Travels with Delta: 35 Hours & Counting

Airlines overbook flights. This affects hundreds of thousands of travelers a day. An exasperated traveler describes how it took more than 35 hours to travel from Hong Kong to Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. She could not get on five flights because of overbooking. The airline cancelled two additional flights, one for no stated reason and another because of alleged bad weather. It took her more time to get from Detroit to Minneapolis than it took her to get to Detroit from Hong Kong. She waited in Detroit and Milwaukee for 22 1/2 hours, more time than it took her to fly from Hong Kong to Detroit. She could have flown around the world in less time. She got a $50 credit from Delta and a one-night stay in the Clarion Hotel. One agent out of many seemed to care about her situation.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• airlines
• Delta
• bad service
• complaints
• overbooking
• travel nightmares
• flying
• horror stories
• international flights
• drug sniffing dogs
• cancelled flights
• drug trafficking
• us immigration service
• intimidation
• customs
• bad customer service.
• Jane Gilgun

[jgilgun]

Because I would have had to fly back to Detroit from Indianapolis, I was exhausted beyond words, and there was no guarantee that flight would take off, just as the flight in Indianapolis at that time was cancelled because of a storm. I wanted to take my chances on the Indianapolis flight. It's a long slog from China.

[jgilgun]

Thank you. That would have been wonderful. I have never understood this total disregard for my well-being. I laughed when you said you might have offered me a wheelchair. I was still pretty limber. Let's hope Delta and other airlines adopt the kindnesses you said you would have offered.

[jgilgun]

Oops! Five overbooked flights! There's something wrong with that practice, especially since Delta just posted the biggest earnings of any airline in the world. At the expense of people like me.

[worldtraveller115]

I'm confused, you said in the video that you missed your flight. Your had a seat on a flight, but you said customs was backed up. So if you missed your seat on your flight because of customs, how is that an airlines fault? You are stuck 35 hours because delta overbooked flights or delta did not have an extra seat for you? and then you blame delta for customs having a german shepard dog?

[jgilgun]

The issue is overbooking. I had to wait for four flights before there was a seat on a plane for me. It took me 38 hours to fly from Hong Kong to Minneapolis. The dog and customs are part of the experience.

Delta should not overbook.

The US should not provide such a terrible entree into the country. Military looking men should not shout at exhausted travelers.

Airlines should not be allowed to bring in four international flights at the same time.

Customs should not take 90 minutes.

[jgilgun]

This all happened while traveling with Delta. Thus the title: traveling with Delta.

Do you work for Delta? Why didn't you mention how many overbooked flights there were? That is the issue. The dog, the yelling, the ridiculous wait in line--that's all part of the experience. Don't you think experience is important? If experience is unimportant, what is important?

[emilfr1]

Sounds like a horrendous travel experience - sorry you had to put up with that. Although that's the reality of travel now...

[ClipperMaidOfTheSeas]

Why didn't you take the flight that got in late into MSP?

[travelplus1]

I am sorry you went for this. If I was the agent I would have looked at upgrading you to first class , changing your ticket to another airline as well as access to the airline lounge. Furthermore I would arrange a hotel room or a place to shower and allow you to take your checked bag to change clothes and freshen up. I would have also taken down your cellphone number just in case a new flight comes up and even asked if you needed assistance or a wheelchair to help you through security.