Coincidentally, Delta emailed Teresa an apology the same day we posted her complaint that the airline threatened to cancel its flight if enough passengers didn’t take its offer to bump them to a later flight. This after Delta had changed her itinerary without notice.

The letter:

Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding the service provided while traveling with your sister. On behalf of everyone at Delta Air Lines, I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused due to last minute schedule change and poorly handling the rebooking issue by our staff.

I am truly sorry you did not receive notification of the schedule change associated with your travel and clearly understand your frustration. I certainly understand that you were traveling with your sister to attend a family gathering. You got to on time at the airport only to find that you were rescheduled to a different flight with no notification. Feedback like you have provided will help us to improve our overall customer experience.

Similarly, after reading your comments, I certainly understand why you wanted to bring this matter to our attention. I am disheartened to know that after boarding the plane and waiting to leave the staff made announcement that four people had to get off the plane right now and “volunteer” to take the vouchers and overnight stay or this plane will not leave. I recognize that threatening the passengers is indeed inappropriate and realize that overbooking problem should be handled with more grace and understanding. We expect our employees to be helpful and professional at all times. I am truly sorry you did not receive the service you expected and should have received. Feedback like yours will help us to improve our in-flight processes and customer experience. I will be sharing your comments with our In-flight leadership team for internal follow up.

As a gesture of apology for the inconvenience caused due to last minute schedule change and poorly handling the rebooking issue by our staff, I have issued an Electronic Transportation Credit Voucher (eTCV) in the amount of $50.00 to you and your sister. Please note the voucher number and associated Terms and Conditions will be arriving in a separate email. Please keep the voucher number and the Terms and Conditions since the number is required for redemption. It is also important for me to mention that no charge is assessed for reservations confirmed online at delta.com.

Ms. Fogard, I hope I have been able to resolve any concerns you have about our service. Good customer service is the key to keep our customers happy, please accept our apology for the unfavorable impression you received in this instance. We thank you for taking the time to bring this disappointing experience to our attention. As a loyal SkyMiles member your business is important to us and given the opportunity of serving you in the future, I am confident Delta will not only meet but exceed your expectations.

Sincerely,

Tom P. Smith
Coordinator
Customer Care

Teresa had vowed to never fly Delta again. Perhaps this overture will get her to change her mind. Whatever the case, the kind move certainly has a better chance of working than a threat.

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