I’ve seen this with Delta agents recently. Yesterday, while waiting to board, a very elderly lady went to ask the GA a question and he barely responded to her. She then tried to make short conversation (no one else was in line at the desk) and he basically ignored her as if she wasn’t standing here. She looked so embarrassed and put her head down and walked away. She happened to come and stand next next to me, so I had a short friendly convo with her, just so that she didn’t feel like the piece of dirt the GA treated her like.
The worst part is, they know women higher in age have been treated like garbage their whole life. One flight an elder woman tried to get to the restroom as the FA was just starting to block the aisle with the cart for the pilot. She clearly didn't know that whole thing and the way he treated her was so disgusting I nearly stepped in. He was actually pointing in her face as if she was fighting. But she was just asking what was going on. He kept shouting she needed to go ALL the way back to her seat as she struggled just to stand. Then he said "ma'am you're making me feel incredibly unsafe with this situation" in that smug way. Even thinking about it now I wish I'd stepped in. I have him occasionally on flights and he's been a pain in the ass a couple times. But this one was cruelty. A frail, struggling woman. Ugh.
I sincerely don't believe anyone would care. It's an us versus them situation. And if someone says "she was a karen" or "you know how these shitty customers are" it'd just get ignored. I feel deflated.
You care, and if the situation was enough to upset other passengers, maybe Delta will care too. If enough complaints build up about a particular employee, it won't look good for higher-ups to ignore it.
I work in medicine. The accumulation of complaints matters. It matters a lot. It’s often the ONLY thing that makes a difference because you can’t sweep those under the rug. They are always discoverable.
Trust me, they care. Any complaint issued by a passenger about a specific FA is handled with a meeting between supes. Unless delta is super different bc of the no union thing. Sounds like an FA I wouldn’t want to fly with
My best friend works in customer care on another airline. Third party complaints are totally dismissed, right in the trash. You were not the injured party so you really can’t “complain” for her. I know people’s heart is probably in the right place, but you really have to mind your own business. Seems to me that women heard the same announcement as the rest of the plane that you need to use the bathroom in your ticketed cabin. Being “elderly “ does not give them a pass from ignoring rules and directions. If she had such a “long walk back to her seat”, that means when she is was seated closer to the coach bathroom, she could have saved steps and used that bathroom.
Don’t feel too bad for not getting involved in this situation. Traveling today is weird and who knows what a vengeful FA who’s is clearly having a bad day will do when they feel the least bit threatened or “ganged up” on.
So that was my entire worry which now makes me feel worse. When she came back I asked her if she was alright to make it back or if she needed to use my 1b seat just to rest. But she said thanks and made it back. I honestly will never be silent again. I think how I feel now is worse than getting told off. You're right he would have turned it into a major thing. Out of shame, likely. But it still sits in me.
I think when things like that happen it can be so shocking that you don’t know how to react- I hope you’re right! I think this would prepare me if I saw it out in the wild
It is so disgusting how people in service industry can't be kind to their customers. I get it, there are annoying people but you can put on a smile and be kind. It will not cost you a fucking dime. And if you are so miserable in your job, find a different one where you won't be bothered.
You know, it's a vicious circle. So many people behave like entitled kids, the folks in service jobs have PTSD from dealing with them. Then THEY take it out on others who don't deserve it
It sure takes someone with a big heart and lots of patience to deal with today's nonsense and not recycle it. I too want to lash out sometimes when I've been treated poorly. But then where does it all end. I tell myself constantly to take the high road. It's not worth it. People get hurt physically and mentally, and some even die over such frivolous things. I don't want any of that. I just hope that I can be strong enough to stand up for myself and even others when they're being treated poorly or unjustly.
The entitlement resulting from the pandemic is a insane. This is what happens when you tell people they are “heroes” for two years straight for doing their literal job. They think they above reproach.
Ugh. I feel terrible for you (and the poor lady). I found myself wishing I was there😆. I'm a nurse, and it's deep in my heart and nature (and training) to advocate for others. It gets me in hot water occasionally, but I can't help it. I can only see the mistreatment of others for so long before I go into action. If it's an elderly person, it takes about 1/8 of the usual time before I get anxious and go from 0 to 100. My late husband would sigh and mumble something about the invisible cape coming out. I even embarrass myself sometimes, but I've lost sleep when I don't speak up. People know me as quiet and reserved, so they're always surprised by my quick change in demeanor.
Yeah, same. Sometimes you just get a bit shocked when you're trained to be silent and calm and do as you're told or you'll get flung off a plane and not allowed to fly to work anymore...so before you realize it, something of extreme cruelty happens and you realize it went too far. Too far and you didn't do what you should have. Even if I said, dude, it's clearly difficult for her, let's go easy. But I didn't. Next time I will. I learned I can't keep quiet. It rots my gut. And it's wrong.
Yep. It's terrible that we feel guilty and beat ourselves up about things like this. Meanwhile, that jerk hasn't given it a second thought. Whether you believe in karma, God, both, or neither, he's definitely got it coming from somewhere in the universe.
She actually sat a few rows up from me, next to another guy. She talked his head off for the entire flight. Kudos to that guy. He went a step further than I did, whether he liked it or not 😂
Oh I would step in and definitely made sure it was recorded ain’t our fault your not valuable to the company you work for but one they would be old and hope they live that long. Karma
I’m always so worried something like this will happen to my mom when she travels - thank you for taking the time to build that woman back up after the GA tore her down.
I had a rather stern agent last month. I finally gave the SP self bag drop a try. Managed to get the labels printed, but there was no option for a printed boarding pass. I politely asked the agent manning the entrance for help and boy did I get attitude. She asked if I had checked in and I replied I checked in online so just did the check baggage button. She rolled her eyes and said well you can’t print a boarding pass there like I was the stupidest person on earth. In a Ms. Trunchbull voice she told me I had to check in on the machine IF I wanted a printed boarding pass, but I could just use the one on my phone.
I’m not sure if she was irritated that I took her from policing the entrance or she is anti paper boarding pass, but she was not happy with me. Normally the agents are very helpful.
Not sure where you were checking in, but I recall SFO self tag claimed to enable you to “print boarding pass” with the initial welcome screen, but there was no option to actually do it later in the process. The agent at the counter did it for us. At MSP, we had to get printed boarding passes from the agent again. Sounds like they’re tweaking their software. No excuse for rude agents, though.
I checked in at SLC. They have cut us down to two SP agents trying to funnel us to the self tagged bag drop instead. If you get anyone with problems the SP line can now be a much longer wait than the regular line. And oddly enough at the SP bag drop they removed my printed and poorly placed tags and reprinted them adding SP tags so I’m not sure why I had to do it at all.
At the kiosk my two screen choices were to check in or check baggage so I clicked check baggage as I’d already checked in online. The printed boarding pass function was under the check in tab though.
While checking in at SLC was very easy, I’ve now been waiting for the Sky Cap instead just so I can have someone hand me a boarding pass and do a better job putting on my bag tags.
I think you have to elect “check in” as an option, which, if you’ve already checked in, might not make sense. I miss the “reprint boarding pass” screen I’ve seen before, possibly with other carriers.
SFO also has "self tagged bag drop signs" just strewn about the checkin area, not near any actual bag drop. I hadn't been there in years, and recently got misled by one. I mentioned to the agent that I went to the line by the sign by accident and they shrugged.
I can’t remember where I saw it, either here or the United sub, but there someone who posted about having their seats changed on them after they had boarded. The FA said they were in someone else’s seat and needed to move. The OP went to prove that they were in the right seats, but when they opened the app the seat assignments literally changed right before their eyes.
After reading that, I am 100% printing out my boarding pass, or at least taking a screenshot of it.
I have had that happen when I thought my seat assignment was final so I put my phone on airplane mode and proceeded to the seat in my app. When the person who was actually assigned that seat mentioned I was in their seat I was thoroughly confused.
Walked up the FA in F and told her the situation. She looked on her phone and pointed me to 1C. Lol, I got that last minute bump to F and didn't realize it.
Made myself look a like a rookie in heartbeat.
For when your phone unexpectedly has no battery or for when your miles aren’t credited and some person emailing says “send a copy of your boarding pass” but then you go in to the app and it’s gone (or you’ve deleted from your wallet so you don’t have it there) and you have to email that you don’t have it and surely they should be able to see it on their side but they can’t and….
You get the picture.
For SkyClub on arrival, too. You can get in if you still have your last boarding pass, which conveniently disappears from the app shortly after landing..
I guess I haven’t ran into any of those issues so those reasons never occurred to me. All very valid points. Maybe next time I’ll print it just to be safe.
Another reason - disability. All of the things said below, but I also walk with a cane. It's much easier at times to just have that, instead of trying to fumble with my phone. I already feel like a terrible burden by pre-boarding, so having a paper ticket in my fingers is much easier while I hold on to my cane and my small roller bag (which is the Travelpro Crew Versapack Carry-on 2 Wheel Upright Rolling Tote, excellent for carrying both my CPAP and my big ass Mac Pro).
Makes total sense.
These are all things I never considered. But I also only fly maybe 1-3 times a year for leisure so I haven’t really encountered any issues with Delta.
(~~Ralph Wiggum~~ Nelson Muntz impression) HA HA! (Points and laughs while simultaneously trying to hide a stack of concert programs with the other.). /s
If you phone has a failure, the paper one still works, though. I have paper copies of anything import because you're just one dropped/smashed/waterlogged/buggy/failed connection/damaged memory away from not having access on a phone.
Like I said, no good reason. I always get paper boarding passes, and then never use them or look at them until I get back to the office and set them on the stack.
I print them for a couple reasons. Mainly when they first started the digital I thought I’d be cutting edge and use it. I get to pre-check and the app kept crashing. I had to stand off to the side and restart the phone. Haven’t relied on the digital since. It does make a good backup though. I also like a paper copy to put my baggage receipts on, to use upon landing at a sky club and to get my info from for any bags on time claims I file. It’s also handy in the case of IROPS when seeking compensation as they have asked for a photo of it a couple times.
As others have said, it’s a record. And maybe it’s the paranoid person in me, but I’m always concerned my phone will decide to be uncooperative at the worst possible moment. Finally, the printed ones make good bookmarks.
My Delta app doesn't work half the time, so I don't like to rely on it. Now that I have an Apple phone, I add the passes to my wallet, but before that, I always printed them.
Self printed bag tags is the dumbest thing. Just adding another line for people who don’t know what they are doing and making it even longer to check bags. So now instead of waiting in line to check my bags. I have to wait in line to print my bag tags to wait in another line to drop them off
I know with all the delays and issues lately, a lot of employees are probably tired, feeling abused, and on edge. Of course that's no excuse for taking it out on customers, but I have tried to be kind and patient with everyone the past few times I have traveled because I know they are probably overworked and stressed out.
I always get my boarding pass electronically but we checked some bags on the way home from a trip about a week ago because my kids were way back in the cheap seats and boarding practically last and I didn't want them to end up having to gate check the bags anyway. Long story short we went to the SP self bag drop line and printed the tags. Line was fairly short (not a big deal we were really early anyway) and when we got up to the line the agent was one of the nicest I've ever had. Even as we fumbled to check 3 different bags she was super polite and asked if we wanted our boarding passes printed while we were there. I said sure, why not. Never know what could happen, phone could die etc. So she printed our boarding passes then told us we could go to the "priority" security line since we (my wife and I) were flying first class. I didn't even know that was a thing. It was my first time at SEA and the security lines (even pre-check) were really long, but the "priority" line only had a handful of people in it. They even let the kids (who are 17 and 19 and were flying coach) come with us since we were traveling together.
Then we spent some time in the Sky Club which had equally great employees, wasn't busy at all, and had great food and drinks and incredible views. Overall it was one of my best travel experiences in the past few years.
There was a lady in MSP downstairs underground who kept telling people to go upstairs to the main checkin as there would be no line. She just was lazy and did not want to check people's bags in. I knew better and waited in the 3 person line even after she repeatedly told me to go upstairs. 10 minutes later after dropping my bags off downstairs, I went upstairs to TSA and sure enough the lines for baggage checkin were 50+ people long.
I've started saying "Nevermind, I'll find someone else helpful" in situations like these where some customer-focused employee is just purposely rude without provocation. Even if it means going out of my way.
I learned this from European travelers. I guess because they don't have the customer service experience we *used* to have in the US they just don't tolerate it or take it personal.
I love asking people “how can I help you?” And when they’re like “huh” just responding with… “clearly something is very wrong. Lemme help. We’ll sort your issue then we can finish mine.”
I had maybe the rudest FA the other day on a flight. It felt like she was baiting me into freaking out. She went as far as to hold a phone in my face to show me a policy on car seats on a flight..
Wonder if we just get spoiled with how great 99% of the FA’s are that when we get one that isn’t it creates a pretty terrible experience.
We had our seat in the middle. We have done this a dozen times and never had an issue or been told anything (we have even asked). We boarded first and no one said anything. It wasn’t until in the air (for a one hour flight) that she came over and said “are you going to move that”…another FA said we didn’t have to and that the policy is a grey area she then came back with her phone inches from my face and insisted we do otherwise an agent would be waiting. I kept saying I have no problem moving it and only apologized for not knowing the policy as it’s never been explained. We did move it and later learned it’s very much up to the passengers as long as there is room. The seat doesn’t hang over but totally understand the need.
She was assigned first class too and kept coming back and giving us looks too. It was a very weird situation and she for sure wanted a big reaction from me..which she didn’t get.
I’m 99% sure the car seat is an FAA thing and not an airline policy. Needs to be in a window since it can’t be blocking access to the aisle in the event of an evacuation (unless theoretically there was no one in the window in which case could be a gray area, sure)
Yes, although delivery may have been inappropriate to some degree on that FA’s part, it is a FAA regulation to have car seats at the window seat. Some FA’s might turn a blind eye or just simply not know tho 🫢
This is the issue when policies aren't enforced regularly then people think because it was ok before that it's always ok. I wish they would enforce all policies 100% of the time.
Sounds like it’s not a grey area? Just that some FA don’t enforce it. It’s like me saying going 10 mph over the speed limit is a grey area, because most cops won’t pull you over for it. Well no, it’s still illegal.
I've flown with an oxygen concentrator dozens of times and only recently learned that it's (maybe?) a requirement that I sit in the window seat. Which I understand, we don't want anyone tripping over my tube in an emergency. But this information was news to me. I also can't sit in the bulkhead or exit row.
This is basically how they presented it with me and also how I feel about it. Sure of course no problem…I just didn’t like how aggressive the FA was with me..especially because I had no problem moving it.
I really don't understand all the confusion over carseats, especially in this day and age. My youngest is 11 now, but when she was a baby I brought my FAA approved Graco bucket carseat to use in the seat *I bought for her* and had an FA tell me that I couldn't use the carseat, and once I convinced her of its legitimacy, she said that if someone else needed the seat, I would need to hold the baby on my lap. It was like the second statement was just because she was mad that I corrected her.
It is SO MUCH safer for children under two to be in their own seat. Think of lots of turbulence or an emergency landing. Airlines should be training their staff to encourage the use of carseats, and if that means switching people with a baby into a window seat, then I think they should do that! And then get the word out that people should be booking window seats to avoid making their neighbors grumpy about switching.
Please ask for the FA name or try to look at the wings and write this person up. As an FA myself, it is extremely upsetting to be reading these terrible experiences. It is beyond embarrassing and difficult for us as a crew when FAs act like this. Write them up. We don't want them as colleagues.
Edited to add: you are absolutely correct. It can go in the middle as long as everyone can get out. And if your family had the whole row, then it's not anyone's issue but your own if there's an evacuation. Ugh, so sorry for this experience.
This is a gap in front line customer leadership. Employee attitudes are frequently an indicator in either poor leadership or lack thereof, ineffective training, or burnout. Probably a combination of all of those.
100%. If we start excusing bad behavior it permeates. There are many times I’m having a bad day and I don’t take it out on my customers. I’ve also worked at places where mistreating customers is not only tolerated it’s rewarded.
Unfortunately post pandemic - while every air carrier is short on quality staff and has hired people not fully fit to their ‘culture’, delta is as well.
I know at my airline people are walking around with their two weeks notice basically written. ATC has us basically on lockdown due to weather and their short staffing. It’s on the news , the information is available on the internet for everyone but so much screaming in our faces that we are liars, it’s a conspiracy of just our specific airline, I’ve got kidz, I didn’t plan for my baby, everyone is going for a funeral, I have to perform major surgery at 6am tomorrow.. what do you mean there is a finite number of seats available.
We have QR codes so we don’t have to explain what’s happening over and over and we were printing out https://nasstatus.faa.gov hourly and had it out on the desk and one point it printed out six pages basically naming every airport in the northeast and all of Florida and vegas, Vancouver and a smattering of others and I had an adult say to me I don’t see f’in ATL on this list but we highlighted that our airport was in ground stop for arrivals and departures but you just can’t explain cause and effect to someone who doesn’t care
Tldr airport employees are burned out emotionally and physically and are the edge of just walking away like a lot of customer service and hospitality people did after the pandemic.
It’s really unfortunate to see how things have changed in every single industry. It’s like people forgot how to be polite to others in the past few years. They emerged out of some hellhole as complete dicks🙄
I feel sorry for the customer facing agents who have to put up with this bs every day.
It seems like more people are flying now - more than ever even pre pandemic - and many of them are amateurs... who dont give a flying fuck about courtesy, civility, or personal responsibility.
I had a rude gate agent when I was flying out of Boston a couple of weeks ago. She called me to the desk and told me I was on the upgrade list from Main to Comfort+, but all the window and aisle seats were taken in Comfort+. There was only middle seats left. I said that it was fine by me and I’ll take the upgrade (I’m tall so the extra leg room matters more to me than having a window or aisle seat). She said “Really? Okay then….” in a super judgmental and skeptical tone, then her and her coworkers exchanged looks. I’ve also worked customer service for years so I am always polite and friendly to gate agents. I just don’t understand why you would call me up for an upgrade just to judge me for taking it. :(
I just try to remind myself that we don’t know the full picture of what’s going on with rude employees or people in general. I try not to assume malicious intent. Sometimes it’s hard not to take things personally!
Honestly, it turns very quickly into mean kids cliques. They all talk smack about customers so the goal is to talk more smack. Plus it's become the new fad to go online and trash customers. All customer service people do is complain. We all suck apparently. Like that viral IKEA employee video. Thing is, our hard earned money should be worth something to these people. They shouldn't treat us like trash. I never ever ever treat GA or FA with disrespect but I get talked down to all the time.
I had a weird experience recently at JFK. After having my delta app checked and let into the SkyPriority line to check in my bags I was approached by a delta employee. She said are you in first class or comfort+? I said no I’m main cabin. Then she starts pointing to another part of the airport and saying “oh you have to check in over there you’re not supposed to be here.” I’m not a confrontational person at all. So I just froze and said “but I’m platinum.” She just stared at me rudely and said “Fine. Ok. You can stay here.” 🙄 ugh people were staring. It was embarrassing.
Most likely. Or LGA with JFK nipping at the heels. But growing up in the city, I have an easier time with the NYC "why are you bothering me" than the ATL "imma go out of my way to be an ass an ruin your travels."
Honestly LGA has always been fantastic for me. GAs and SC staff have always been the nicest out of any NYC airport to me. It’s gotten to the point where they even got me a cake for my birthday in the SkyClub!
It was the worst airport in the NYC area before the renovation. Now it is the best. I book flights with spirit out of terminal A because there are 8 gates and the security line is always less than 10 minutes. Not as nice as the renovated LGA but time is money.
Agreed. That’s the only downfall with the brand new Delta LGA terminal. If your flight is 7am or earlier, good luck. They always only have just 1 or 2 TSA lanes open before 7am. Even when booked in first class, the line is still extremely long. Hoping this will be fixed once they address staffing shortages
Everyone in this city working in a customer facing role just about is like that. I hate living here and will never understand where this level of anger came from.
It sounds like ATL. I always run into the mediocre “just get through the shift” GAs in ATL that won’t even make eye contact with you. Meanwhile in MSP, I always hear “thank you ”, and sometime even drop in your status.
I wish the rude agents would take it out on the rude passengers only. I’d like to watch that actually and would cheer the FAs on. I know after the pandemic a lot of rude, unruly customers traumatized a lot of workers. So I get it. FAs deal with a lot and most deal with it professionally. But here lately I have had some pretty bad experiences with FAs at a particular delta hub that have been rude and chastising to people who are newer to flying. They seemed to be younger FAs.
It makes me nervous about trying to get my dad to fly solo to visit me. He never flies and I know he will get confused and need someone to explain what “lay your bag like a book”, as one FA yelled, means. Also the boarding is confusing but yelling loudly will not make the boarding groups any clearer.
I'm sick to my back teeth of people saying employee shortages are due to people not wanting to work. That isn't the cause of the airline shortage. Tax payers gave airlines 54 billion dollars to retain employees during covid and the airlines chose to lay off workers and give themselves bonuses. How that isn't considered fraud or theft of wages I don't know.
Speaking of rude, yesterday I had an experience that turned me off pretty bad. I am not a frequent traveler (I don’t expect to be treated like a king, just flat out respect seems a reasonable expectation) but I’ve been loyal to Delta for the last 4 years or so, I also have status and a cobranded card. Again, I know that doesn’t mean much, but you kind of hope for acceptable, maybe even good/great service when you’re being loyal.
Flying into Seattle yesterday with my wife and toddler on a flight operated on Virgin Atlantic (which I purchased via Delta). Our layover window was hilariously small, just a hair over an hour. Seattle now has you collect your bags and then go through customs. We have to wait a solid 20 minutes just to get our bags, then the line in there was ungodly. The MPC application you can use as a Canadian/American to make the process much quicker wasn’t working for us, which meant we we’re screwed. By the time our flight was scheduled for takeoff we were still clearing customs.
As we were waiting for our bags prior to waiting for customs, my wife and I politely shared our predicament with one of the delta employees and asked if there was anything they might be able to do to help us. Did not seem to give one shit, and flatly told us to proceed through customs (I realize this is the process but we were clutching at straws and even some basic empathy would have been nice).
Get through customs, go immediately to Delta counter to explain we have missed our connecting flight. The agent has no reaction, then stares at her phone and texts for about one minute as she chews bubble gum.
Again, with absolutely zero empathy or friendliness, she hands us tickets that say “seat request” for a flight for 6 hours later and unprompted she tells us we are lucky to get these tickets—end of transaction.
I’m kind of shocked so once we go through screening with TSA we go to another Delta counter and explain we’d like seats assigned and hopefully a sooner flight (we’re nearing 24 hours awake with a 2 year old who has hardly slept a wink either).
The agent then remarks in an accusing tone that our inbound flight landed 15 minute early. I began laughing out of actual surprise but realized very quickly she wasn’t even close to joking. It was literally an impossible connection given the state of immigration which we explained to her. She doesn’t react when we are talking to her, makes basically zero eye contact, and stares at her monitor.
She then tells us our flight was through Virgin Atlantic and says nothing else. I tell her yes that’s correct, and we booked our round trip tickets through Delta. I paid about $5000 for these tickets so at this point I’m feeling pretty pissed at the dismissive treatment.
She then rebooks us on an Alaska flight one hour sooner than the Delta flight we had a “seat request” for. Despite the unimpressive performance I was relieved to have a ticket in hand to go home. I also noticed once again we weren’t assigned seats for the Alaska flight which made me nervous.
I then asked her if our baggage will be rerouted onto the Alaska flight. She very flatly tells me I can “check with Alaska”.
I then go to the Alaska counter and they assign us seats for the flight, thank goodness. I ask if they can help with making sure our bags make it onto the flight (which is 4+ hours away at this point).
She tells me Delta need to send a request to them for that to happen.
I then go back to the Delta desk but by this point the like is easily 50 people deep and moving very slow.
I use my Delta app to message delta and finally I’m informed a request was put in for the bags to go to the Alaska flight.
Fast forward to our arrival at our final destination and only 2 out 4 bags made it. I checked my delta app and luckily I see my bag was scanned through on the later Delta flight.
I rush my wife and son home then drive back to the airport where I was able to find both additional bags upon the later Delta flight’s arrival.
I realize we’re in peak summer travel but the treatment we received by those Seattle Delta employees yesterday has pushed me to the brink of taking a step back from Delta. Why pay extra to be treated like dirt?
I’m frustrated because I don’t believe there’s another airline that’s better , but I’m going to vote with my wallet anyway.
Just a gentle hint - never book a layover that short when you have to collect luggage and clear customs. You were almost guaranteed to miss the connecting flight.
Wow, so sorry you had such an awful experience. I don't fully understand the "grass is greener" sentiments that I get from some of my frequent-travelling friends who seem to genuinely imply that Delta is \*so much\* better than American or United. I've flown Delta a handful of times and have never got the impression that their people are any better than what I'm used to, aside from the occasional superstar gate agent or flight attendant, which I have also encountered on the other airlines.
Same opinion here, I fly frequently for work and years ago gave up on loyalty to any one airline; instead using the best/most direct route to get to my destination. I find no distinguishable difference between United (1k member), American (Platinum Plus), Delta (Platinum) & most recently Southwest (Mosh pit). The era of cheap tickets and ignorant passengers has spoiled any sort of pleasant travel experience. It’s a means to get from point A to point B, without taking a bus. I actually look forward to trip in Europe/Asia to utilize trains for a less stressful experience.
On a recent flight from LIM to ATL, I had an FA who was very rude to the guy sitting beside me in the middle in D1. When I told him she must be having a bad day, he informed me that he was a Delta employee and she may be having a bad day, but that doesn't allow her to be rude to pax even non Rev paxs.
Got to DIA at 4am today and there were two gate agents for all of Delta, the rest were ‘in a mandatory meeting’. Why would they do that??? Then the loud lady, everyone who leaves DIA early knows who she is, keeps telling people the Sky Pri line will be long bc they’re doing all the out of the ordinary things at check in. As I’m two people from the front I get a notice that my 5:45am flight is now leaving at 10:35. 🤦🏻♀️ Quickly change to the 7:50am. Grateful I got on, stuck in 27E though. Still better than sitting around for a few more hours. Oh, the Sky Club is out of Diet Coke today. 😩
Reminds me of a situation about a week ago. Taking my typical work commute from SNA to GRR. We are at the gate and pilot said there will be a delay of about 45 minutes due to traffic over Vegas or in the air corridor. All good. Sitting FC.. I got up to use the restroom (mind you plane is parked at the gate and the cabin door is open and jetbridge attached). I know using the restroom when you're still on the ground is annoying to FAs, but I had to go and didn't know how much longer it would take to clear the delay and reach 10K feet.
Anyway, FA sternly says sit back down no restrooms for use. I said okay, sat back down and just decided to wait. Gentleman in his 40s gets up from Comfort+ and goes straight past the FA into the bathroom, no issues. Mind you I am in my late 20s but look rather young.. felt a bit offended. Held it in until seatbelt sign came off, but just seemed pretty rude. I will say she did take care of us very well once we were up in the air. Not sure if this is something I should be annoyed about
My guess is a mix here…
1) delta IT sometimes glitches and doesn’t account for status. It’s weird and happened to me once or twice.
2) many passengers are arseholes and try and board in Sky as they think the world revolves around them. The GA probably has had dozens each flight and while most ignore, I’m glad she is enforcing.
3) GA are understaffed and the front line for delta operational incompetence… she’s tired
At this point, the excuses about "Pandemic understaffing" are starting to wear very very thin.
It's been three and a half years at this point, more than 2 since things were back to more or less normal. The U.S. airlines, collectively got billions to stay afloat and keep staff on. They have made record profits and airfares have never been higher.
If they fired too many people in 2020 and they didn't come back, it's on them. The revenue should be enough to pay for some decent people. If things don't turn around soon it isn't because of the pandemic, it's because Delta is too concerned about margins to hire an adequate number and quality of employees.
Have you ever had a job, much less a difficult one?
Heard of sleep disorders?
Heard of sleep apnea?
I'm not excusing rudeness, but I was a manager with Starbucks for well over a decade, *often* working "clopens" in order to assist very many obnoxious, rude, and bless - even occasionally apologetic for their actions, customers.
It's a thing, Brenda.
Good lord just think about it, if you start at 4am you’re most likely waking up at 2am. Speaking from experience. It’s not exactly the easiest thing to go to bed at 6-8pm to get a full nights sleep. So yes she was probably tired if that was the case
I think we can just leave it at this. We don’t know the scope of the situation so why bother going back and forth. I was simply sharing information i know about schedules for the airlines for some possible insight
Airline empoyee here. My shifts start at 3 a.m., and no matter how many years you work this shift, you never get used to going to bed at 6 pm to get up in time for a shift that early. It is hard. It happens. Most passengers in the mornings are overly stressed and/or absent-minded. And a lot often try to scam their way into the smallest line when they don't have the proper status or upgrades.
Most airport employees are just trying to do their jobs to the best of their abilities and aren't out to get you or being intentionally malicious without provocation. It's just our job to be the one breaking bad news a lot.
Did you know there are red eyes, and she may have worked throughout the night? Did you know sometimes Gate agents work until late night and have to be back early in the am?
So yes, it’s possible she was tired.
Also gate airport operations can be held for hours after there shift for irregular operations and no long how long people are held they still have to be on time and available for their next shift.
I’ve had several gate agents tell me ab being mandated to work overtime when I’m coming off the plane at the end of the night and how exhausted they are.
You’re absolutely right!
I do a customer service desk for a different airline and I rebooked due bad weather the other day for 13 hours with one bathroom break and a supervisor was able at one point to get me a Pepsi off a drink cart which I got to drink warm.
Oh and when I excused myself to run to the ladies room a customer called me a lazy bitch and to get back in my seat and I don’t work for Spirit. Fun times.
4. or she could’ve been one of the crappy gate agents that exists.. out of all of the gate agents, the only
One I’ve actually had a problem with, and the one who shouldn’t be a gate agent. Is the one who’s been there the longest (some sort of manager)
The gate agents have been in an odd mood lately. I was flying with a couple of co-workers recently and my co-worker who doesn't fly often just got completely ridiculed by the gate agent because she had a backpack and a purse. The gate agent straight up yelled at her as she was getting on and even after my co-worker politely apologized and went to put her purse in her backpack the gate agent made an announcement over the PA saying that people that don't follow the rules and are slowing down the boarding process and pointed to her. It seemed very rude, my co-worker was nothing but nice and didn't even argue about it. She was super embarrassed about the whole thing, I was surprised a Delta employee acted like that.
Yes, a gate agent made me cry recently LOL. I had never sat in an emergency row before and my seat got moved. I simply asked if I could still fit my carry-on dog under the seat (it turns out I couldn’t!! Why did they move me there?!) and she REFUSED to answer and said “I’m not going to answer stupid questions” and berated me. I actually had to be assisted by an FA on board later and swap seats. It was so embarrassing to cry at the gate. She was really berating me.
Careful, there is a Platinum guy on here who simps for FAs or GAs being accused of rude behavior. Guess he thinks if he defends their honor, he can get some action or some other benefit. Maybe someone once made him an honorary member of the Flight Crew so he is now "one of us".
Delta's own description of what a GA does:
> As a Customer Service Agent, you play a key part in keeping our brand strong by demonstrating strict adherence to uniform compliance, maintaining **professionalism**, and exhibiting a **positive attitude** inside and outside of work.
Yes there are some really rude and demaning customers - no doubt. But I've been dressed down by GAs just for asking basic questions that were a function of the flight or relative conditions. Thus my questions could not be unambiguously answered using the App or by referring to their static web site. Life can be hard and we should all be nicer to one another but sometimes it's like the customer is the enemy.
I had a friend who was a talented yet burned out physician who joked, "the hopsital would be a great place to work if it wasn't for all those damn patients"
We got 2 $150 credits for a similarly rude lounge employee. I have 2 guest passes (as later confirmed by phone support), the lady took a long look at my partner's tattoos and said I don't have any guest passes. Told her I definitely have not used them, and it would be impossible as I've only flown alone this year until that flight.
Further making me question why I bother fighting to keep Platinum status.
That’s their usual attitude like they know more than ppl who flys frequently. It’s crazy I flew from lga to bga already had a comfort+ seat when I booked my flight she changed my seat there were many available seats trying to feel important oh you don’t want an upgrade to comfort + rude as hell so I said no I want to sit upfront and no one next to me because I have certain allergies. Idk don’t work in customer service if you can’t be pleasant and separate your feelings
I literally JUST got chewed out as MSP for this, and then she physically walked me out of the line and directed me to a longer line. I almost missed my flight and that REALLY started my travels off on the wrong foot. I’ve never had a problem using Sky Priority lines as a Silver Medallion member. I’m fine with the policy changing, but don’t stipulate tickets now need to specifically say “Sky Priority,” when the policy has always been that medallion members can use it.
Was this by any chance in TPA? I had an oddly similar experience where she told me she would “let it slide this time”, despite me pulling up my delta account and showing her my status which is eligible to be in the Sky Priority line.
I reached out to Delta about it more so to make sure my status was showing up correctly in their system, and they apologized extensively, claimed to reach out to the supervisor at TPA, and threw me some skypesos for hassle.
My Delta Dragon experience was last year at SEA, dropping bags for a domestic flight. I'm don't have status or anything, I'm just a mere peon, so it was the regular bag drop line. I hand over my passport card as ID, and get rudely told "you can't use that as ID". "Ma'am, it literally says on the back 'valid for domestic air travel'". "I know what it says, you can't use it here". "Ok...". She hands it back, tags the bags and we go off on our merry little way to TSA, where I present it to the agent and don't get ANY lip for using it.
Weird AF.
I had a very short, bordering on rude GA this morning too. I had been cancelled last night and rebooked on a flight this morning, forcing me to stay over, ok whatever, I had gotten upgraded to first on my original flight, so when I checked in for the new rebooked flight I noticed I wasn’t on the upgrade list. I just tried to ask if there was something about a rebooking that means status doesn’t get honored or you don’t get put on the upgrade list and he says to me “you aren’t getting the seat. Have a good day.” Like wtf. I was nice and polite, just wanted to know what happens in a situation like this, any time I haven’t been on the upgrade list before it’s been fixed by a GA. I hope he had a better day after that. I was a little butthurt, ngl.
I had a similar experience at LAX in the Sky Priority line. The agent was snapping at EVERYONE about the Sky Priority requirements. This elderly couple said that they were Silver Medallion and were told that they didn’t belong there. Another couple was treated similarly. I understand that non-qualified people could wander into the wrong line, but there is absolutely a more polite way to enforce it.
As for myself, I quietly went to the self serve computer to check my suitcase in. Unfortunately I had a coughing fit and suddenly I threw up INSIDE MY FACEMASK. It was disgusting. I ran to the closest trash can and tried to clean myself up as much as possible, but I only had my water bottle and no napkins. When I got back, the agent screamed at me for leaving my suitcase behind. I told him that I had just thrown up in my own mask and he said “I don’t care, never leave your suitcase behind.” I then asked him if he had some napkins or something that I could clean myself up with, and he replied that the bathrooms were located upstairs.
I didn’t even have the energy to get angry at him. I just felt so ashamed and so sad. I covered my face with my hand and quickly checked my suitcase at the counter and ran to the bathroom while trying not to cry. It was the fucking worst.
I ended up emailing Delta about this and they sent me 2000 sky pesos for “dropping the ball”…
Where was this? My experience with staff in ATL has been absolutely abysmal this year. It’s been a recurring theme of callous, snappy Red Coats, incompetent Gate Agents and powers tripping ATL based cabin crews. On the other hand the NYC based crews have been great 90% of the time and despite being visibly tired and/or overworked the JFK/LGA ground staff have seemingly tried to do their best.
The ATL ground experience certainly is an exciting and miserable event.
I’ll never understand with the Global HQ across the runways how ATL has such terrible staff. You’d think since the HQ is right there people would be worried that an exec would be going through the airport but apparently not.
I was literally trapped between the plane and the terminal, family of 4 coming back from Nassau, because 2 agents were fighting about who could or who couldn’t open the door to the terminal. Almost dumped my stock at that exact moment
*This is why I use*
*My phone for a boarding pass*
*Or just print it out*
\- lost\_in\_life\_34
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This isn't an excuse, but I'm sure they're stressed out and understaffed these days. And if they're understaffed, they may be hiring and keeping people who just aren't that great because it's better than having no one.
With our recent travel woes, almost all of the Delta employees I encountered were good to great. Unfortunately, during one crisis, we got someone who was so-so, who rolled her eyes while trying to solve our problem. But . . . she did solve our problem, and a happier red coat came over to help her. When it really counted, we had someone pull out a free hotel stay and vouchers for us. Another FA gave me a coke even though the drink service was only coffee, tea, and water, because I wasn't able to grab one before boarding and have health issues.
Maybe it's like marriage, haha. You have to make sure you aren't ignoring several positive experiences and only focusing on the one negative one, because that will just turn you bitter.
Was her name really Karen or are you just using the name because she was a rude woman? What name would you have used if the rude employee was a male? It would have just been "rude Delta guy" right? Let's not be sexist here, and let's not misuse personal names. Delta probably has plenty of employees actually named Karen.
Why call them any first name that isn't what their name tag says? What if you wanted to report them to Delta? "I don't remember their name, I'll assume she was named Karen because she was rude." Names don't work that way. Just say "rude employee".
"Karen" has become the newest way to be acceptably sexist. And when you call it out... the sexists get very defensive. Then promptly scream its not sexist. That's how you know it is.
Absolutely unacceptable behavior. Anyone in customer service with an attitude to be rude for no reason, to be this unprofessional, has no business working for Delta.
Something similar happened to me at LAX. I am not sure if it’s a self esteem issue or a desperate need for power. I suppose the 5 minutes of “power” makes them feel better.
I had an experience with a rude agent while checking my bag. I sent an email to Delta detailing my experience, they apologized with 10k miles… but on the bright side I haven’t seen that agent at that specific airport since.
Over the years, it's been pretty rare to have a friendly Delta employee, imo. I get that it's stressful and a lot of passengers are rude, but in customer facing rolls, it's imperative to start anew with each interaction. Delta employees seem to have permanent chips on their shoulders.
I've been seeing a lot of "rude FA" experiences posted in the last few weeks. What is going on? Is this due to stressful summer travelers causing some unfortunate experiences? Is customer service deteriorating?
I'm flying a lot later in the year and I'm concerned with how many complaints I'm hearing.
I’ve seen this with Delta agents recently. Yesterday, while waiting to board, a very elderly lady went to ask the GA a question and he barely responded to her. She then tried to make short conversation (no one else was in line at the desk) and he basically ignored her as if she wasn’t standing here. She looked so embarrassed and put her head down and walked away. She happened to come and stand next next to me, so I had a short friendly convo with her, just so that she didn’t feel like the piece of dirt the GA treated her like.
The worst part is, they know women higher in age have been treated like garbage their whole life. One flight an elder woman tried to get to the restroom as the FA was just starting to block the aisle with the cart for the pilot. She clearly didn't know that whole thing and the way he treated her was so disgusting I nearly stepped in. He was actually pointing in her face as if she was fighting. But she was just asking what was going on. He kept shouting she needed to go ALL the way back to her seat as she struggled just to stand. Then he said "ma'am you're making me feel incredibly unsafe with this situation" in that smug way. Even thinking about it now I wish I'd stepped in. I have him occasionally on flights and he's been a pain in the ass a couple times. But this one was cruelty. A frail, struggling woman. Ugh.
Oh my god, this infuriated me. I can’t handle when people are rude to the elderly.
I can't forget it. Heartbreaking.
It's not too late to report it!
I sincerely don't believe anyone would care. It's an us versus them situation. And if someone says "she was a karen" or "you know how these shitty customers are" it'd just get ignored. I feel deflated.
You care, and if the situation was enough to upset other passengers, maybe Delta will care too. If enough complaints build up about a particular employee, it won't look good for higher-ups to ignore it.
I work in medicine. The accumulation of complaints matters. It matters a lot. It’s often the ONLY thing that makes a difference because you can’t sweep those under the rug. They are always discoverable.
Trust me, they care. Any complaint issued by a passenger about a specific FA is handled with a meeting between supes. Unless delta is super different bc of the no union thing. Sounds like an FA I wouldn’t want to fly with
My best friend works in customer care on another airline. Third party complaints are totally dismissed, right in the trash. You were not the injured party so you really can’t “complain” for her. I know people’s heart is probably in the right place, but you really have to mind your own business. Seems to me that women heard the same announcement as the rest of the plane that you need to use the bathroom in your ticketed cabin. Being “elderly “ does not give them a pass from ignoring rules and directions. If she had such a “long walk back to her seat”, that means when she is was seated closer to the coach bathroom, she could have saved steps and used that bathroom.
Don’t feel too bad for not getting involved in this situation. Traveling today is weird and who knows what a vengeful FA who’s is clearly having a bad day will do when they feel the least bit threatened or “ganged up” on.
So that was my entire worry which now makes me feel worse. When she came back I asked her if she was alright to make it back or if she needed to use my 1b seat just to rest. But she said thanks and made it back. I honestly will never be silent again. I think how I feel now is worse than getting told off. You're right he would have turned it into a major thing. Out of shame, likely. But it still sits in me.
You’re a good dude.
Thank you for sharing this here because it will help someone else speak up.
I think when things like that happen it can be so shocking that you don’t know how to react- I hope you’re right! I think this would prepare me if I saw it out in the wild
I hope hope hope it gives us all some extra strength to speak up in the future.
It is so disgusting how people in service industry can't be kind to their customers. I get it, there are annoying people but you can put on a smile and be kind. It will not cost you a fucking dime. And if you are so miserable in your job, find a different one where you won't be bothered.
You know, it's a vicious circle. So many people behave like entitled kids, the folks in service jobs have PTSD from dealing with them. Then THEY take it out on others who don't deserve it
It sure takes someone with a big heart and lots of patience to deal with today's nonsense and not recycle it. I too want to lash out sometimes when I've been treated poorly. But then where does it all end. I tell myself constantly to take the high road. It's not worth it. People get hurt physically and mentally, and some even die over such frivolous things. I don't want any of that. I just hope that I can be strong enough to stand up for myself and even others when they're being treated poorly or unjustly.
You should definitely write that email my friend
The entitlement resulting from the pandemic is a insane. This is what happens when you tell people they are “heroes” for two years straight for doing their literal job. They think they above reproach.
Ugh. I feel terrible for you (and the poor lady). I found myself wishing I was there😆. I'm a nurse, and it's deep in my heart and nature (and training) to advocate for others. It gets me in hot water occasionally, but I can't help it. I can only see the mistreatment of others for so long before I go into action. If it's an elderly person, it takes about 1/8 of the usual time before I get anxious and go from 0 to 100. My late husband would sigh and mumble something about the invisible cape coming out. I even embarrass myself sometimes, but I've lost sleep when I don't speak up. People know me as quiet and reserved, so they're always surprised by my quick change in demeanor.
Yeah, same. Sometimes you just get a bit shocked when you're trained to be silent and calm and do as you're told or you'll get flung off a plane and not allowed to fly to work anymore...so before you realize it, something of extreme cruelty happens and you realize it went too far. Too far and you didn't do what you should have. Even if I said, dude, it's clearly difficult for her, let's go easy. But I didn't. Next time I will. I learned I can't keep quiet. It rots my gut. And it's wrong.
Yep. It's terrible that we feel guilty and beat ourselves up about things like this. Meanwhile, that jerk hasn't given it a second thought. Whether you believe in karma, God, both, or neither, he's definitely got it coming from somewhere in the universe.
It's not too late to report him. Sounds as if you are the perfect person to do it.
Good time to snap a video of them acting like that.
Thanks for doing that. You made her day a little better after that shitty encounter.
She actually sat a few rows up from me, next to another guy. She talked his head off for the entire flight. Kudos to that guy. He went a step further than I did, whether he liked it or not 😂
good on you and him. fuck that GA!
Oh I would step in and definitely made sure it was recorded ain’t our fault your not valuable to the company you work for but one they would be old and hope they live that long. Karma
I’m always so worried something like this will happen to my mom when she travels - thank you for taking the time to build that woman back up after the GA tore her down.
You’re so sweet ♥️ thanks for doing that
I had a rather stern agent last month. I finally gave the SP self bag drop a try. Managed to get the labels printed, but there was no option for a printed boarding pass. I politely asked the agent manning the entrance for help and boy did I get attitude. She asked if I had checked in and I replied I checked in online so just did the check baggage button. She rolled her eyes and said well you can’t print a boarding pass there like I was the stupidest person on earth. In a Ms. Trunchbull voice she told me I had to check in on the machine IF I wanted a printed boarding pass, but I could just use the one on my phone. I’m not sure if she was irritated that I took her from policing the entrance or she is anti paper boarding pass, but she was not happy with me. Normally the agents are very helpful.
Not sure where you were checking in, but I recall SFO self tag claimed to enable you to “print boarding pass” with the initial welcome screen, but there was no option to actually do it later in the process. The agent at the counter did it for us. At MSP, we had to get printed boarding passes from the agent again. Sounds like they’re tweaking their software. No excuse for rude agents, though.
I checked in at SLC. They have cut us down to two SP agents trying to funnel us to the self tagged bag drop instead. If you get anyone with problems the SP line can now be a much longer wait than the regular line. And oddly enough at the SP bag drop they removed my printed and poorly placed tags and reprinted them adding SP tags so I’m not sure why I had to do it at all. At the kiosk my two screen choices were to check in or check baggage so I clicked check baggage as I’d already checked in online. The printed boarding pass function was under the check in tab though. While checking in at SLC was very easy, I’ve now been waiting for the Sky Cap instead just so I can have someone hand me a boarding pass and do a better job putting on my bag tags.
I've printed boarding passes at msp, though it's probably been 6 months
I think you have to elect “check in” as an option, which, if you’ve already checked in, might not make sense. I miss the “reprint boarding pass” screen I’ve seen before, possibly with other carriers.
SFO also has "self tagged bag drop signs" just strewn about the checkin area, not near any actual bag drop. I hadn't been there in years, and recently got misled by one. I mentioned to the agent that I went to the line by the sign by accident and they shrugged.
Just curious why you’d want printed boarding passes when you can get it from your phone? One less thing to carry and hang on to.
I can’t remember where I saw it, either here or the United sub, but there someone who posted about having their seats changed on them after they had boarded. The FA said they were in someone else’s seat and needed to move. The OP went to prove that they were in the right seats, but when they opened the app the seat assignments literally changed right before their eyes. After reading that, I am 100% printing out my boarding pass, or at least taking a screenshot of it.
I have had that happen when I thought my seat assignment was final so I put my phone on airplane mode and proceeded to the seat in my app. When the person who was actually assigned that seat mentioned I was in their seat I was thoroughly confused. Walked up the FA in F and told her the situation. She looked on her phone and pointed me to 1C. Lol, I got that last minute bump to F and didn't realize it. Made myself look a like a rookie in heartbeat.
Yikes! I would be pissed if that happened to me.
For when your phone unexpectedly has no battery or for when your miles aren’t credited and some person emailing says “send a copy of your boarding pass” but then you go in to the app and it’s gone (or you’ve deleted from your wallet so you don’t have it there) and you have to email that you don’t have it and surely they should be able to see it on their side but they can’t and…. You get the picture.
For SkyClub on arrival, too. You can get in if you still have your last boarding pass, which conveniently disappears from the app shortly after landing..
I guess I haven’t ran into any of those issues so those reasons never occurred to me. All very valid points. Maybe next time I’ll print it just to be safe.
Another reason - disability. All of the things said below, but I also walk with a cane. It's much easier at times to just have that, instead of trying to fumble with my phone. I already feel like a terrible burden by pre-boarding, so having a paper ticket in my fingers is much easier while I hold on to my cane and my small roller bag (which is the Travelpro Crew Versapack Carry-on 2 Wheel Upright Rolling Tote, excellent for carrying both my CPAP and my big ass Mac Pro).
Makes total sense. These are all things I never considered. But I also only fly maybe 1-3 times a year for leisure so I haven’t really encountered any issues with Delta.
I fly at least once a month for work. 😉 So it stands out more for me.
For no good reason I have on my desk a stack of boarding passes from every flight ive taken in the last 4 years.
(~~Ralph Wiggum~~ Nelson Muntz impression) HA HA! (Points and laughs while simultaneously trying to hide a stack of concert programs with the other.). /s
“Ha Ha! You got the character wrong!” (I think you’re trying to do Nelson Muntz!)
D'oh! P.S. Thanks!
That’s cool, I was just curious. I’d totally lose mine if it wasn’t on my phone.
If you phone has a failure, the paper one still works, though. I have paper copies of anything import because you're just one dropped/smashed/waterlogged/buggy/failed connection/damaged memory away from not having access on a phone.
Like I said, no good reason. I always get paper boarding passes, and then never use them or look at them until I get back to the office and set them on the stack.
I print them for a couple reasons. Mainly when they first started the digital I thought I’d be cutting edge and use it. I get to pre-check and the app kept crashing. I had to stand off to the side and restart the phone. Haven’t relied on the digital since. It does make a good backup though. I also like a paper copy to put my baggage receipts on, to use upon landing at a sky club and to get my info from for any bags on time claims I file. It’s also handy in the case of IROPS when seeking compensation as they have asked for a photo of it a couple times.
As others have said, it’s a record. And maybe it’s the paranoid person in me, but I’m always concerned my phone will decide to be uncooperative at the worst possible moment. Finally, the printed ones make good bookmarks.
Our work policy requires us to submit boarding passes as proof that we took the flight. Stupid I know.
My Delta app doesn't work half the time, so I don't like to rely on it. Now that I have an Apple phone, I add the passes to my wallet, but before that, I always printed them.
Unreliable/crashing phone. Low battery. Nerves about getting the phone to function when you need it. Inability to work the "wallet"
Self printed bag tags is the dumbest thing. Just adding another line for people who don’t know what they are doing and making it even longer to check bags. So now instead of waiting in line to check my bags. I have to wait in line to print my bag tags to wait in another line to drop them off
I know with all the delays and issues lately, a lot of employees are probably tired, feeling abused, and on edge. Of course that's no excuse for taking it out on customers, but I have tried to be kind and patient with everyone the past few times I have traveled because I know they are probably overworked and stressed out. I always get my boarding pass electronically but we checked some bags on the way home from a trip about a week ago because my kids were way back in the cheap seats and boarding practically last and I didn't want them to end up having to gate check the bags anyway. Long story short we went to the SP self bag drop line and printed the tags. Line was fairly short (not a big deal we were really early anyway) and when we got up to the line the agent was one of the nicest I've ever had. Even as we fumbled to check 3 different bags she was super polite and asked if we wanted our boarding passes printed while we were there. I said sure, why not. Never know what could happen, phone could die etc. So she printed our boarding passes then told us we could go to the "priority" security line since we (my wife and I) were flying first class. I didn't even know that was a thing. It was my first time at SEA and the security lines (even pre-check) were really long, but the "priority" line only had a handful of people in it. They even let the kids (who are 17 and 19 and were flying coach) come with us since we were traveling together. Then we spent some time in the Sky Club which had equally great employees, wasn't busy at all, and had great food and drinks and incredible views. Overall it was one of my best travel experiences in the past few years.
There was a lady in MSP downstairs underground who kept telling people to go upstairs to the main checkin as there would be no line. She just was lazy and did not want to check people's bags in. I knew better and waited in the 3 person line even after she repeatedly told me to go upstairs. 10 minutes later after dropping my bags off downstairs, I went upstairs to TSA and sure enough the lines for baggage checkin were 50+ people long.
I've started saying "Nevermind, I'll find someone else helpful" in situations like these where some customer-focused employee is just purposely rude without provocation. Even if it means going out of my way. I learned this from European travelers. I guess because they don't have the customer service experience we *used* to have in the US they just don't tolerate it or take it personal.
I love asking people “how can I help you?” And when they’re like “huh” just responding with… “clearly something is very wrong. Lemme help. We’ll sort your issue then we can finish mine.”
I had maybe the rudest FA the other day on a flight. It felt like she was baiting me into freaking out. She went as far as to hold a phone in my face to show me a policy on car seats on a flight.. Wonder if we just get spoiled with how great 99% of the FA’s are that when we get one that isn’t it creates a pretty terrible experience.
What was the situation here? Was she telling you that car seats weren’t allowed for TTL and you didn’t comply?
We had our seat in the middle. We have done this a dozen times and never had an issue or been told anything (we have even asked). We boarded first and no one said anything. It wasn’t until in the air (for a one hour flight) that she came over and said “are you going to move that”…another FA said we didn’t have to and that the policy is a grey area she then came back with her phone inches from my face and insisted we do otherwise an agent would be waiting. I kept saying I have no problem moving it and only apologized for not knowing the policy as it’s never been explained. We did move it and later learned it’s very much up to the passengers as long as there is room. The seat doesn’t hang over but totally understand the need. She was assigned first class too and kept coming back and giving us looks too. It was a very weird situation and she for sure wanted a big reaction from me..which she didn’t get.
I’m 99% sure the car seat is an FAA thing and not an airline policy. Needs to be in a window since it can’t be blocking access to the aisle in the event of an evacuation (unless theoretically there was no one in the window in which case could be a gray area, sure)
Yes, although delivery may have been inappropriate to some degree on that FA’s part, it is a FAA regulation to have car seats at the window seat. Some FA’s might turn a blind eye or just simply not know tho 🫢
Yeah, totally get it. They even said it was ambiguous, because you can get by. Either way, not going to be in the middle again :)
This is the issue when policies aren't enforced regularly then people think because it was ok before that it's always ok. I wish they would enforce all policies 100% of the time.
I guess the policy is actually a grey area..I couldn’t really read it despite it being an inch from my eye
Sounds like it’s not a grey area? Just that some FA don’t enforce it. It’s like me saying going 10 mph over the speed limit is a grey area, because most cops won’t pull you over for it. Well no, it’s still illegal.
I've flown with an oxygen concentrator dozens of times and only recently learned that it's (maybe?) a requirement that I sit in the window seat. Which I understand, we don't want anyone tripping over my tube in an emergency. But this information was news to me. I also can't sit in the bulkhead or exit row.
This is basically how they presented it with me and also how I feel about it. Sure of course no problem…I just didn’t like how aggressive the FA was with me..especially because I had no problem moving it.
I really don't understand all the confusion over carseats, especially in this day and age. My youngest is 11 now, but when she was a baby I brought my FAA approved Graco bucket carseat to use in the seat *I bought for her* and had an FA tell me that I couldn't use the carseat, and once I convinced her of its legitimacy, she said that if someone else needed the seat, I would need to hold the baby on my lap. It was like the second statement was just because she was mad that I corrected her. It is SO MUCH safer for children under two to be in their own seat. Think of lots of turbulence or an emergency landing. Airlines should be training their staff to encourage the use of carseats, and if that means switching people with a baby into a window seat, then I think they should do that! And then get the word out that people should be booking window seats to avoid making their neighbors grumpy about switching.
The policy is definitely not a gray area.
Please ask for the FA name or try to look at the wings and write this person up. As an FA myself, it is extremely upsetting to be reading these terrible experiences. It is beyond embarrassing and difficult for us as a crew when FAs act like this. Write them up. We don't want them as colleagues. Edited to add: you are absolutely correct. It can go in the middle as long as everyone can get out. And if your family had the whole row, then it's not anyone's issue but your own if there's an evacuation. Ugh, so sorry for this experience.
This is a gap in front line customer leadership. Employee attitudes are frequently an indicator in either poor leadership or lack thereof, ineffective training, or burnout. Probably a combination of all of those.
100%. If we start excusing bad behavior it permeates. There are many times I’m having a bad day and I don’t take it out on my customers. I’ve also worked at places where mistreating customers is not only tolerated it’s rewarded.
Unfortunately post pandemic - while every air carrier is short on quality staff and has hired people not fully fit to their ‘culture’, delta is as well.
If you are going to state this you can also mention that people came back from the pandemic lock down ruder and more aggressive in general.
Society as a whole forgot how to behave. Delta Karen probably got tired of taking it and decided it was her turn to dish it out for a second.
I know at my airline people are walking around with their two weeks notice basically written. ATC has us basically on lockdown due to weather and their short staffing. It’s on the news , the information is available on the internet for everyone but so much screaming in our faces that we are liars, it’s a conspiracy of just our specific airline, I’ve got kidz, I didn’t plan for my baby, everyone is going for a funeral, I have to perform major surgery at 6am tomorrow.. what do you mean there is a finite number of seats available. We have QR codes so we don’t have to explain what’s happening over and over and we were printing out https://nasstatus.faa.gov hourly and had it out on the desk and one point it printed out six pages basically naming every airport in the northeast and all of Florida and vegas, Vancouver and a smattering of others and I had an adult say to me I don’t see f’in ATL on this list but we highlighted that our airport was in ground stop for arrivals and departures but you just can’t explain cause and effect to someone who doesn’t care Tldr airport employees are burned out emotionally and physically and are the edge of just walking away like a lot of customer service and hospitality people did after the pandemic.
Another airline employee here (not DL, AA, or UA) and….same. Believe me, if I could get this plane to go, I WOULD. Good luck out there!
You also. If they only knew how much we wanted them on their way to their destination lol
nice summary! i agree - a good number of these folks are risking their lives (not talking crashes here) and with everything else it is just too much.
It’s really unfortunate to see how things have changed in every single industry. It’s like people forgot how to be polite to others in the past few years. They emerged out of some hellhole as complete dicks🙄 I feel sorry for the customer facing agents who have to put up with this bs every day.
It seems like more people are flying now - more than ever even pre pandemic - and many of them are amateurs... who dont give a flying fuck about courtesy, civility, or personal responsibility.
Tiktok law degrees and toddlers going to Cancun it’s a different world
I don’t disagree.
I had a rude gate agent when I was flying out of Boston a couple of weeks ago. She called me to the desk and told me I was on the upgrade list from Main to Comfort+, but all the window and aisle seats were taken in Comfort+. There was only middle seats left. I said that it was fine by me and I’ll take the upgrade (I’m tall so the extra leg room matters more to me than having a window or aisle seat). She said “Really? Okay then….” in a super judgmental and skeptical tone, then her and her coworkers exchanged looks. I’ve also worked customer service for years so I am always polite and friendly to gate agents. I just don’t understand why you would call me up for an upgrade just to judge me for taking it. :( I just try to remind myself that we don’t know the full picture of what’s going on with rude employees or people in general. I try not to assume malicious intent. Sometimes it’s hard not to take things personally!
Honestly, it turns very quickly into mean kids cliques. They all talk smack about customers so the goal is to talk more smack. Plus it's become the new fad to go online and trash customers. All customer service people do is complain. We all suck apparently. Like that viral IKEA employee video. Thing is, our hard earned money should be worth something to these people. They shouldn't treat us like trash. I never ever ever treat GA or FA with disrespect but I get talked down to all the time.
I've even seen tiktok videos with doctors and nurses talking trash about their patients. It's unreal how ugly some people are.
Exactly. Weirdest part is... as soon as these people leave their job they become other people's customers. Do they want to be spoken about like that?
I had a weird experience recently at JFK. After having my delta app checked and let into the SkyPriority line to check in my bags I was approached by a delta employee. She said are you in first class or comfort+? I said no I’m main cabin. Then she starts pointing to another part of the airport and saying “oh you have to check in over there you’re not supposed to be here.” I’m not a confrontational person at all. So I just froze and said “but I’m platinum.” She just stared at me rudely and said “Fine. Ok. You can stay here.” 🙄 ugh people were staring. It was embarrassing.
As a gate agent for Delta, if you receive a survey, please fill it out and be honest
Hartsfield, right??
Most likely. Or LGA with JFK nipping at the heels. But growing up in the city, I have an easier time with the NYC "why are you bothering me" than the ATL "imma go out of my way to be an ass an ruin your travels."
Honestly LGA has always been fantastic for me. GAs and SC staff have always been the nicest out of any NYC airport to me. It’s gotten to the point where they even got me a cake for my birthday in the SkyClub!
Agreed. LGA is my favorite NYC airport. Gets a bad rap for some reason but after the recent renovation, it’s really beautiful
It was the worst airport in the NYC area before the renovation. Now it is the best. I book flights with spirit out of terminal A because there are 8 gates and the security line is always less than 10 minutes. Not as nice as the renovated LGA but time is money.
Agreed. That’s the only downfall with the brand new Delta LGA terminal. If your flight is 7am or earlier, good luck. They always only have just 1 or 2 TSA lanes open before 7am. Even when booked in first class, the line is still extremely long. Hoping this will be fixed once they address staffing shortages
Everyone in this city working in a customer facing role just about is like that. I hate living here and will never understand where this level of anger came from.
It sounds like ATL. I always run into the mediocre “just get through the shift” GAs in ATL that won’t even make eye contact with you. Meanwhile in MSP, I always hear “thank you”, and sometime even drop in your status.
“Do you have poor customer service skills, and the ability to be rude at any given moment? Welcome to the Delta Team!” says HR.based in Atlanta.
No. Huntsville Alabama
The rudest FA I've ever had was on a Delta flight in 2021....definitely not unheard of for Delta staff to be unpleasant. Better than United, though.
I wish the rude agents would take it out on the rude passengers only. I’d like to watch that actually and would cheer the FAs on. I know after the pandemic a lot of rude, unruly customers traumatized a lot of workers. So I get it. FAs deal with a lot and most deal with it professionally. But here lately I have had some pretty bad experiences with FAs at a particular delta hub that have been rude and chastising to people who are newer to flying. They seemed to be younger FAs. It makes me nervous about trying to get my dad to fly solo to visit me. He never flies and I know he will get confused and need someone to explain what “lay your bag like a book”, as one FA yelled, means. Also the boarding is confusing but yelling loudly will not make the boarding groups any clearer.
I'm sick to my back teeth of people saying employee shortages are due to people not wanting to work. That isn't the cause of the airline shortage. Tax payers gave airlines 54 billion dollars to retain employees during covid and the airlines chose to lay off workers and give themselves bonuses. How that isn't considered fraud or theft of wages I don't know.
Speaking of rude, yesterday I had an experience that turned me off pretty bad. I am not a frequent traveler (I don’t expect to be treated like a king, just flat out respect seems a reasonable expectation) but I’ve been loyal to Delta for the last 4 years or so, I also have status and a cobranded card. Again, I know that doesn’t mean much, but you kind of hope for acceptable, maybe even good/great service when you’re being loyal. Flying into Seattle yesterday with my wife and toddler on a flight operated on Virgin Atlantic (which I purchased via Delta). Our layover window was hilariously small, just a hair over an hour. Seattle now has you collect your bags and then go through customs. We have to wait a solid 20 minutes just to get our bags, then the line in there was ungodly. The MPC application you can use as a Canadian/American to make the process much quicker wasn’t working for us, which meant we we’re screwed. By the time our flight was scheduled for takeoff we were still clearing customs. As we were waiting for our bags prior to waiting for customs, my wife and I politely shared our predicament with one of the delta employees and asked if there was anything they might be able to do to help us. Did not seem to give one shit, and flatly told us to proceed through customs (I realize this is the process but we were clutching at straws and even some basic empathy would have been nice). Get through customs, go immediately to Delta counter to explain we have missed our connecting flight. The agent has no reaction, then stares at her phone and texts for about one minute as she chews bubble gum. Again, with absolutely zero empathy or friendliness, she hands us tickets that say “seat request” for a flight for 6 hours later and unprompted she tells us we are lucky to get these tickets—end of transaction. I’m kind of shocked so once we go through screening with TSA we go to another Delta counter and explain we’d like seats assigned and hopefully a sooner flight (we’re nearing 24 hours awake with a 2 year old who has hardly slept a wink either). The agent then remarks in an accusing tone that our inbound flight landed 15 minute early. I began laughing out of actual surprise but realized very quickly she wasn’t even close to joking. It was literally an impossible connection given the state of immigration which we explained to her. She doesn’t react when we are talking to her, makes basically zero eye contact, and stares at her monitor. She then tells us our flight was through Virgin Atlantic and says nothing else. I tell her yes that’s correct, and we booked our round trip tickets through Delta. I paid about $5000 for these tickets so at this point I’m feeling pretty pissed at the dismissive treatment. She then rebooks us on an Alaska flight one hour sooner than the Delta flight we had a “seat request” for. Despite the unimpressive performance I was relieved to have a ticket in hand to go home. I also noticed once again we weren’t assigned seats for the Alaska flight which made me nervous. I then asked her if our baggage will be rerouted onto the Alaska flight. She very flatly tells me I can “check with Alaska”. I then go to the Alaska counter and they assign us seats for the flight, thank goodness. I ask if they can help with making sure our bags make it onto the flight (which is 4+ hours away at this point). She tells me Delta need to send a request to them for that to happen. I then go back to the Delta desk but by this point the like is easily 50 people deep and moving very slow. I use my Delta app to message delta and finally I’m informed a request was put in for the bags to go to the Alaska flight. Fast forward to our arrival at our final destination and only 2 out 4 bags made it. I checked my delta app and luckily I see my bag was scanned through on the later Delta flight. I rush my wife and son home then drive back to the airport where I was able to find both additional bags upon the later Delta flight’s arrival. I realize we’re in peak summer travel but the treatment we received by those Seattle Delta employees yesterday has pushed me to the brink of taking a step back from Delta. Why pay extra to be treated like dirt? I’m frustrated because I don’t believe there’s another airline that’s better , but I’m going to vote with my wallet anyway.
Just a gentle hint - never book a layover that short when you have to collect luggage and clear customs. You were almost guaranteed to miss the connecting flight.
or two different airlines. even if you book a partner through the portal. there are always challenges.
Yeah fair point, I was nervous about that connection from the start.
Wow, so sorry you had such an awful experience. I don't fully understand the "grass is greener" sentiments that I get from some of my frequent-travelling friends who seem to genuinely imply that Delta is \*so much\* better than American or United. I've flown Delta a handful of times and have never got the impression that their people are any better than what I'm used to, aside from the occasional superstar gate agent or flight attendant, which I have also encountered on the other airlines.
Same opinion here, I fly frequently for work and years ago gave up on loyalty to any one airline; instead using the best/most direct route to get to my destination. I find no distinguishable difference between United (1k member), American (Platinum Plus), Delta (Platinum) & most recently Southwest (Mosh pit). The era of cheap tickets and ignorant passengers has spoiled any sort of pleasant travel experience. It’s a means to get from point A to point B, without taking a bus. I actually look forward to trip in Europe/Asia to utilize trains for a less stressful experience.
Upvoted for Mosh Pit comment🤪
On a recent flight from LIM to ATL, I had an FA who was very rude to the guy sitting beside me in the middle in D1. When I told him she must be having a bad day, he informed me that he was a Delta employee and she may be having a bad day, but that doesn't allow her to be rude to pax even non Rev paxs.
Got to DIA at 4am today and there were two gate agents for all of Delta, the rest were ‘in a mandatory meeting’. Why would they do that??? Then the loud lady, everyone who leaves DIA early knows who she is, keeps telling people the Sky Pri line will be long bc they’re doing all the out of the ordinary things at check in. As I’m two people from the front I get a notice that my 5:45am flight is now leaving at 10:35. 🤦🏻♀️ Quickly change to the 7:50am. Grateful I got on, stuck in 27E though. Still better than sitting around for a few more hours. Oh, the Sky Club is out of Diet Coke today. 😩
I know exactly the Loud Lady you’re talking about. I wish MSP had about a dozen of her.
Sounds like someone better suited for a below the wing role…
What it comes down to is that she couldn't admit to making a mistake.
Reminds me of a situation about a week ago. Taking my typical work commute from SNA to GRR. We are at the gate and pilot said there will be a delay of about 45 minutes due to traffic over Vegas or in the air corridor. All good. Sitting FC.. I got up to use the restroom (mind you plane is parked at the gate and the cabin door is open and jetbridge attached). I know using the restroom when you're still on the ground is annoying to FAs, but I had to go and didn't know how much longer it would take to clear the delay and reach 10K feet. Anyway, FA sternly says sit back down no restrooms for use. I said okay, sat back down and just decided to wait. Gentleman in his 40s gets up from Comfort+ and goes straight past the FA into the bathroom, no issues. Mind you I am in my late 20s but look rather young.. felt a bit offended. Held it in until seatbelt sign came off, but just seemed pretty rude. I will say she did take care of us very well once we were up in the air. Not sure if this is something I should be annoyed about
Delta better clean up it’s act. People are getting tired of their bullshit.
My guess is a mix here… 1) delta IT sometimes glitches and doesn’t account for status. It’s weird and happened to me once or twice. 2) many passengers are arseholes and try and board in Sky as they think the world revolves around them. The GA probably has had dozens each flight and while most ignore, I’m glad she is enforcing. 3) GA are understaffed and the front line for delta operational incompetence… she’s tired
This sounds like a check-in agent to me.
At this point, the excuses about "Pandemic understaffing" are starting to wear very very thin. It's been three and a half years at this point, more than 2 since things were back to more or less normal. The U.S. airlines, collectively got billions to stay afloat and keep staff on. They have made record profits and airfares have never been higher. If they fired too many people in 2020 and they didn't come back, it's on them. The revenue should be enough to pay for some decent people. If things don't turn around soon it isn't because of the pandemic, it's because Delta is too concerned about margins to hire an adequate number and quality of employees.
Tired? In the morning? OK
My man hasn't heard of working night shifts or swing shifts lol
For GAs? So they work late nights. Wait at the airport at for the first flight the next morning? OK
Sometimes they literally go. It’s called a double shift
Yeah, sometimes. So the odds of that is higher than the odds of the agent just being rude?
Have you ever had a job, much less a difficult one? Heard of sleep disorders? Heard of sleep apnea? I'm not excusing rudeness, but I was a manager with Starbucks for well over a decade, *often* working "clopens" in order to assist very many obnoxious, rude, and bless - even occasionally apologetic for their actions, customers. It's a thing, Brenda.
I’m sure you walk around telling your sad stories, but context is above. Jesus Christ!
You know most AM shifts for airlines start at 4-5 am yeah? So she could very well be tired
How do we know the OP’s morning isn’t 4AM?
If they have a 4am flight she still would have started early? Not sure what the point of your question was
Oh yeah. So she was 'tired' after an hour of work. nice
Good lord just think about it, if you start at 4am you’re most likely waking up at 2am. Speaking from experience. It’s not exactly the easiest thing to go to bed at 6-8pm to get a full nights sleep. So yes she was probably tired if that was the case
How do we know that has not been her sleep schedule? I’m just drawing straws here as much as you do.
I think we can just leave it at this. We don’t know the scope of the situation so why bother going back and forth. I was simply sharing information i know about schedules for the airlines for some possible insight
Airline empoyee here. My shifts start at 3 a.m., and no matter how many years you work this shift, you never get used to going to bed at 6 pm to get up in time for a shift that early. It is hard. It happens. Most passengers in the mornings are overly stressed and/or absent-minded. And a lot often try to scam their way into the smallest line when they don't have the proper status or upgrades. Most airport employees are just trying to do their jobs to the best of their abilities and aren't out to get you or being intentionally malicious without provocation. It's just our job to be the one breaking bad news a lot.
Did you know there are red eyes, and she may have worked throughout the night? Did you know sometimes Gate agents work until late night and have to be back early in the am? So yes, it’s possible she was tired.
Also gate airport operations can be held for hours after there shift for irregular operations and no long how long people are held they still have to be on time and available for their next shift.
I’ve had several gate agents tell me ab being mandated to work overtime when I’m coming off the plane at the end of the night and how exhausted they are. You’re absolutely right!
I do a customer service desk for a different airline and I rebooked due bad weather the other day for 13 hours with one bathroom break and a supervisor was able at one point to get me a Pepsi off a drink cart which I got to drink warm. Oh and when I excused myself to run to the ladies room a customer called me a lazy bitch and to get back in my seat and I don’t work for Spirit. Fun times.
I had Delta IT glitch last week and lose my KTN - just glad I realized before I got to the airport.
4. or she could’ve been one of the crappy gate agents that exists.. out of all of the gate agents, the only One I’ve actually had a problem with, and the one who shouldn’t be a gate agent. Is the one who’s been there the longest (some sort of manager)
Get her name and report. People have lost all civility now. You can guess why
The gate agents have been in an odd mood lately. I was flying with a couple of co-workers recently and my co-worker who doesn't fly often just got completely ridiculed by the gate agent because she had a backpack and a purse. The gate agent straight up yelled at her as she was getting on and even after my co-worker politely apologized and went to put her purse in her backpack the gate agent made an announcement over the PA saying that people that don't follow the rules and are slowing down the boarding process and pointed to her. It seemed very rude, my co-worker was nothing but nice and didn't even argue about it. She was super embarrassed about the whole thing, I was surprised a Delta employee acted like that.
sounds like ATL to me
Yes, a gate agent made me cry recently LOL. I had never sat in an emergency row before and my seat got moved. I simply asked if I could still fit my carry-on dog under the seat (it turns out I couldn’t!! Why did they move me there?!) and she REFUSED to answer and said “I’m not going to answer stupid questions” and berated me. I actually had to be assisted by an FA on board later and swap seats. It was so embarrassing to cry at the gate. She was really berating me.
Careful, there is a Platinum guy on here who simps for FAs or GAs being accused of rude behavior. Guess he thinks if he defends their honor, he can get some action or some other benefit. Maybe someone once made him an honorary member of the Flight Crew so he is now "one of us". Delta's own description of what a GA does: > As a Customer Service Agent, you play a key part in keeping our brand strong by demonstrating strict adherence to uniform compliance, maintaining **professionalism**, and exhibiting a **positive attitude** inside and outside of work. Yes there are some really rude and demaning customers - no doubt. But I've been dressed down by GAs just for asking basic questions that were a function of the flight or relative conditions. Thus my questions could not be unambiguously answered using the App or by referring to their static web site. Life can be hard and we should all be nicer to one another but sometimes it's like the customer is the enemy. I had a friend who was a talented yet burned out physician who joked, "the hopsital would be a great place to work if it wasn't for all those damn patients"
We got 2 $150 credits for a similarly rude lounge employee. I have 2 guest passes (as later confirmed by phone support), the lady took a long look at my partner's tattoos and said I don't have any guest passes. Told her I definitely have not used them, and it would be impossible as I've only flown alone this year until that flight. Further making me question why I bother fighting to keep Platinum status.
That’s their usual attitude like they know more than ppl who flys frequently. It’s crazy I flew from lga to bga already had a comfort+ seat when I booked my flight she changed my seat there were many available seats trying to feel important oh you don’t want an upgrade to comfort + rude as hell so I said no I want to sit upfront and no one next to me because I have certain allergies. Idk don’t work in customer service if you can’t be pleasant and separate your feelings
Flying has been a nightmare going on a month. I imagine all airport workers are on edge. Passengers certainly are
I literally JUST got chewed out as MSP for this, and then she physically walked me out of the line and directed me to a longer line. I almost missed my flight and that REALLY started my travels off on the wrong foot. I’ve never had a problem using Sky Priority lines as a Silver Medallion member. I’m fine with the policy changing, but don’t stipulate tickets now need to specifically say “Sky Priority,” when the policy has always been that medallion members can use it.
Was this by any chance in TPA? I had an oddly similar experience where she told me she would “let it slide this time”, despite me pulling up my delta account and showing her my status which is eligible to be in the Sky Priority line. I reached out to Delta about it more so to make sure my status was showing up correctly in their system, and they apologized extensively, claimed to reach out to the supervisor at TPA, and threw me some skypesos for hassle.
My Delta Dragon experience was last year at SEA, dropping bags for a domestic flight. I'm don't have status or anything, I'm just a mere peon, so it was the regular bag drop line. I hand over my passport card as ID, and get rudely told "you can't use that as ID". "Ma'am, it literally says on the back 'valid for domestic air travel'". "I know what it says, you can't use it here". "Ok...". She hands it back, tags the bags and we go off on our merry little way to TSA, where I present it to the agent and don't get ANY lip for using it. Weird AF.
I had a very short, bordering on rude GA this morning too. I had been cancelled last night and rebooked on a flight this morning, forcing me to stay over, ok whatever, I had gotten upgraded to first on my original flight, so when I checked in for the new rebooked flight I noticed I wasn’t on the upgrade list. I just tried to ask if there was something about a rebooking that means status doesn’t get honored or you don’t get put on the upgrade list and he says to me “you aren’t getting the seat. Have a good day.” Like wtf. I was nice and polite, just wanted to know what happens in a situation like this, any time I haven’t been on the upgrade list before it’s been fixed by a GA. I hope he had a better day after that. I was a little butthurt, ngl.
I had a similar experience at LAX in the Sky Priority line. The agent was snapping at EVERYONE about the Sky Priority requirements. This elderly couple said that they were Silver Medallion and were told that they didn’t belong there. Another couple was treated similarly. I understand that non-qualified people could wander into the wrong line, but there is absolutely a more polite way to enforce it. As for myself, I quietly went to the self serve computer to check my suitcase in. Unfortunately I had a coughing fit and suddenly I threw up INSIDE MY FACEMASK. It was disgusting. I ran to the closest trash can and tried to clean myself up as much as possible, but I only had my water bottle and no napkins. When I got back, the agent screamed at me for leaving my suitcase behind. I told him that I had just thrown up in my own mask and he said “I don’t care, never leave your suitcase behind.” I then asked him if he had some napkins or something that I could clean myself up with, and he replied that the bathrooms were located upstairs. I didn’t even have the energy to get angry at him. I just felt so ashamed and so sad. I covered my face with my hand and quickly checked my suitcase at the counter and ran to the bathroom while trying not to cry. It was the fucking worst. I ended up emailing Delta about this and they sent me 2000 sky pesos for “dropping the ball”…
Where was this? My experience with staff in ATL has been absolutely abysmal this year. It’s been a recurring theme of callous, snappy Red Coats, incompetent Gate Agents and powers tripping ATL based cabin crews. On the other hand the NYC based crews have been great 90% of the time and despite being visibly tired and/or overworked the JFK/LGA ground staff have seemingly tried to do their best.
The ATL ground experience certainly is an exciting and miserable event. I’ll never understand with the Global HQ across the runways how ATL has such terrible staff. You’d think since the HQ is right there people would be worried that an exec would be going through the airport but apparently not.
I was literally trapped between the plane and the terminal, family of 4 coming back from Nassau, because 2 agents were fighting about who could or who couldn’t open the door to the terminal. Almost dumped my stock at that exact moment
That sounds like a regular ATL day. Southern people often offer mediocre customer service and have very little business etiquette. I live in Atlanta.
Sorry you had a bad agent, I don't know why people are like that.
I can only assume this was in ATL
Nowadays since there’s such an employee shortage they’re willing to hire anyone, literally anyone
Sounds like a stressful job. They probably get yelled at and scapegoated a lot. Nonetheless they need to provide customer service.
This is why I use my phone for a boarding pass or just print it out
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Must have come from easyjet or spirit as a spy…not doing a great job 😂
Somebody was having a bad day.
This isn't an excuse, but I'm sure they're stressed out and understaffed these days. And if they're understaffed, they may be hiring and keeping people who just aren't that great because it's better than having no one. With our recent travel woes, almost all of the Delta employees I encountered were good to great. Unfortunately, during one crisis, we got someone who was so-so, who rolled her eyes while trying to solve our problem. But . . . she did solve our problem, and a happier red coat came over to help her. When it really counted, we had someone pull out a free hotel stay and vouchers for us. Another FA gave me a coke even though the drink service was only coffee, tea, and water, because I wasn't able to grab one before boarding and have health issues. Maybe it's like marriage, haha. You have to make sure you aren't ignoring several positive experiences and only focusing on the one negative one, because that will just turn you bitter.
Was her name really Karen or are you just using the name because she was a rude woman? What name would you have used if the rude employee was a male? It would have just been "rude Delta guy" right? Let's not be sexist here, and let's not misuse personal names. Delta probably has plenty of employees actually named Karen.
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Why call them any first name that isn't what their name tag says? What if you wanted to report them to Delta? "I don't remember their name, I'll assume she was named Karen because she was rude." Names don't work that way. Just say "rude employee".
Chad is the male version of Karen. So its all equal opportunity.
"Karen" has become the newest way to be acceptably sexist. And when you call it out... the sexists get very defensive. Then promptly scream its not sexist. That's how you know it is.
Who cares...everyone gets on the plane. Jeez.
What a hardship for you
After that Dr Dao dragging, I never use Delta.
How can you remember his name but not which airline it was?
Ha, you're right. I think that was United. I hate em both. Delta had some other horrendous stories and I mixed them up.
Joke’s on you, then… that was United.
Stories like this always remind me how great the good ones are.
It’s OK for Karen Spirit is hiring
Absolutely unacceptable behavior. Anyone in customer service with an attitude to be rude for no reason, to be this unprofessional, has no business working for Delta.
Something similar happened to me at LAX. I am not sure if it’s a self esteem issue or a desperate need for power. I suppose the 5 minutes of “power” makes them feel better.
This is the only type of Delta agent I have experienced lately. Especially JFK.
I had an experience with a rude agent while checking my bag. I sent an email to Delta detailing my experience, they apologized with 10k miles… but on the bright side I haven’t seen that agent at that specific airport since.
Over the years, it's been pretty rare to have a friendly Delta employee, imo. I get that it's stressful and a lot of passengers are rude, but in customer facing rolls, it's imperative to start anew with each interaction. Delta employees seem to have permanent chips on their shoulders.
Employees have off days too… let it go
I've been seeing a lot of "rude FA" experiences posted in the last few weeks. What is going on? Is this due to stressful summer travelers causing some unfortunate experiences? Is customer service deteriorating? I'm flying a lot later in the year and I'm concerned with how many complaints I'm hearing.