Quickly need to know the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly about Delta Airlines

[auger]

OK, I am in charge of booking flights to the Dominican Republic for a mission trip.
I lost out on the flights with American that I had wanted to book.
So now I am looking at two possibilities:

1) SW from Detroit to Ft Lauderdale, then JetBlue from Ft Lauderdale to the DR.
2) Delta from Detroit to Ft Lauderdale, then JetBlue to the DR.

I have flown SW, but their flight times for this trip really stink, plus, we will have to make plane changes on both legs.

I have not flown Delta in over 20 years, and the reviews I am reading have me SCARED!!!
But, Delta has direct flights and much better flight times.

I need to know peoples' actual experiences with Delta.
Reviews talk a LOT about flights being changed/cancelled; hidden fees being charged to credit cards; dirty planes; rude and disrespectful employees; overbooked flights with no compensation to those booted off; etc...

Being the one responsible for the entire group's tickets, I am feeling like the burden is on my shoulders if I book with a bad airline and something happens!

Please help me out with what you have personally dealt with on either airline, but esp on Delta.

Thanks for your help!!

 

[cmwade77]

We have found Southwest and United to be among the worst airlines we have ever flown.

Based on our experiences, here is the order from best to worst for us:
Virgin America
Jet Blue (a very, very close second though)
Delta
American

At present I would NEVER book Southwest or United under ANY circumstances, due to how rude they are. As for Delta, the only negative I have to say is if you fly through Atlanta, you will most likely be delayed. This has happened everytime we have had a layover in Atlanta. One time was by a few hours, but they have free drinks and headphones to make up for it and made sure everyone got flights to their final destination. It was delayed because they had to change the plane that was being used and the new one had a different seat configuration, so they had to reassign everyone and it was a very large plane. But all of their employees have been very nice and the planes are clean. The bathrooms are a little small, but that is typical on planes.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Be very careful about making connection with two different airlines unless your itinerary is ticketed as a single ticket OR you allow plenty of time (such as overnight) between the two flight segments.

If you buy two separate tickets and the first airline changes its schedule, the second airline has no obligation to allow you to change to another flight time without a change fee -- even if your second segment is now scheduled to depart before your first segment is scheduled to arrive.

Even if the schedules don't change, you could have problems if you buy two separate tickets. If the first segment is delayed (flight delays are common) and you arrive at the connecting airport too late for the second segment, you are a "no-show" for the second flight segment.

If you're on a single ticket, the airlines have an obligation to get you from your city of origin to your final destination.

Southwest does not connect with other airlines (except with AirTran) on a single ticket (and no interline baggage transfers either).

Now, regarding your question about Delta Air Lines... It's a perfectly okay airline, similar to the other legacy careers (United, American, US Airways). It's transportation. Any of these airlines are likely to tweak their schedules if you buy far ahead of time; sometimes it's just a few minutes; sometimes the new flight could be several hours earlier or later.

As far as "overbooked flights with no compensation to those booted off," that doesn't happen. If a flight is overbooked, the airline first offers travel vouchers to volunteers who agree to take a later flight. There are usually volunteers eager to take such an offer, especially on leisure routes. But, if not, then government mandated compensation comes into play. That's regardless of airline.

Flights cancelled because of weather are another matter. Being unable to fly (or being substantially delayed) because of weather is much more common than involuntary denied boarding -- and there's no compensation. That's also regardless of airline.

 

[auger]

Be very careful about making connection with two different airlines unless your itinerary is ticketed as a single ticket OR you allow plenty of time (such as overnight) between the two flight segments.

If you buy two separate tickets and the first airline changes its schedule, the second airline has no obligation to allow you to change to another flight time without a change fee -- even if your second segment is now scheduled to depart before your first segment is scheduled to arrive.

Even if the schedules don't change, you could have problems if you buy two separate tickets. If the first segment is delayed (flight delays are common) and you arrive at the connecting airport too late for the second segment, you are a "no-show" for the second flight segment.

If you're on a single ticket, the airlines have an obligation to get you from your city of origin to your final destination.

Southwest does not connect with other airlines (except with AirTran) on a single ticket (and no interline baggage transfers either).

Now, regarding your question about Delta Air Lines... It's a perfectly okay airline, similar to the other legacy careers (United, American, US Airways). It's transportation. Any of these airlines are likely to tweak their schedules if you buy far ahead of time; sometimes it's just a few minutes; sometimes the new flight could be several hours earlier or later.

As far as "overbooked flights with no compensation to those booted off," that doesn't happen. If a flight is overbooked, the airline first offers travel vouchers to volunteers who agree to take a later flight. There are usually volunteers eager to take such an offer, especially on leisure routes. But, if not, then government mandated compensation comes into play. That's regardless of airline.

Flights cancelled because of weather are another matter. Being unable to fly (or being substantially delayed) because of weather is much more common than involuntary denied boarding -- and there's no compensation. That's also regardless of airline.

So basically, you're saying that if I book Delta or SW for the first leg of the trip down to Ft Lauderdale and they don't get us there on time for JetBlue's flight out to the DR, we'll be paying through the nose for getting another flight.
Is that correct?
The problem is, I can't find another carrier that we can afford, that will take us all the way there and back.

I wanted to book about month ago with American when their flights were down, but my hands were tied and I wasn't allowed to book yet.
Since then, the costs of other flights have gone too high, and there are not enough seats left on the flights I was hoping to get.
Any suggestions?

 

[auger]

We have found Southwest and United to be among the worst airlines we have ever flown.

Based on our experiences, here is the order from best to worst for us:
Virgin America
Jet Blue (a very, very close second though)
Delta
American

At present I would NEVER book Southwest or United under ANY circumstances, due to how rude they are. As for Delta, the only negative I have to say is if you fly through Atlanta, you will most likely be delayed. This has happened everytime we have had a layover in Atlanta. One time was by a few hours, but they have free drinks and headphones to make up for it and made sure everyone got flights to their final destination. It was delayed because they had to change the plane that was being used and the new one had a different seat configuration, so they had to reassign everyone and it was a very large plane. But all of their employees have been very nice and the planes are clean. The bathrooms are a little small, but that is typical on planes.

This surprises me because we really like SW. I have relatives that fly constantly for business, and they will only fly SW.

But as for Delta, if we flew with them, it would be a non-stop flight, so the only delay would be in leaving or being rescheduled for a different time.

As far as bathrooms, not an issue as I NEVER use them on planes!!!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

So basically, you're saying that if I book Delta or SW for the first leg of the trip down to Ft Lauderdale and they don't get us there on time for JetBlue's flight out to the DR, we'll be paying through the nose for getting another flight.
Is that correct?

I'm just saying it's very risky to have two tickets on the same day. If your first segment is delayed too long to make it onto the second segment, the second airline could board you on a later flight under an unpublished "flat tire rule" if there is space. Or the second airline could keep your money and cancel your itinerary, leaving you to scramble to buy a last minute ticket. In either case, "my first flight segment was delayed" would not be a valid excuse.

If you're on a single ticket from origin to destination, even if it involves two airlines, both airlines will do their best to get you to your destination. It's even possible the first airline would change your connecting city and connecting airline (through Miami, for example) if your first flight segment is going to be delayed.

Another advantage of being on a single ticket is being able to check your bags all the way through.

The problem is, I can't find another carrier that we can afford, that will take us all the way there and back.

I wanted to book about month ago with American when their flights were down, but my hands were tied and I wasn't allowed to book yet.
Since then, the costs of other flights have gone too high, and there are not enough seats left on the flights I was hoping to get.
Any suggestions?

Keep looking.

See if Delta can issue a single ticket with Delta as the first segment and JetBlue as the second segment. The price could be higher or lower than two individual tickets. I don't know if Delta and JetBlue do interline connections (they probably don't because JetBlue has only a limited number of such relationships).

Southwest definitely doesn't do interline connections with JetBlue.

When getting advice about airlines from threads on this forum, keep in mind that some comments may be from occasional flyers who have had one good experience with airline A and one bad experience with airline B, and are basing their advice on that limited experience.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

We have found Southwest and United to be among the worst airlines we have ever flown. ........

At present I would NEVER book Southwest or United under ANY circumstances, due to how rude they are. As for Delta, the only negative I have to say is if you fly through Atlanta, you will most likely be delayed. This has happened everytime we have had a layover in Atlanta. One time was by a few hours, but they have free drinks and headphones to make up for it and made sure everyone got flights to their final destination. It was delayed because they had to change the plane that was being used and the new one had a different seat configuration, so they had to reassign everyone and it was a very large plane. But all of their employees have been very nice and the planes are clean. The bathrooms are a little small, but that is typical on planes.

Stuff like this happens on every airline; to say you'll never fly an airline because you had a delayed flight or encountered a rude FA is kind of silly.

OP, I would not book a ticket split between two airlines not in the same alliance for the reasons already stated.

 

[cmwade77]

Stuff like this happens on every airline; to say you'll never fly an airline because you had a delayed flight or encountered a rude FA is kind of silly.

OP, I would not book a ticket split between two airlines not in the same alliance for the reasons already stated.

It is more than an isolated incident, Southwest and United have consistently been bad experiences. Delta has had several flight delays, but overall, they have treated us very well, just not quite as well as Virgin and Jet Blue, but their not very far behind.

 

[rlduvall]

I have flown all of the airlines that go out of our region and I can honestly say I have had great flights with all of them . . . and I have had not so great flights with all of them. I have experienced wonderful employees and I have experienced horrible employees - never anything consistent to only one airline. It seems every airline has at least once "lost" my luggage - always, thankfully, on the trip home - and I have always gotten it back. I would not hesitate to fly again with any of them.

What I do to "protect" myself is only go through certain hubs for my connection; we do not have non-stops for our area.

 

[staceywj]

Had a horrible experience:
our luggage did not board the plane w us
received it the next day

switched the time of the departure the day before leaving

changed our seats without our knowledge until we boarded (they stated it was because they changed planes but we were not together)

 

[DebbieB]

I've flown Delta a lot in the past 5 years and have been mostly happy. Misdirected my luggage one time but luckily it was on the way home. It was delivered to my home a day later. They do have the habit of changing times but most of the times I have called and got it changed to something better for no charge.

 

[KrazeeK120]

This surprises me because we really like SW. I have relatives that fly constantly for business, and they will only fly SW.

But as for Delta, if we flew with them, it would be a non-stop flight, so the only delay would be in leaving or being rescheduled for a different time.

As far as bathrooms, not an issue as I NEVER use them on planes!!!

Well, sometimes people have to use the restroom while on a plane. I can make it from my home in Central IL to Orlando as that flight is less than 2 hours. But when I flew from Chicago to Amsterdam? Yeah...using the restroom at some point was a necessity for pretty much everyone on the flight.

OP is going to the Dominican Republic...I did not see where from. So, the bathroom may be a very real concern for some flyers, and the OP may appreciate having that info.

As far as Delta is concerned, I've only flown them once. I had to connect in Atlanta. The flight schedule changed slightly from when I originally booked, but it wasn't major and didn't cause me to have to change my flights at all. The staff was friendly and the planes were fine.

 

[seashoreCM]

Trip reports seem to mention Delta as making more schedule changes than most airlines. I don't understand why they keep doing that since after several years they should have gotten flying times down pat.

As with all airlines I strongly suggest checking your reservations frequently and, if you see a non-trivial change you don't like (or connection times that got too short), you hand pick alternate flights you would like and then telephone and request a re-change to those flights. Press for resolving that with no additional fee or fare upcharge.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

OP, I would not book a ticket split between two airlines not in the same alliance for the reasons already stated.

It's not a matter of two airlines having to be in the same alliance, such as Star Alliance, Oneworld, or SkyTeam.

It's matter of being on the same ticket. I would be perfectly happy to have a connection on a single ticket involving American Airlines and United Airlines, even though they're not in the same alliance.

But I wouldn't want separate tickets on the same day from United Airlines and US Airways, even though both are members of Star Alliance.

I think the OP wants to fly from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) to Santiago International Cibao Airport (STI) in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

I would recommend to the OP to use Hipmunk.com and/or Kayak.com to look for connections between the two. A quick look using an arbitrary date shows that Delta connects via JFK and American connects via MIA. It might be possible to save some money by trying different dates if the OP is somewhat flexible.

If the OP still wants to use two different airlines and they're not available on a single ticket, then I would recommend allowing PLENTY of time at the connecting airport to allow for schedule changes and flight delays. In any case, the OP would need to retrieve and recheck any checked bags, as well as go through security again. Also, it would mean paying luggage fees twice.

One more thought... The OP might want to consider flying to Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) or Las Américas International Airport (SDQ) instead of STI. That opens up far more flight options on more airlines. It would then be a matter of ground transportation within the Dominican Republic. Depending on where the OP needs to go in the Dominican Republic, one of these other airports could even be a more convenient option.

 

[bdklein]

Nicley put, they all stink, as does airline travel these days.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

It's not a matter of two airlines having to be in the same alliance, such as Star Alliance, Oneworld, or SkyTeam.

It's matter of being on the same ticket. I would be perfectly happy to have a connection on a single ticket involving American Airlines and United Airlines, even though they're not in the same alliance.

But I wouldn't want separate tickets on the same day from United Airlines and US Airways, even though both are members of Star Alliance.

I don't agree. If you want to buy a single ticket for two airlines not in the same alliance, they must have an interline agreement, which are directional. This means that if you are buying an AA and UA ticket for one flight, the ticket might be able to be issued by AA, but not by UA (these two airlines do have an interline agreement). If you must fly two different airlines for a single trip, it's much safe to fly two members of the same alliance, such as US Airways and UA. Then you are assured of one ticket and more options for changing flights if you miss a connection.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I don't agree. If you want to buy a single ticket for two airlines not in the same alliance, they must have an interline agreement, which are directional. This means that if you are buying an AA and UA ticket for one flight, the ticket might be able to be issued by AA, but not by UA (these two airlines do have an interline agreement). If you must fly two different airlines for a single trip, it's much safe to fly two members of the same alliance, such as US Airways and UA. Then you are assured of one ticket and more options for changing flights if you miss a connection.

Actually, you and I are in agreement that the key point is to be on a single ticket. That requires an interline agreement between the two airlines, but not necessarily that they are in the same alliance.

 

[auger]

Thanks for all of the helpful advice from everyone.
Horace Horsecollar, you questioned which airport in the DR weare flying into.
Sorry I neglected to mention that.
We need to fly from DTW Detroit Metro to SDQ Santo Domingo.
Unfortunately, due to the trip being a mission trip, we are required to fly in and out on certain days and into SDQ.
That is whey I am having so much trouble with the flights.
We have no flexibility aside from time of day.

I think I will have to confer with the other team members before I can make a call on this. I cannot book separate airlines without knowing they are all willing to take the chance.

If anyone has any oth suggestions, I am more than open to listening to them, as I feel like I am up against a wall.

Thanks again!

 

[bdklein]

Thanks for all of the helpful advice from everyone.
Horace Horsecollar, you questioned which airport in the DR weare flying into.
Sorry I neglected to mention that.
We need to fly from DTW Detroit Metro to SDQ Santo Domingo.
Unfortunately, due to the trip being a mission trip, we are required to fly in and out on certain days and into SDQ.
That is whey I am having so much trouble with the flights.
We have no flexibility aside from time of day.

I think I will have to confer with the other team members before I can make a call on this. I cannot book separate airlines without knowing they are all willing to take the chance.

If anyone has any oth suggestions, I am more than open to listening to them, as I feel like I am up against a wall.

Thanks again!

This website is really for WDW. Perhaps go to flyertalk.com

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

This website is really for WDW. Perhaps go to flyertalk.com

Technically, this particular forum is for any Transportation related to Disney Trip Planning. That also includes discussion about Disney locations other than WDW.

Okay, there's no Disney destination in the Dominican Republic. But we try to be friendly here -- although we also try not to sugar-coat reality.

Over on FlyerTalk, the participants tend to be elite frequent fliers who want to maximize their frequent flyer points and first class upgrades. The OP might be eaten alive over there.