I'm not a complainer. Seriously, I'm not that person you'll see raging in line at the DMV, demanding to speak with the manager, acting like a complete entitled and ungrateful lunactic in public or in private, for that matter. I'm the person you want to get into a fender bender with, accidentally spill an entire glass of red wine on, cut in front of while waiting in line to buy cronuts. Why? Because I'm nice. I understand there are more important things in life than a nice white shirt. I also believe in good karma. I understand that sometimes shit happens, and that you're probably just having a really bad day. This is why I wanted to share the letter I wrote to Delta with you. Sometimes, you really just want your wifi and your in-flight entertainment to work. And when it doesn't, you feel like the Clash of the Titans Kraken. You just don't come between a working Mom and her Game of Thrones. Full disclosure, I heard back from Delta two days after this was sent, and they were very kind to refund my economy comfort fee and sprinkled in some extra bonus miles to make up for my experience. You can be nice, and still get your point across. Behold, exhibit A.
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Dear Delta,
Hope this note finds you well. I am writing to share my experience and my disappointment on a recent Delta international flight from Minneapolis to Amsterdam on January 5, 2014, flight #258 where I was seated in 13G.
After paying an extra fee to enjoy the perks of economy comfort, my personal entertainment device was broken. Release the Kraken. As the mother of a two year-old who doesn’t get to the movies often, I was very much looking forward to eight and a half hours of solo flying time, where I could catch up on recent releases and work on a business presentation I needed to complete prior to landing. Its not often that I get 8 whole hours to do whatever I wish – and this day – I wanted to binge on Oscar nominated films. I was giddy with anticipation of my flight. If you have young children at home, then you can understand how a 15 minute bath at home with a glass of wine can feel like a week in Bermuda. It doesn't happen often, and as parents, we look forward to these cherished minutes of peace and quiet during our hectic, mac n cheese making, story reading, proposal pitching, diaper changing, client demanding, sing me one more song mama, day to day lives.
Not only was the entertainment system broken, but the WiFi never came online. No announcement, no apology, no attempt to move my seat. I couldn’t do work, and I was unable to watch movies. Not exactly the flying experience I was hoping to have as a Gold Medallion member, and it certainly doesn’t make me want to “climb higher” with Delta in the future. I wanted to climb into the empty first class seat so I could watch Game of Thrones instead of trying to lip read Oprah scenes from The Butler from three rows back. Between you and me, I just couldn't let go of the fact that it was Oprah, even with all of the excellent wigs and makeup.
Imagine you had planned a big party to watch the fighting irish trounce USC, only to find that comcast wasn't televising your game. No viewing party, no beer, no high fives, no love from comcast customer service who told you that they could not reboot the entire system just for you. The Kraken aint' got no time for dat.
I go out of my way to choose Delta flights whenever I travel, for business and for pleasure, expecting to receive exceptional service and to be rewarded for my loyalty. I was extremely disappointed with the amenities on my flight and the lack of attention made to try and remedy the situation. I am requesting a refund of my economy comfort fee and bonus miles for the inconvenience of traveling on Delta. While you can't give me those eight hours back, I hope you offer me some consolation so that I give Delta another try. Hard working parents deserve our 8 hours of peace and quiet in the sky – and every last pretzel crumb offered to us.
Sincerely,
13G