5 ms·

I now like Delta even more. I now it may seem as too "risky" for many, but the people trying to leave those places certainly appreciate it and were willing to t

I now like Delta even more. I now it may seem as too "risky" for many, but the people trying to leave those places certainly appreciate it and were willing to take that risk.

drewg123 9y ago
It is funny how doing even just a little bit of good can earn a company undying loyalty. Back in the 90s, my mom was diagnosed with what turned out to be terminal cancer, and was having major surgery the next day. Being the mid 90s, there were no cheap ticket web sites, and next-day flights were priced for business travelers (out of the reach of a poor grad student). However, airlines did give you a break for family emergencies like this. Delta was the only major airline that treated me like a human being and got me a ticket to be with my family during this terrible time. To this day, I go out of my way to fly Delta, even when it means a plane change if another carrier has a direct route, etc.
- JBlue42 9y ago
  They're one of the few (possibly only) airlines that still has grievance fares. Unfortunately, it's only 10% off. I try and fly Delta and American when possible. Delta also seems to be a good company to work for from what a friend says.
- tempestn 9y ago
  Out of curiosity, do you think it would also earn them a pass if they did something shitty to you, like involuntarily bumped you off an overbooked flight?
  - TomK32 9y ago
    Delta seems to be a few steps ahead by asking flyers for how much they'd give up their seat, but the thing they are actually after is time. I find such a system fascinating. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/making-sense/how-delta-masters-the-game-of-overbooking-flights/ http://www.pbs.org/newshour/making-sense/how-delta-masters-t...
  - kw71 9y ago
    Delta had some bad times last decade when Leo M. was CEO. Lots of bad decisions and don't care all around. Cancelled many flights out from under me, many times the last one of the night. They ruined lots of my days and if I had received some of the messages I wrote to customer service I think I would have replied "You are no longer welcome as a customer." Delta is my favorite airline, period. They have more than made up for a few rough years I had with them and their policies and products are much more reasonable to me than other airlines. I really only want to fly other airlines for something like a 'flagship route' of a foreign carrier.
  - drewg123 9y ago
    It probably would, actually. Though unless the flight is cancelled, I doubt I'd get bumped. I'm platinum in their SkyMiles program, and I think that factors into any bumping.
- trapperkeeper74 9y ago
  Virtue $ignaling.
  - dang 9y ago
    Ideological boilerplate and personal attacks are two things we ban accounts for on HN. This is explained at https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html. We've already warned you about breaking those rules, so would you please fix this?
nobodyorother 9y ago
Hey, they're not United, which: - Breaks Guitars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo - Killed the World's Largest Rabbit: http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/united-airlines-accidentally-kills-rabbit-expected-to-be-worlds-biggest/ http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/united-airlines... - Forcibly Disembarks Doctors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMTpvzJp4ps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMTpvzJp4ps Delta's still shitty with their pricing, but they're clearly the lesser of those two evils.
- Aloha 9y ago
  I fly a lot - in the last 18 months I've flown around 36 segments - half on DL - and half on AS - Delta is no more shitty with pricing than any other full-service carrier. I flew DTW-BNA (then stayed for a week) BNA-DTW (then stopped for a night) DTW-YYZ (stayed for a week) YYZ-SLC-SEA for about 1200 bucks, for a first class ticket - this is quite reasonable when you consider the segments involved. Consider that with DL/AS/AA/UA I'm going to pay about the same for a cross country ticket - within 30-40 bucks, even with WN or B6, you're still going to be paying within 100 bucks of the most expensive of the big four, and within 40 bucks of the cheapest on most routes - in general, its 350-500 dollars to fly cross country in the US. ... and yes, I'm perfectly happy to pay extra to have a for-sure, I know its going to be there, isle seat. Incidentally, every airline charges a high premium for next day travel - even then on DL, I was able to go SEA-DTW-PIT for about 800 round trip, on a ticket booked less than four hours before the flight took off.
  - gcb0 9y ago
    ever heard of a telephone? :D
    - Aloha 9y ago
      Yes - but when the customer say "we need you on site right now" you get on site right now.
kobeya 9y ago
I think one of the main reasons they do this is not just the plane out, but the plane in. It’s typically loaded with relief supplies and first responders.

I now like Delta even more. I now it may seem as too "risky" for many, but the people trying to leave those places certainly appreciate it and were willing to take that risk.

drewg123 9y ago

It is funny how doing even just a little bit of good can earn a company undying loyalty. Back in the 90s, my mom was diagnosed with what turned out to be terminal cancer, and was having major surgery the next day. Being the mid 90s, there were no cheap ticket web sites, and next-day flights were priced for business travelers (out of the reach of a poor grad student). However, airlines did give you a break for family emergencies like this. Delta was the only major airline that treated me like a human being and got me a ticket to be with my family during this terrible time. To this day, I go out of my way to fly Delta, even when it means a plane change if another carrier has a direct route, etc.

JBlue42 9y ago
They're one of the few (possibly only) airlines that still has grievance fares. Unfortunately, it's only 10% off. I try and fly Delta and American when possible. Delta also seems to be a good company to work for from what a friend says.
tempestn 9y ago
Out of curiosity, do you think it would also earn them a pass if they did something shitty to you, like involuntarily bumped you off an overbooked flight?
- TomK32 9y ago
  Delta seems to be a few steps ahead by asking flyers for how much they'd give up their seat, but the thing they are actually after is time. I find such a system fascinating. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/making-sense/how-delta-masters-the-game-of-overbooking-flights/ http://www.pbs.org/newshour/making-sense/how-delta-masters-t...
- kw71 9y ago
  Delta had some bad times last decade when Leo M. was CEO. Lots of bad decisions and don't care all around. Cancelled many flights out from under me, many times the last one of the night. They ruined lots of my days and if I had received some of the messages I wrote to customer service I think I would have replied "You are no longer welcome as a customer." Delta is my favorite airline, period. They have more than made up for a few rough years I had with them and their policies and products are much more reasonable to me than other airlines. I really only want to fly other airlines for something like a 'flagship route' of a foreign carrier.
- drewg123 9y ago
  It probably would, actually. Though unless the flight is cancelled, I doubt I'd get bumped. I'm platinum in their SkyMiles program, and I think that factors into any bumping.
trapperkeeper74 9y ago
Virtue $ignaling.
- dang 9y ago
  Ideological boilerplate and personal attacks are two things we ban accounts for on HN. This is explained at https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html. We've already warned you about breaking those rules, so would you please fix this?

nobodyorother 9y ago

Hey, they're not United, which: - Breaks Guitars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo - Killed the World's Largest Rabbit: http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/united-airlines-accidentally-kills-rabbit-expected-to-be-worlds-biggest/ http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/united-airlines... - Forcibly Disembarks Doctors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMTpvzJp4ps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMTpvzJp4ps Delta's still shitty with their pricing, but they're clearly the lesser of those two evils.

Aloha 9y ago
I fly a lot - in the last 18 months I've flown around 36 segments - half on DL - and half on AS - Delta is no more shitty with pricing than any other full-service carrier. I flew DTW-BNA (then stayed for a week) BNA-DTW (then stopped for a night) DTW-YYZ (stayed for a week) YYZ-SLC-SEA for about 1200 bucks, for a first class ticket - this is quite reasonable when you consider the segments involved. Consider that with DL/AS/AA/UA I'm going to pay about the same for a cross country ticket - within 30-40 bucks, even with WN or B6, you're still going to be paying within 100 bucks of the most expensive of the big four, and within 40 bucks of the cheapest on most routes - in general, its 350-500 dollars to fly cross country in the US. ... and yes, I'm perfectly happy to pay extra to have a for-sure, I know its going to be there, isle seat. Incidentally, every airline charges a high premium for next day travel - even then on DL, I was able to go SEA-DTW-PIT for about 800 round trip, on a ticket booked less than four hours before the flight took off.
- gcb0 9y ago
  ever heard of a telephone? :D
  - Aloha 9y ago
    Yes - but when the customer say "we need you on site right now" you get on site right now.

kobeya 9y ago

I think one of the main reasons they do this is not just the plane out, but the plane in. It’s typically loaded with relief supplies and first responders.