A long-time reader shared their experience flying Delta this past weekend from Dallas to Detroit. They’re a Diamond Medallion member, and they were flying on a paid first class ticket. When they boarded the narrowbody jet, they discovered that their seat had no tray table. It was missing, “so I can’t eat, drink or do work with my computer.”
In his opinion, he should have been given another seat in the cabin. There was one passenger upgraded at the gate. That shouldn’t have happened. The tray table was taped off, so Delta was aware of the issue prior to boarding. And he thought – and asked a flight attendant – maybe this could be addressed?
Flight attendants agreed with me but the gate agent wouldn’t call maintenance or hold the flight for it to be fixed. I asked for a red jacket. He refused to downgrade the one passenger who got a complimentary upgrade and put me in that seat.
Delta ‘red coats’ are elite customer service agents distinguished by their red jackets. They are trained to handle complex passenger issues, including rebooking flights, issuing compensation, and providing assistance to passengers with disabilities.
And, the passenger shared, the red coat made clear that Delta policy “is that [a passenger is] entitled to a seat, not a tray table and not anything else.”
So what should have happened?
- Delta should have dealt with this prior to boarding
- They could have taken the seat out of service (and reassigned the affected passenger to the remaining open seat)
- Or they could have offered the tray-less seat as an upgrade under less than ideal conditions, letting the customer being upgraded know about its condition and being given a choice as to whether to accept it or not.
But Delta isn’t going to just offload the passenger that received the first class upgrade. Once seated, there are Devid Dao rules about that. However, airlines do have involuntary downgrade procedures because it’s possible an agent makes a mistake and upgrades someone in error or passengers board and find that a seat is in a condition where the airline isn’t permitted to have someone fly in it.
The real issue here is that airlines advertise a specific product, but in their fine print only promise transportation. They sell customers something better than standard coach. Delta in particular sells themselves as ‘premium’.
However, when the airline fails to deliver they say they owe you nothing because they transported you. For instance, first class promises a meal (on flights over a certain length). American Airlines has said they don’t actually have to provide it. When a customer complained that their flight didn’t get the promised meal in first class, American said “Our ticket price reflects the cost of transportation. Any meals and snacks served on our flights are considered complimentary conveniences.”
It’s like the eBay seller that promises something they aren’t allowed to sell, but claims they’re really only selling “a white envelope” and the contents of that envelope are just a free gift.
People often blame deregulation for problems with airlines, but that misunderstands the issue. Many problems actually stem from the Airline Deregulation Act itself, but it’s not lack of rules in the industry. Airlines are one of the most heavily regulated industries in the country.
Unfortunately, the Supreme Court has interpreted the Airline Deregulation Act’s pre-emption of state-level regulation of schedules and pricing to also mean that most common law tort claims against airlines are pre-empted as well.
While myriad federal rules for airlines have largely grown over the past 46 years, regulation via tort is lacking. Customers have a much harder time suing an airline. Airlines are no longer subject to common law duties of good faith and fair dealing.
Why should the airlines have to obey the same Laws as the Public , our police don’t have to obey the same laws as the public.. Face it , Gov employees and big corps like meta , airlines, google, at&t , ect are not governed by the same laws as the private sector.. End Affirmative Action Hiring ASAP. It will take 50+ years to repair the damage of that experiment.
We haven’t lost our compass. Unregulated orporations with no competition have stuck ot in our back.
The airlines really don’t care about the comfort if their passengers. Years ago, I purchased a business class seat on an international overnight flight on United. My seat didn’t recline and they knew about it beforehand. My only option was to fly the next day and miss the business meeting that I was leading. I complained (nicely) to United when I returned. They responded that they were sorry the flight didn’t meet our mutual expectations. I was gold premier. They didn’t offer any discount on future flights or any perk whatsoever. So, I took $100,000 of future business and booked it on other airlines.
I’m sure this passenger was compensated. This is as minor a problem as the TV not working. Don’t cost 150 people a delay bc one person upgraded to first class has to put their drink on the side vs. in front. You’re literally flying across the world for an absurdly cheap price. Hold a cup.
Delta flew from Sydney New York recently. Absolutely the worst airline that I have ever experienced. No menu’s, crap in-flight entertainment. Terrible service. Dirty, worn interiors. Never ever again. Complete crap.
I use to love to fly when they had real airplanes not cattle cars. But millions of people accept it so they get bigger cattle cars to shove more cattle into with less respect. You accepted being treated like that. Find a different way.
This is petty by the complainer…I’ve flown all my life. I can deal without a tray table for two hours on that short flight.
Maybe the tray wasn’t available…maybe keeping the schedule is more important and not being hours late…maybe whatever. Maybe raising a huge fuss and being a dick turned the gate agents off to further helping. Take a 200 voucher, smile and hold the drink on the armrest portion that holds drinks.
I thought Delta was better than that. Forget complaining about the stupid tray table… the real problem here was the Red Coat. The passenger should have raised holy heck complaining about this guy.
But he can always send copies of that $10K in tickets to the CEO of Delta and tell him what he can do with them
And that’s what’s called
“The Delta Difference”
I agree the passenger with the complimentary upgrade should have gotten the seat with no tray table. They could have told that passenger they were assigned the wrong 1st class seat and the pompous diamond member would have been satisfied instead of airing this publicly. Delta is still the most accommodating airline I’ve had the pleasure of flying with and if they really that disgruntled fly another airline. We won’t miss you.
I’m sorry this happened. I wish life was always fair. But that is not the issue in this case. I didn’t hear about time or money involved. I betting that the staff and crew were trying for a on time departure. And the customer was looking for any seat with a tray table. If someone was willing to move. If asked by a flight attendant. I’m sure it would have happened. All party’s involved would have been just fine. I see the inop sticker posted. No tray table available in this seat. Hopefully Delta will continue safe quality service to millions of customers. To the customer. I hope your future flights are issue free. And safe travels on any airlines you choose.
What a bunch of spoiled ass people. So your damn tray table wasn’t there, big deal. Pretty selfish to want the plane to be delayed causing everyone else on board and future flights to fall behind over a damn trey table
As I read an article regarding the broken or missing tray tables in the first-class cabin of Delta Air Lines, a popup ad appeared soliciting donations for desks for students in Malawi. In Malawi, over half of all classrooms need desks and chairs. Thank you, Delta Air Lines, for providing first-class passengers with a glimpse into the Malawi experience, allowing premium travelers to work and dine without the convenience of a tray table and no assistance from Delta Air Lines red coat supervisory personnel. Delta policy “is that [a passenger is] entitled to a seat, not a tray table and not anything else.”
Below is the information from the popup ad.
Empowering Education in Malawi: The K.I.N.D. (Kids in Need of Desks) Fund
Education is transformative, yet many children in Malawi face daily barriers that make learning a challenge. The K.I.N.D. (Kids in Need of Desks) Fund, a long-standing partnership between UNICEF USA and MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell, addresses these obstacles by equipping classrooms with desks and offering scholarships to Malawian girls. Since its launch in 2010, the program has delivered over 385,000 desks to primary students, reaching more than 1.5 million learners. It has also supported nearly 28,650 schoolgirls with scholarships to complete their secondary education. Join us, and you can help students in Malawi learn, thrive and pursue their dreams.
Desks Transform the Learning Environment
In Malawi, over half of all students’ classrooms have no desks or chairs. Children learn sitting on the floor, struggling to concentrate, write legibly and participate, which is especially tough for girls, who often skip school during their periods rather than sit on the classroom floor. K.I.N.D. desks, which come with attached seating, make all the difference. Schools report increased attendance, higher retention among girls and improved participation. Donate today to support even more eager learners.
$113 can provide a school desk for 2 to 3 students
$452 can provide school desks for 8 to 12 students
$3,390 can provide desks for an entire classroom of students
$33,900 can provide 300 desks for an entire school
Doesn’t surprise me in the least. To see the way Delta deals with their passengers overall, especially in their corporate home of Atlanta, it is increasingly apparent that they’ve totally lost the “family” image they’ve tried so hard to project.
I’m torn between a valid claim not so dissimilar to many other passengers in not so similar categories.
Yes it’s a valid complaint but the “how could this happen to me, don’t they know who I am” tone is a bit off putting.
What a first world problem!
Yeah, it is inconvenient, but forcing someone else out of their seat? The seat works, a tray table is a luxury. Flying first class is a luxury.
As a mechanic, it would have delayed the flight by an hour or more to fix it, so the protocol is, deffer it and fly on.
This dude wasn’t the only person on the plane and sounds remember that.
Just another reason I will not cross ontona Delta Plane their flight attendants are bad enough.
I had been buying business class on American Airlines and found the perks to be inconsistent and unpredictable. Last week I booked Frontier “upfront plus” for a third of American’s price and got every perk except the spotty drink and food service.
I am surprised by this I once flew on delta from last Vegas Nevada to Miami FL with my husband and we were first class passengers that although our seats were purchased together, we were sat apart because their was an issue that is what the stewardess told us that one of our chairs was malfunctioning and that their were no other chairs together in first class so we had a choice of missing our, and flying out the next morning but she could not guarantee that there would be two chairs together in that flight because she was only the stewardess on this flight not the airport reservations specialist and the she could not delay the flight because she had other passengers to assist imagine my shock and dismay I looked at my husband for guidance and he said let’s just go with whatever this young lady has for us well she sat my husband in the middle of the plain in in a middle seat seat in coach and I got sat in the back of the plain coach across from one of those bathrooms horrible absolutely horrible and when I called the next day and complained to delta I was told we’ll your flight went well and you arrived safely what more could you possibly want and then she hung up on me I decided that day I would never fly Delta again and I have not and never will!
This same issue happened to me on Delta First Class. The flight attendants did not care. My husband swapped seats with me so I could have his tray and he had his meal etc on his lap. This was a special trip for us as I was pregnant with my first and travelling to tell my parents. Instead of being a positive experience, it was stressful and completely not worth the extra cost. The only benefit is I had extra room to deal with my nausea. The flight attendants didn’t even clear the garbage away timely, preferring to leave it on the table/my husband’s lap and chat instead. It was vile encounter indeed.
That’s Delta. I flied in domestic premium class in Delta, the overhead bin indicates it’s for premium class passengers but the flight attendant put in a oversized luggage and damaged my camera. He told me that you can check your camera now during the boarding, and I couldn’t find out the DSLR lenses has lost focus and light detection. After complaint to Delta, they told me that they can’t control what passengers did. (As a matter of fact, Delta’s flight attendant broke my DSLR lenses…) I never fly Delta and I think it is one of my best decision ever since I later didn’t encounter this kind of issue ever in about 40 flights in 2 years.
I contacted Delta about seats in Delta one class. The seats were marked not available and I wanted to know why. The agent I messaged with told me there was no stowage for those seats. I told him did not need and asked the cost. He told me there was no cost and upgraded our seats. When arriving at the airport we were told that was an error and even though I had a print out of the conversation they would not honor it and asked that we pay 10K for the seats. We refused a d asked for original seats in comfort+ but we were told they were now full and if we wanted to go home from Australia we would have to fly in main. We did because we were also told there were no seats until 3 days and any expense was our problem. Oh I should .mention the Delta one seats we showed to be in were sold to.others.
Just flew from Ontario CA back to Atlanta. Sat in row 26. C, the move screen pops up from between the seat, the swivel
Is broker and they use masking tape to hold together. Low budget, most airline use duck tape!!!
So this is how you fix these losers. If, your smart customers. U stop flying on these unfair airlines. You are their paycheck. Without your buisness. They don’t stay in buisness. They will have to change. Or, they go out of buisness. But enough have to stand up for what’s right. For change to happen. Most r lazy nowadays to see or make change happen. Too many losers in the world nowadays. If more were like me. The world would be a better place. Lawless authority wouldn’t exist.
if, I was in charge.
Unfair & crooked companies.
Wouldn’t, exist either.
But if you rather complain then fix the problems. I can’t help you.
Some things u can’t fix alone.
This, is one of them.
Tell president Trump to fix garbage companies like this too. Make unfair buisness practices be illegal.
I was diamond status for delta these last nine years. However , I rarely was bumped up the first class the last 3 years, which was a key perk. Since service has been declining as well as Delta’s loyalty to me, I now shop for cheapest first class. That has saved me over $6k this year alone and enjoyed different flights. I also cancel my delta card and use my bank card for club access.
I’ve experienced broken seats, lavs not working, and frozen meals. Concerned about the rest of flight program
Typical entitled American.
I totally agree with Jodie.
Governor JB Pritzker’s Grandfather demolishes an entire turkey for Thanksgiving, mid-flight. 11/21/1949-New York, NY: The remains of what once was a succulent pre-Thanksgiving turkey rests against the well-stuffed frame of Charlie Black of New York, who had himself a feast on an airliner. Now he’s looking forward to a Thanksgiving dinner.
In the picture, the dinner tray appears to be resting directly on his lap.
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/the-remains-of-what-once-was-a-succulent-pre-thanksgiving-news-photo/514870386
The remains of what once was a succulent pre-Thanksgiving turkey rests against the well-stuffed frame of Charlie Black of New York, who had himself a feast on an airliner. Now he’s looking forward to a Thanksgiving dinner. November 21, 1949. Photograph by Bettmann/Corbis.
As a frequent flier, sure this could have been handled differently, but some people just need to get over it. Ask for a pillow to prop up your laptop, it’s a narrow body flight so most likely short. Just the way this was written makes me assume that the complaintent is probably not an easy person to work with. I can’t imagine dwelling on this enough to even contemplate an article
@bill ganas – what does Affirmative Action have to do with anything? Its amazing how you take an airline/travel issue and turn it into an attack on something totally unrelated? Get a grip.
@Gary Leff: Your article headline, “Delta’s ‘Premium’ Promise Falls Apart: First Class Passenger Told “You’re Entitled to a Seat, Not a Tray Table,” is absolutely accurate. In instances of mechanical failure, Delta Air Lines may offer complimentary ground transportation to the destination airport when a flight is significantly delayed, canceled, or misconnected, provided Delta is responsible for the situation. For those unfortunate passengers, I would expect the headline to read, “Delta’s ‘Premium’ Promise Falls Apart: First Class Passenger Told “You’re Entitled to a Seat (on a bus), Not a Seat in an Aircraft.”
Are you such a cry baby that you can’t handle not having a tray table from Dallas to Detroit? And then how much time do you spend complaining about it? Get a life man.