No Result
View All Result
Eye of the Flyer
  • BANK & Travel Cards ★
    • Credit Cards
    • CardMatch™
    • Eye of the Flyer Recommended Cards
    • Best Welcome Offers
    • Travel Rewards Cards
    • Airline Credit Cards
    • Hotel Credit Cards
    • Cash Back Credit Cards
    • No Annual Fee Credit Cards
    • Small Business Credit Cards
    • Gas Rewards Cards
    • Balance Transfer Cards
    • Student Credit Cards
    • Visa Credit Cards
    • Mastercards
    • Bad or Poor Credit
    • No Credit or Limited Credit
    • Secured Cards
  • CardMatch™
  • Cruises
  • Rookie
  • Elite Mileage Runs
  • Merchandise
  • αbout US ✉
  • BANK & Travel Cards ★
    • Credit Cards
    • CardMatch™
    • Eye of the Flyer Recommended Cards
    • Best Welcome Offers
    • Travel Rewards Cards
    • Airline Credit Cards
    • Hotel Credit Cards
    • Cash Back Credit Cards
    • No Annual Fee Credit Cards
    • Small Business Credit Cards
    • Gas Rewards Cards
    • Balance Transfer Cards
    • Student Credit Cards
    • Visa Credit Cards
    • Mastercards
    • Bad or Poor Credit
    • No Credit or Limited Credit
    • Secured Cards
  • CardMatch™
  • Cruises
  • Rookie
  • Elite Mileage Runs
  • Merchandise
  • αbout US ✉
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result

Impressive: Delta Air Lines Corporate Calls me Within Hours After Complaint and Provides a 30,000 SkyMiles Gift

René by René
May 13, 2024
in SkyMiles
23
a screen on the back of an airplane

Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.

  • Prologue: The Most Stressed Out Cruise Vacation Ever – So Much Just Went Wrong!
  • Introduction: My “Free” Carnival Glory 14 Day Crossing Cruise from Barcelona Spain
  • Not Very Impressed: The Atlanta American Express Centurion Lounge (Review)
  • Fox Brothers Bar-B-Q Beef Short Rib Delta Air Lines First Class Meal Review
  • How to Transfer from Mexico City MEX Airport Terminal 2 to Terminal 1
  • The Hilton Mexico City MEX Airport Hotel Terminal 1 Review 2024
  • Review: American Express Centurion Lounge Mexico City Airport MEX Terminal 1
  • Air France A350 Business Class Mexico City to Paris Review
  • Review: The Air France Lounge at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport – Terminal 2F
  • Review: Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona Spain Corner King Suite – A Diamond Free Upgrade
  • Carnival App plus Pre-Boarding and Boarding Experience Arriving Early
  • Carnival Glory Aft Wraparound Cabin 7445 Review
  • Carnival Glory Main Dining Room Food Review 2024
  • Carnival Glory Entertainment Reviews 2024
  • Expedia Booked “Rapha Transport” Driver Speeding at 90+ MPH While Blasting Religious Music From Carnival Cruise to Orlando Airport Transfer!
  • My Disappointing Delta Air Lines 757 First Class Flight from Orlando to Detroit
  • Final Thoughts on my “Free” 14 Day Carnival Cruise from Wydham Status Match Offer.

I think it is worth a bit of a disclaimer as we dive into this post about my feelings on what happened. As a former forever-year Diamond Medallion, Delta still is an airline I prefer to fly even as a free agent flyer. On top of this my many recent flights on other domestic airlines have been far from stunning even in first class. With this in mind let’s check out what happened on my final flights back from my last vacation cruise trip.

As a travel blogger who has been covering Delta for, like, forever, I hardly ever gripe to Delta via the consumer channels because I can simply e-mail the PR department and get (no matter what time day or night) an official response to whatever mess that has befallen me. The perk of this is that I can help other readers, who are likely also top elites, to not have to continue to put up with whatever yuck has crept its way into daily Delta life. But I am no longer “that” blogger as all my front-line contacts have left the mothership for other jobs, and I no longer fly Delta on a weekly basis (but thankfully, the EyeoftheFlyer run by Chris now still generates millions of views a year, and is still Delta-focused so there is that).

Now that I have no less than two paragraphs of disclaimer let me at last get to the meat of what recently happened to me as a “normal” Delta elite flyer coming home from my latest cruise (that started really bad and ended really bad) from Orlando.

a screenshot of a phone

My wife and I, due to 16 year old aspiring Mario Andretti (I kid, a bit) got us waaaaaayyy early to the Orlando airport. We checked our bags curbside with prompting from Delta (and the rep seemed really annoyed I did not tip him) and made our way to the CLEAR checkpoint.

a group of people in a terminal

While CLEAR took forever (more on that later) we arrived at the updated MCO Delta Skyclub more than three hours before our flight but no challenge was presented (unlike the dragons in Ft. Lauderdale club south of us a few months back) and we were able to relax and have lunch before our flights home to South Bend. The food in the club was good, wifi was fast and the bartender (as well as clean up crew in the club) were all just stunning and displayed the “Delta difference“. As the company says, “Strive for Five” worthy and even more! Next up was boarding.

a white plate with a red border next to a grey object

Time for another ride on an old 757. Delta has for a long time, taken very old airframes and installed modern interiors — but as I have shown before they are showing their age.

For our flight, things were looking good with PFB (preflight beverage) service as well as the flight attendants confirming our dinner orders before departure. Even the IFE was up and running right away for all of first class but… it seems, however, some of those behind us did not have working IFE. The captain made an announcement and said we would be delayed as Delta tech folks worked on the IFE resetting and trying to fix it. After a wait, we were told it was fixed and IFE would be up and running by the time we were up in the air. This turned out really not to be the case.

a plate of food on a tray

Service onboard really was good and our meal, the chicken pasta ravioli, was just so-so. But we did not get to enjoy a movie with our meal as the IFE did not come back to life. The crew chose to reset the system over and over but it never worked during the flight. On top of that, my tray table tilted so bad I had to use my headphone case and more to be able to dine. This is not what I have come to expect from Delta – AA sure all the time – but not Delta (not that AA has IFE but I mean just in general).

a person sitting in an airplane

The crew, while understanding our disappointment, was mostly indifferent about both the IFE issue as well as the poor condition of my tray in Delta First Class. The flight crew then, halfway through clearing dinner service, had to pause so the flight crew could use the lavatories (kind of quick to come out, but when you gotta go, you gotta go). This did not sit well with the folks behind us and they were a bit critical of the crew that it took over 20 minutes to clear their dinner bits and the lead flight attendant was not pleased and said their attitude was disrespectful and not OK. The rest of the flight was a bit tense, shall we say.

A few days after we returned home, I decided I needed to send off a complaint about both the IFE and the tray table, not demanding anything in return, but just telling Delta that as a premium airline (that they say they are all the time) they can do better than this kind of experience for paying First Class passengers.

a screenshot of a flight status

Here is where Delta just floored me. Within just a few hours, my phone rings with Delta as the ID. A very nice rep who says he represents Delta Corporate was responding to my complaint and agreed this is not what to expect from Delta first class and he appreciated me as a Delta Million Miler Platinum Medallion and that this would be noted.

I was pleased.

Then he surprised me by stating he would be awarding 15,000 Skymiles to both Lisa and I for our sub par experience.

Well, hello, free points!

Now, to be clear, before I get roasted in the comments section, I did not complain to get free points, nor did I request anything as compensation in my complaint – I just stated Delta can do better, so this was a nice surprise, including the quick call from the mothership! With my bags also taking more that 20 minutes to arrive in South Bend I got a nice total refund of 32,500 points just about covering the cost of one of my two first class tickets one way home from my last cruise adventure! – René

 

Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.

Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Tags: Delta Air Lines
Previous Post

Why I Am Not Going for Cabin Upgrade Offers on my Next Two Cruises.

Next Post

Introduction: My “Free” Carnival Glory 14 Day Crossing Cruise from Barcelona Spain

René

René

René de Lambert is a contributing writer for EyeoftheFlyer.com - He is an avid Delta and SkyTeam flyer who has held Delta’s top Diamond Medallion status for many years and flown millions of miles.

Next Post
a man and woman standing on escalator

Introduction: My "Free" Carnival Glory 14 Day Crossing Cruise from Barcelona Spain

Comments 23

  1. FNT Delta Diamond says:
    1 year ago

    Delta’s planes have been bad for a while. They clearly stopping maintenance around the midpoint of last year. Broken outlets, broken wifi, broken or damaged tray tables, etc. Things you never used to see, at least in domestic first-class on Delta, are now common.

    By the way, Delta seems to have reduced staffing on flights. The 757, 737 and A321 used to have two flight attendants assigned to first-class on meal flights. One to cook and plate the meals in the galley and another to serve drinks and run the meals. Since Delta fully restored meals after the pandemic there is generally only one flight attendant handling first-class, even on the 757 and A321 with their bigger first-class cabins. Occasionally, a flight attendant from economy will help but that’s not always the case. On a relatively short Orlando-Detroit flight, it’s very annoying when comfort-plus is served before first. The best lead flight attendants will take food and drink orders on the ground but that’s not required and doesn’t seem to be trained as a best practice.

    Reply
  2. Frazier says:
    1 year ago

    I complain whenever I feel I’m not getting my monies worth. It’s always a bonus when miles are given for the inconvenience. I definitely use them for award flash sales. Comes in handy when I see flights to costa rica for 17k rt.

    Reply
  3. TravelWarr says:
    1 year ago

    Customer service can be easy when you know how to do it (note: I’ve been in the industry for 30 years).

    In London last month, Delta cancelled our flight to JFK. Crew issue. They rebooked us out the next morning. Upgraded my wife and myself to Delta One. Paid for the extra night in our hotel and meals. Finally, deposited 12K miles in each of our accounts.

    I have been extremely critical of all the changes (Sky Club 15 visits w/the Reserve Card, etc.). But, with one great exhibition of Customer Service…maybe I’m changing my mind about them? And that’s…how you do Customer Service!

    Reply
  4. JRG says:
    1 year ago

    Guess I would just be wondering if they would do any of this for a regular passenger in the back (poor service, equipment, whatever). Status is great, but do they respond equally….

    Reply
  5. World Traveler says:
    1 year ago

    Why did you not tip in the curbside baggage check in? Those are usually contractors not airline employees and the rely on tips as a major source of their income.

    Reply
    • René says:
      1 year ago

      @World Traveler – US tipping culture has gotten out of hand. Plus, if Delta is pushing and providing this service (see screen shot) it should be part of the ticket price IMO.

      Reply
      • Brian says:
        1 year ago

        US tipping culture is not out of hand as far as tipping the skycap at the airport. Tipping them has been around for YEARS….probably longer than you have been alive. It is no surprise that they understandably gave you a snarl as I would have said something to you if I had been a fellow passenger watching. Also, keep in mind that in Europe, employees such as waitstaff in restaurants are very well paid with a high base salary so don’t rely on tips. As a result, from my experience, the wait staff in European restaurants is far lower on the attentiveness scale than their US counterparts. You are more than welcome to be one of those passengers that checks their bags inside and stands on long lines as opposed to using a crowbar to open your wallet and spend $5 to check a bag.

        Reply
        • René says:
          1 year ago

          @Brian – If Delta is going to push the service there should not be an upcharge. It seems to me they need to be paid more by Delta not demand a tip for a service Delta tells me to use.

          Reply
  6. Dean says:
    1 year ago

    I’m glad Delta responds to some complaints quickly. They haven’t responded to mine and I used the app before push back to register my complaint and followed up by registering my complaint in the survey. Crickets.

    Reply
  7. BKAloha says:
    1 year ago

    I agree that tipping culture is so out of hand, but the curbside baggage handlers have relied on tips for a long time. Plus, they actually perform a service that saves time. Now I wouldn’t tip if I’m getting a donut at the donut shop or for something that just cropped up in the past few years.

    Reply
    • René says:
      1 year ago

      @BKAloha – I have not used curbside for maybe 10 years because I don’t want to tip for a service I already paid for i.e. my ticket but with Delta pushing it in the app – IMO – it is now part of the experience. If they are underpaid then Delta should pay them more.

      Reply
      • BKAloha says:
        1 year ago

        If Delta is pushing it on the app, then they should put an * and note that an additional fee (gratuity is strongly encouraged). Or note that the wonderful skycaps rely on tips…

        Reply
  8. Cory Cesar says:
    1 year ago

    @Rene, despite the subpar condition of the 757 aircraft and the prickly attendant, I’m pleased to see that Delta promptly addressed your complaint in a seemingly professional manner. As you call out, this stands in stark contrast to my recent experience with American Airlines on a MEM-DFW flight, where the lead flight attendant exhibited erratic behavior throughout the flight and even shouted at passengers over the PA system. Unfortunately, my complaint received only a standard form letter, then a ‘How’d we do?’ survey.

    Reply
    • René says:
      1 year ago

      @Cory – Yeah AA really is so bad. They have been so bad to me that I recently canceled an AA 1st class ticket for a Delta coach for the same amount of points as I just can not stomach another AA experience for a while (including the credit card never ending pitches)!

      Reply
  9. Barry Graham says:
    1 year ago

    It’s good that they responded so quickly. For me no IFE would be a bonus but I understand about the tray.

    Reply
  10. Layla says:
    1 year ago

    On a recent MSP to FLL flight, Delta switched my seat from 4C to 5C after I had checked in. I arrived at 4C to find the tray table sealed in a red tape saying “out of service.” Without a table, I wasn’t able to have meal service at all. Delta compensated me with 10,000 skymiles. On another recent flight, the IFE wasn’t working for a few people and we were each given 2,000 skymiles. Your 15,000 skymiles gift was generous.

    Reply
  11. Norah K O'Neill says:
    1 year ago

    I am a diamond and a million miler and have been so for some time. I recently took a trip to Japan and was booked by Delta on Korean, a partner airline, for part of the trip. I cannot get my miles or dollar credit from this partner, and Delta keeps giving me the runaround. Any suggestions?

    Reply
    • Chris Carley says:
      1 year ago

      You might try emailing the people on this page.

      Reply
  12. D B Gibson says:
    1 year ago

    I’m a Delta Million Miler who only travels for leisure now. My husband and I flew Delta One to Nice France last October paying over $4K per ticket each for the one way flight to France. Our flight out of JFK had to return to the gate b/c a flight attendant was ill. We had a Purser in first and a relatively new crew manning first class. Boarding, we got water and a glass of champagne at around 5:30 pm. The purser did nothing to assist the crew. During our delay of several hours, I asked for bottled water several times and she said they were a new crew and would get it soon. The entire time the crew sat in front laughing and carrying on, ignoring all first class passengers. Our next beverage offer didn’t come until around 9:30 PM, dinner was served at 10:15, (appetizer) Entree at 10:45 needless to say- I didn’t want dessert. I proceeded to get food poisoning, vomiting the next morning at the airport from the plane food. I’m guessing they didn’t handle it properly with the delay. I was sick all day in Nice, missed it and contacted Delta via email and phone. They told me I had to call when I got home. I gave them all of the details, they only offered us $400 per ticket as compensation saying it was the highest they were allowed to go. Obviously after reading this article, I know it’s not true. I was always a staunch Delta proponent, we only fly first class abroad and our daughter is now a Diamond Delta member. I’m so disappointed in Delta and felt our compensation was nothing where it should have been. $800 total for over $8000 in 1 way tickets. Not including our return from Spain ticket prices.

    Reply
  13. Bridge says:
    1 year ago

    I NEVER fly Delta Internationally. The cost, service, and earnings is much better and pleasant flight attendants. Sitting 200k short of 2 million mile flier, I have NO desire to seek out Delta. Being a “Free Agent” has been surprisingly good, especially, when I can get better prices and multiple segments cheaper than Delta. The ONLY offset is each trip may take an additional 4-5 hours.

    Reply
  14. SMR says:
    11 months ago

    Wow… sounds like a nightmare. IFE didn’t work and you had to hold your headline case a certain way as you fly 600 mph across the sky in a big comfy seat.

    Reply
    • René says:
      11 months ago

      @SMR (Or Ryan or Mathew or whatever names you use) – I expect to get working bits in Delta 1st class when I pay for them – yes!

      Reply
  15. dee says:
    11 months ago

    My Hubby was stuck from Sunday am till Tuesday night trying to get back from a conference last week.. He lived in the airport all day and then got to a hotel nightly….He got 10,000 miles for his trip disruption aka 4 cancellations…..Not good Delta…

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

➤ Search Eye of the Flyer

No Result
View All Result

Subscribe

Subscribe To Our NewsletterJoin our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

GREAT Travel and Cash Back Card Offers for Summer 2025!

Eye of the Flyer may receive a commission from the links below. See our Privacy Policy

See some of the biggest and best offers now!
Capital One Spark Cash
Capital One Spark Cash: Earn $1,500 when you spend $15,000 in eligible purchaes on your card within three (3) months of being approved for the card. Learn here how to apply.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Earn up to 150,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points. First, earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on the card within six (6) months of being approved for card membership. Earn additional 50,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases on the card within six (6) months of being approved for card membership. Long story short: Earn 150,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of being approved. (Terms Apply.). Read more and learn here how to apply.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases within three (3) months of being approved for card membership. Learn more here.

 

American Express® Business Gold Card

American Express® Business Gold Card: Earn 100,000 bonus Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first three (3) months of being approved for card membership. Plus, enjoy a 0% introductory APR for the first six (6) months from the date of account opening on purchases eligible for Pay Over Time, then a 18.49% to 27.49% variable APR. (See Rates & Fees) Terms apply.. Learn more here.

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 150,000 bonus American Express® Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on the card within the first three (3) months of being approved for card membership. Plus, earn a $500 statement credit after you spend $2,500 on qualifying flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel with your Business Platinum Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. You can earn one or both of these offers. This offer expires on June 30, 2025. Terms apply.. Plus, enjoy select airport lounge access, statement credit opportunities galore, and more! Read here why we love this card.

Eye of the Flyer partner offer!CardMatch™CardMatch™
Offers may not be available to all users.

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Eye of the Flyer with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.

Subscribe

Subscribe To Our NewsletterJoin our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Resources

  • ✍ Editors Disclaimer
  • 💰 Advertiser Disclosure
  • 🔒 Privacy Policy
  • BANK & Travel Cards ★
  • CardMatch™
  • Cruises
  • Rookie
  • Elite Mileage Runs
  • Merchandise
  • αbout US ✉

Copyright © 2025 Eye of the Flyer. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • BANK & Travel Cards ★
    • Credit Cards
    • CardMatch™
    • Eye of the Flyer Recommended Cards
    • Best Welcome Offers
    • Travel Rewards Cards
    • Airline Credit Cards
    • Hotel Credit Cards
    • Cash Back Credit Cards
    • No Annual Fee Credit Cards
    • Small Business Credit Cards
    • Gas Rewards Cards
    • Balance Transfer Cards
    • Student Credit Cards
    • Visa Credit Cards
    • Mastercards
    • Bad or Poor Credit
    • No Credit or Limited Credit
    • Secured Cards
  • CardMatch™
  • Cruises
  • Rookie
  • Elite Mileage Runs
  • Merchandise
  • αbout US ✉

Copyright © 2025 Eye of the Flyer. All Rights Reserved.

Cleantalk Pixel
No Result
View All Result
  • BANK & Travel Cards ★
    • Credit Cards
    • CardMatch™
    • Eye of the Flyer Recommended Cards
    • Best Welcome Offers
    • Travel Rewards Cards
    • Airline Credit Cards
    • Hotel Credit Cards
    • Cash Back Credit Cards
    • No Annual Fee Credit Cards
    • Small Business Credit Cards
    • Gas Rewards Cards
    • Balance Transfer Cards
    • Student Credit Cards
    • Visa Credit Cards
    • Mastercards
    • Bad or Poor Credit
    • No Credit or Limited Credit
    • Secured Cards
  • CardMatch™
  • Cruises
  • Rookie
  • Elite Mileage Runs
  • Merchandise
  • αbout US ✉

Copyright © 2025 Eye of the Flyer. All Rights Reserved.