I always thought Delta was reliable. Then five catastrophic flights

Respecting a brand inspires you to forgive.

Most people – not many admit it – allow their favorite brands to fail from time to time, in the belief that the ultimate benefits outweigh the pain.

Yes, even if it’s an airline.

Which makes me wonder what’s going on at Delta Airlines.

For years, it’s easy to believe that Delta did the same (relatively). This is a smart operation run by smart people.

At times, the airline even boasts efficiency, thoughtfulness and, of course, a deep love of the brand.

However, it was suddenly like any other airline. Or, some might snort, even worse.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve heard from friends who have explicitly booked Delta and been severely hurt.

A flight that was canceled without rebooking is available the next day. One flight was so delayed that the whole purpose of the trip was ruined. And one who witnessed the chaos in Atlanta, like so many people was stuck at the airport by Delta for 24 hours.

Five flights. Five bad experiences.

It really can’t be that bad, can it? I want to believe that my friends are still freaks.

But then I read about the suffering of five people who flew down to Detroit aboard the Delta. Detroit is one of Delta’s hubs. That’s where you can expect – I suppose I mean hope – the airline has consecutive planes and enough staff ready to fly.

However, as said by the travel website Miles to Celebrate, this is the story of frequent flyers, members of the site community, all trying to meet each other. They discovered that Delta went miles away to create happy memories.

Five people, taking different flights from different cities to Detroit last weekend, have come up with terrible stories that show serious organizational incompetence, the kind of which you don’t associate with the brand. Delta.

Sample: “Flying from Boston to Detroit [one flyer] canceled their flight on Friday morning a few hours before their flight. They ended up having to make an afternoon flight. That was after queuing for hours at the airport to book their flight as everything was sold out online. “

You might think is a familiar story for many travelers.

But how about this: “Flying from the East Coast, a member had three flights completely canceled and they couldn’t meet in time.”

Then there was a passenger from Detroit, whose trip from San Jose on Thursday was canceled and they arrived at 4 a.m. on Saturday morning.

Another “converted their direct flight to a 3-way flight that would take them in the middle of the night.”

Perhaps the most telling, however, is this: “Flighting from DCA (Washington DC) to Detroit, the member had a flight cancellation Friday morning.” What did this person do? Why, “they can still find an American Airlines flight to rebook at the last minute.”

If a popular opinion might be that if American Airlines has a solution available and Delta doesn’t, then you should also ask yourself about the Earth’s axis.

The ultimate temptation of cash

I have reached out to Delta to ask why this airline has suffered such a severe blow to its reputation. I’ll update, if there’s a response.

I also asked if the airline wanted it to have done something different in the past. This seems like an appropriate question as airlines are blaming the weather and the overarching term “staff shortages” for the current travel turmoil, something it looks like it will have to endure. over a long period of time.

When the pandemic broke out, airlines begging the government for many, many billions. And have them. Those billions of dollars were used to keep teams of employees together. The airlines promise that no, no, they will not lay off employees and withdraw cash.

However, consider Delta’s numbers for 2021 Shows that the airline spent 16% less on wages and related expenses than in 2019. Pilots and flight attendants are allowed to retire early. Some argue that up to a third of Delta’s total employees have drifted. Even today, Delta has 10,000 fewer employees than it did before the pandemic.

So now Delta and the rest are frantically trying to hire. Or are they? Recently, Delta CEO Ed Bastian comment: “We’re mostly where we need to put people.”

The airline has hired 4,000 people this year. How many people have airline experience? And how many people are pushed into jobs with very little training time? How much even showed up on the first day of work?

All is good. Well, for the most part it is. Well, maybe. Or not.

Last week, Delta updated a blog post on its page. Its title reads: “Delta continues to focus on improving during the hot summer travel season.

Hot apparently a shorthand for disastrous.

Delta’s summary reads: “In recent months, we’ve made a number of adjustments to minimize schedule disruptions and recover faster when challenged.”

“For June weekends so far this month, weekend cancellations on Delta’s network are down 35 percent compared to May,” it stated. Imagine, really, how bad May was. I wonder if it’s partly the weather’s fault.

Delta insists that its employees are “working around the clock to assist you.” Well, some of the airline pilots are taking pictures to show you, from their point of view, how bad the airline has become. They even Write an open letter to Delta customers, said that the pilots union had “lost confidence” in the leadership. I think it’s kind of customer support.

Some people may find it poignant that last week the airline decided to release some new ads. “Start Your Odyssey,” it declared. “Seize new opportunities,” it added. It’s all a little tricky when your flight has just been canceled and there’s no other for at least another day.

Of course, airlines insist that sudden travel demand is unprecedented and unpredictable. It’s as if they don’t have a human psychologist there to guide the airline away from any money-making habits.

Now how much would Delta make if it kept more of its employees during the pandemic – please, let me dream – and really prepare for the current human desperation to fly somewhere, any where?

Of course I’m being silly. Revenue first. The number of employees can always be fixed, right?