Delta Airlines S...s

[Sue B]

Delta Airlines lost my 87 year old, partially deaf mother who has short-term memory issues last night. I don't mean they killed her, I mean they literally LOST her when they bumped her from her scheduled flight to one that was due to leave 5 HOURS later!

I got an email notification that she MIGHT be bumped of her connecting flight, and so I called customer service to see if it was true. It is a 50 mile one-way trip to our local airport so I wanted to know 1) did I need to drive there now and 2) who was making sure she didn't sleep through the departure of the later flight. Customer service was unable to tell me if she was on the earlier flight or not and told me that, even though she had wheelchair assistance, it was not their problem to look after her during the 5 HOUR delay. After my eyeballs returned to their sockets, I drove to our little airport in a raging thunderstorm. Yup, no mom deplaned. When the nice lady their finished helping folks with lost luggage, I informed her that the airline seemed to have misplaced my mother. Funny, the computer said she was on the plane!? Several phone calls and computer checks later, she was able to get hold of the supervisor in SLC airport who very kindly spent the next couple hours searching for mom and then getting her to the correct gate and subsequently getting her on the plane. I drove back to the airport to pick her up and finally got her home a little after midnight.

Local folks get an A, Delta gets an F. Had she not arrived, we would have called our relative who was on the SLC police force I guess. Delta was certainly no help whatsoever.

[PaulaO]

WTF? Is there no corporation that takes responsibility?

[Moutaineer]

Oh, good lord! I would have been completely freaked out! That Delta "Customer Service" Rep needs hauling over the coals.

[Josette]

I realize you may not want to go public with what happened - but maybe it is what these airlines need for accountability. Contacting a news station maybe? However, I respect your privacy in this matter too.

Recently, I spent 4 hours in local ER with my elderly uncle who fell down a flight of stairs. Contusion on his head and possible broken nose plus to rule out other injuries. His care was less than satisfactory. I also observed another elderly patient begging for bathroom assistance and being ignored until I spoke up. The hospital PR dept got a phone call from me and in no uncertain terms I told them what I thought of their patient care. We must speak up in these circumstances or it will continue to happen IMO.

[khall]

OMG I don't know how you contained yourself. Wow. Glad your mom made it safely but yes call corporate or write corporate or have your lawyer write corporate. That is unacceptable.

[piedmontfields]

I would also use social media to communicate this experience and your dismay (including directly with Delta). I have found them to be very responsive to that approach (Delta is my main airline due to location and destinations).

BTW, I had not idea that airlines had any responsibility at all to passengers, no matter their needs! :-0 You can tell what world I live in...

[Rockabilly]

That's what these companies do. Pass the responsibility up and down the line. Nobody takes responsibility for anything. I would not let this go and I am so glad your mother survived all this trauma.

[WheresMyWhite]

Did Delta know your mother was partially deaf mother and has short-term memory issues? Or did Delta just know about the w/c.

IIRC, the wheelchairs are wheeled around by airport staff, not the airline.

This had to have been horrible for both you and your mother. Glad she made it to her destination safely.

[heddylamar]

This is one of those time I'd have been tweeting at Delta and the airport. I'm glad it ended well -- after considerable (avoidable) stress.

[Sue B]

Delta was made aware of my mom's abilities and agreed to accommodate them. When you ask for wheelchair service there is a place you can tell them the degree of disability. I hold them responsible because they are the ones who changed the flights. I have filed a written complaint with the airline, we'll see where that gets me. Lol

[Tarlo Farm]

I agree with the responses that say make this public; social media, local news, whathaveyou. This is TOTALLY unacceptable! BTW, where was your mom found?

[galopp]

She should be treated as an unaccompanied minor however, and they cannot be left alone. Not just a person needing wheelchair, although they need a person there to take them to the facilities if needed.

From will asking another airline's employee: "Each airline has differing policies about the elderly with memory challenges. My airline has a department devoted to the elderly and unaccompanied minors. When booking the ticket there are special assistance options built into the booking feature. I know, several days in advance, who needs wheelchairs, flight monitoring etc. When passenger is still on terra firma, pax is my responsibility to get pax to the gate, flight attendants are made aware via a "passenger inflight list," that is printed and given to pilot, chief purser and co-pilot. Delta is known to not educate their employees about special assistance enough. To ensure a senior citizen is monitored from boarding to diembarking, Delta uses their unaccompanied minor process. We partner with Delta. Lord knows they have no training! It is not acceptable to lose a pax; heads would roll at our station at (her base of operations)! I am a gate lead too; responsible for herding 500 pax onto our afternoon flight to (european city). I know, way ahead of time who is on the flight and I speak to the pilot personally before plane takes off about certain pax in certain seat numbers. A lot of job training is done "on the job." High turnover rates contribute to lost pax."

[MaryC]

Hmmm.... I would not have expected an airline to take responsibility for an 87 yo with memory issues. Interesting that they do, and good on those that do it well.