conSARN it!

So. This feels familiar. I'm stuck in a random hotel at the halfway mark going to my vacation destination. Only this time it's not in oh-cool-we-got-stuck-in-exotic Dubai, but reminding-me-angrily-of-work Atlanta.

You all probably know that I am not an inexperienced traveler, and that I can say this with some sound statistically sampling behind it: Delta has the worst customer service EVER. Of ANY company, as far as I can tell, too.

First off, my flight from grand rapids was about an hour late. With about an hour and twenty minutes connection time in atlanta, I was rightly concerned, so I asked what I should do. "oh, just go on and they'll take care of you when you get to atlanta," was the basic reply.

I run to the train in atl, i run off the train, I knock old people out of my way I rush so hard (ok not really, but you get the idea). I get to the gate with 10 minutes before the departure time. "Great!" I think, "I've made tighter connections, I made it!"

but no. Upon closer inspection, I see another passenger at the counter having a very heated arguement with the airline person. Actually, it was more one-sided than that. The airline guy just kept repeating that he already shut the door, no you can't go in. I have gone in several times with this exact situation previously, but those gate attendants were much more reasonable than this guy. My dad said that they do this when they've overbooked and don't want to offer vouchers, so they shut the door as soon as they can when the plane is full. So we got jacked, basically.

So I waited in line for over 3 hours (NOT an exaggeration) to see a customer service person. The one on the phone I talked to (you didn't think I'd just stand there, did you?) said that the best she could do for me was - now get this - THURSDAY. If today was wednesday, that might be ok. BUT IT'S NOT! It is Monday. So not a reasonable response. The real live actual person I talked to got me in tomorrow, with another connection. Houston this time.

But the part that bothers me the most? No information changed after I got on the first flight in grand rapids, where i first expressed concern about my connection. If they had been thinking about me when I asked them what I should do, they would have said that i will end up having to stay in atlanta tonight, no matter what. They had all that information then: when my estimated landing was after the delay, the on-time status and overbooking of the second flight, everything.

And I'm still paying for my own stupid hotel room.

On a funnier note: I called a former coworker (the one who lives in atlanta) to see if he was around tonight, and it turns out we were actually in the airport at the same time, but just missed each other. He was stuck there for about 4 hours as well, but got on his flight just before I got in the line.

Man I don't miss that job one bit.

Unrelated note: I wrote this whole post from my phone. Awesome, huh?