that the flight scheduled for later that morning was stuck with the plane that they were still trying to fix, which had the potential to result in two entire planes of angry and frustrated customers.

Sent by Marlene Goeke | 11:47 AM | 11-8-2007

I had booked a surprise trip to Hawaii for my boyfriend's 30th birthday. When we got to JFK we were refused admittance to the Delta flight because the line was so long we didn't make it to the counter until 30 minutes prior to flight time although we arrived over an hour before. Even though we were going on a complicated multi-leg trip and could have carried on our baggage, they refused to ticket us, instead requiring that we buy new tickets for the next day which would cost us an additional $2000. After freaking out in the airport because of my ruined surprise, we took a taxi home and got new tickets on Orbitz for a mere $700 additional, and then on our way home from Maui discovered that our return flight was canceled, without our being informed of course, because of their refusal to let us on the first leg. So we had to fork out the $1000 additional each to get home, and then they destroyed our baggage just to hammer the message home. I wrote Delta three times, each time they wrote back that they were really sorry we had such a bad experience. No offer to pay for the destroyed baggage, no nothing.

Sent by pop_rouge | 3:34 PM | 11-15-2007

Well, as a pilot based in New York, let me let you in on a little secret that the airlines use to save money. By using regional jets, the major airlines have crowded the skies, but this is only done to save money. You see, the crews on these regional jets are contracted out to other companies. For instance Delta has 9 different regional airlines that fly using Delta paint, yet the pilots and flight attendant on these 50 seat jets make a fraction of what we should be paid, and what major airline crews are paid. I am a co-pilot based in Newark and I make $20,000 yearly. That's right, about $400 a week after taxes to pay rent, flight training and college loans and to eat ramen while flying 50 people around at a time with their lives in my hand in strong crosswinds, trained for any emergency.

Why so little you ask? Because Delta, or Continental, or US Airways use these contracted regional companies (scrappier ones being Mesa, Colgan, Trans States, Pinnacle) to underbid each other. Thats right if Colgan can fly a larger airplane for less than Mesa can, then they get the job security and the others suffer.

We live in a nation where we fly 20 50 seat regional jets between major metro areas daily (NYC to DC for example) instead of saving fuel and flying 5 200 seat aircraft.

What makes sense to you? Thanks for listening and think about your crew next time you board one of those 'small' jets think about the poverty wages that the pilots make. Then maybe your $99 fare might not seem so steep.

Sent by Mitch | 2:35 PM | 1-25-2008