Tell me about flying Delta

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Chris Isaak fan
Joined
Jul 13, 2000
the best non-stop, time-wise for us is Delta out of Orlando. Never flown them. Great price, but we’ll have to pay for bags & seat selection.

Tell me it’s a good airline (we flew mostly Virgin America but since Alaska bought them, I’d have to fly to Seattle then to LA)
 
the best non-stop, time-wise for us is Delta out of Orlando. Never flown them. Great price, but we’ll have to pay for bags & seat selection.

Tell me it’s a good airline (we flew mostly Virgin America but since Alaska bought them, I’d have to fly to Seattle then to LA)
Granted, just my opinion, it's not a good airline.

Seats are crammed together.
Flight attendants (when you can flag one down) only respond with the minimum required to requests. Had one attendant who popped a soda can all over me.... response: "Here's a couple of paper towels".
They changed the actual plane (configuration) on one of our flights, and re-seated us 5 rows apart on different sides of the airplane.
No policing of the carry on requirements.
More recently, it seems that the cleaning crew isn't doing such a great job - trash in the seat back. Torn/mangled magazines. Stained headrests..


All that said, yes, we're flying with them again. Sadly, they are our only option for our next trip.
 
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We flew Delta this summer. Two flights with connections, 4 segments total.

During our flights, we didn't have any issues. Things went as expected. Flights were on time. Flight attendants and gate agents were courteous. (One of our planes could have been [a lot] cleaner, but we survived.)

The biggest issue was before the flights. We had booked, and had our seat assignments (10 of us, all seated together in adjacent seats/rows. Edited to add: We were Main Cabin). Then, at some point, Delta "changed equipment" on all four flight segments and reassigned our seats on all four flight segments. For some flights, the plane layout was still the same, so I'm not sure why they changed the seats and didn't just transfer them over. But we went from a nice little compact group, to spread all over the plane. Talking to other people, apparently this happens a LOT with Delta. I did not know. I was able to get our seat assignments changed back so that at least everyone was sitting next to SOMEONE they knew, even if we weren't all together anymore.

So, although I would fly Delta again, keep an eye on your seat assignments (you can do it through the app or through their website with your confirmation number). Just because you have seat assignments now, they might not be your seat assignments tomorrow.
 
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Delta is my airline of choice. I don't have to pay for bags though, and I always book at least Main Cabin so that I can select my seat.

I've rarely had any issue or encountered staff that was not helpful or polite. The one time I have had a serious issue was when my flight out of NYC was delayed. When I landed in Atlanta, they had already rebooked me and the app gave me additional options.
 


Delta is no better and no worse then any other US based airline. There are parts that are better, parts that are worse. More then likely they will get you to your destination on time.

Delta does micro manage their schedule. Be sure to check your itinerary every Sunday following schedule change Saturday. Better to catch issues with an equipment change and changed seats early. This micro management of the schedule can work to your advantage. If your plans change and Delta has changed your flights, even by just a few minutes, since you booked, they are VERY flexible with making changes to your flights with no fees.
 
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Delta is our preferred airlines. I do have their credit card, so we don't pay for bags. We do prefer to upgrade to the Delta Comfort seats because they are a little roomier, closer to the front of the plane and include bar drinks.

We've found their customer service to be very good. Last year I had to book DH and mine tickets as separate transactions because I was using points for one and cash for the other. I accidentally booked us on different connecting flights out of Atlanta to Orlando. I called customer service and told them what I had done. She booked him onto the flight I was on even though it should have been a little price increase and didn't charge me.
 
I’ve flown delta and it was fine. Last year when I flew, I didn’t have to pay extra to select seats. It must have been a new thing for this year. The really cheap seat option, you don’t have overhead bin space either. When I added the cost for that to the base price is was more than JetBlue.
 


Delta is currently our airline of choice. We haven’t had any major issues in the past 2 years. One time they split our seats bc some family with teenagers needed to sit in pairs :rolleyes: but they switched me from a middle seat next to DH to the aisle seat in front of him so I didn’t mind too much.

The only real drawback i can think of is if you’re used to in seat entertainment is that not all planes have it but they do offer it through an app you can download to a smart phone or tablet. It’s advised to download the app before the flight.
 
I fly Delta a lot these days. What you need to know. Get the app or go on line and check your flight once a week. They USUALLY do adjustments to their schedules/aircraft on Saturday nights, so Sunday or Monday is a good day to check. That way, if something happens you can get on it right away and get your seats adjusted or whatever.

They DO NOT charge for seat assignments unless you are seeking some special seating. DO NOT choose "Basic Economy" fares because that comes with NO ability, at any price, to choose seats...those are literally assigned when you check in, and they tell you straight up that they do not guarantee that your group will be kept together, even families. Main Cabin fares do allow you to choose seats, and as long as you aren't seeking one of the favored rows or locations, you definitely can get those with no extra fee (although this fare does cost more than Basic Economy). Depending on the difference between fares, it can be worth it to do "main cabin." If you want extra room, choose "economy comfort" which also includes beverages and "upgraded" snack options. Seats are at the front of the cabin, right behind first class.

You will pay for luggage unless you have the Delta Amex card, in which case you get one free bag per person on your itinerary. Usually, the card is "free" for the first year....if there are a number of people in your party, it can be completely worthwhile to have the card. If you fly once per year, and want to check two bags (for a group of two, for example), you would save money over the annual fee. The card also gets you "Zone 1" boarding privileges....which isn't worth a whole lot because Zone 1 comes AFTER "preboards, Premium Cabin, and their frequent flyer "Diamond, Platinum and Gold," which in some cities can be literally 1/2 the plane. LOL.

Delta does have one of the best on time records going. And, because it is a major airline, they do a better job than most at dealing with problems and getting you to your location on an alternative flight. That's one reason I like them compared to some of the smaller companies. They recover quicker.

I like them well enough. I buy main cabin fares and then watch closely when I check on my flight status (see first paragraph) to see what I'm offered to "buy" a first class upgrade. They are aggressively trying to monetize first class and have decided they would rather "sell" those seats than offer them "free" to their mega frequent flyers...which makes the frequent flyers unhappy, but that's a "them" problem. Usually for a nominal amount, you will get offered the chance to buy your way into first class. I have a number in mind for each flight I take, and if the offer hits that amount, I buy. It's a significant step up in service, leg room and comfort, not to mention completely free bags (up to two per passenger, and they can weigh 70 pounds rather than 50). You will get offered your choice of beverage while on the ground, warm towel service, choice of full meals served on china, etc. Civilized.
 
I neither understand the love nor the hate for Delta. It's a big airline and I've never really had an issue. It's not like the service has ever been mind blowing either.

I can understand issues people have with things like Southwest's boarding process or various nickel and diming by ultra-low cost airlines, but Delta?
 
We’ve flown delta twice. Vegas to LA which was fabulous and LA to San Francisco which wasn’t as good. The first plane was clean and attendants were polite etc.
Second flight was slightly larger aircraft, they changed my seat selections without telling me even after I checked in online and we were placed at the back without a window. I don’t fly well and felt really uncomfortable all the way but they wouldn’t switch them back.
TBH I think this would probably be true of most airlines these days. Both flights got us there on time and in one piece though and the fare was good
 
I just got off a Delta flight from Paris last night at 10pm in Atlanta. No worries and it is my airline of choice. You should only have to pay for a seat selection if you choose, I believe, basic economy (which I never do). On domestic flights, you do have to pay for a checked bag unless you have status or a Delta VISA.

In my opinion, their service has gotten much better over the years.

However, I live in Atlanta and they dominate the market and I fly a bit for work too.
 
Love delta - we always fly comfort plus Andy usually if there is room due to dh being military we are given a 1st class upgrade for free
 
Delta is my airline of choice. PP covered a lot of the issues, but one thing I didn't see mentioned is many of their planes (not just the large ones) have wifi on board for an additional charge. At least some planes also have an on board media server via GoGo Entertainment. So you download the app (can be done before you leave home), join the plane's wifi (once they reach 10K feet), then run the app and watch movies and TV shows (large selection too). Some of their larger aircraft have power outlets (120V as well as USB) at every seat.

Snacks (soda/juice/water and cookies or pretzels) are free.

As far as customer service, I have two stories...
We were flying back from Europe and on the last leg that left Atlanta at 10:30p(?) at night to arrive at our home airport around midnight (last flight in of the night). DS had fallen asleep on the plane and while he was asleep his phone fell out of his pocket. We couldn't find it when we were gathering everything up and once all the passengers emptied, the FAs helped up look for the phone, crawling on the floor with flashlights and pulling up seat cushions. They could have rushed us off the plane (they would go off duty when we left), but they were more than helpful. We couldn't find the phone that night. It turns out a fellow passenger had found the phone (it apparently slid up a number of rows on the descent) and we got it back the next day.

When my dad was nearing the end of his life, the family was called down to Florida to be there. We booked flights from Sun-Wed. Unfortunately, he passed while we were going through TSA on Sunday. My mom told us (me and DW) there was no sense us staying until Wednesday, so I called Delta to see what it would take to change our flights (normally a $200pp fee + ticket change). They changed us to fly out to Tuesday with no charge.

The bad...
As mentioned, keep an eye on your seat assignments and flight times. It is more likely than not Delta will make a change affecting one or the other. The flight time changes can work for you though. If you departure or arrival time changes by more than an hour, you can call Delta and change to any flight that day arriving/departing from your original airports (obviously as long as there's space on the plane). Find a flight that works for you before calling Delta.

If you're connecting through Atlanta, make sure you have enough time for your travelling party to make the connection. The minimum is 35 minutes, but that might not be enough for you. I've done a concourse change in 5 minutes, but that was just me and I was close to the central hub.
 
Never had a problem flying Delta. Seats seem a bit more cramped than JetBlue, who we fly a lot, but other than that they’ve been OK.
 
Always had a good experience with Delta. They are very organized, flights typically leave on time and never had any issues. While larger airports may result in needing more time to get to a connecting flight, I have never found any airline who doesn't leave enough time between scheduled flights. I have been on flights where they hold the connecting flight(s) if we arrive late due to weather, since it was obviously beyond the control of the passengers.
 
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Always had a good experience with Delta. They are very organized, flights typically leave on time and never had any issues. While larger airports may result in needing more time to get to a connecting flight, I have never found any airline who doesn't leave enough time between scheduled flights. I have been on flights where they hold the connecting flight(s) if we arrive late due to weather, since it was obviously beyond the control of the passengers.
Do NOT count on the bolded. Three stories with trips on Delta...
1) Flying from Little Rock to Lexington, KY via Cincinnati. Delayed out of Little Rock because they had to deice the plane. Get to Cincinnati, deplane, sprint to the bus (connecting flight was in another terminal), sprint to the gate and they had closed the boarding door (plane was still at the gate). They wouldn't reopen the door, and I had a 3 hour wait for the next flight (it's < 90 minute drive between Cinci & Lex).
2) Flying from Vegas to Lexington via Atlanta. Delayed out of Vegas because of a mechanical issue. Deplaned, changed concourses, got to the gate and boarded the connecting flight and they started pushback while I was still walking to my seat... 5 minutes before the scheduled departure time.
3) Flying from Lexington to Barcelona via Detroit. Plane late getting into the Lexington. Enough that we (party of three) and others travelling with us (another party of three) were talking to the gate agent about alternative flights. There was NO availability for three days. Our plane shows up, we get to Detroit and have 10 minutes to make our connecting flight. They refused to hold the connecting flight (even though they knew we had landed in Detroit). One of the other party actually ran PAST the connecting gate and had to be tracked down.
 

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