I'm a Platinum Medallion member of Delta Airlines. It took 5 hours to get to customer service...

[brooklynite]

They said they're massively understaffed. Call center personnel were laid off last August when nobody was flying, now they have to re-hire and train everybody again.

Same situation exists with pilots. After being furloughed, they have to be re-qualified by FAA.

[marble falls]

1. Rank has it's privilege. Aren't you glad you upgraded from Gold Medallion?

[brooklynite]

4. Actually, no...

Delta just extended everyone's existing status for another year. Given the limited amount of flying I'm doing (none in the last year), I'd be happy with Gold, and holding on to 25,000 miles I could use in 2023.

[marble falls]

8. I gave up flying right after Sept 11. Everyone thinks it's about terroism or flying ...

... but all about airports. I flew one of the last flights before W shut down the air for a month. I hated the airport experience even before Sept 11.

[mountain grammy]

11. Completely agree

It’s the airports. The little ones are ok. Flew in and out of Midland/Odessa a lot 10 years ago. Nice little airport back then.

[Klaralven]

15. I loved small airports

Back in the day, you could drop the rental in a lot by the door, walk inside and drop the keys, walk directly to the gate, check in and board.

Didn't keep count, but I probably took about a thousand flights over 40 years. Maybe 10 in the last 10 years.

Given current collaboration technology, at least 2/3 of those flights would be totally unnecessary.

[marble falls]

21. My favorite one was Pilgrim Airlines in New London Conneticut. The guy who sold my tickets ...

... put on a jacket and moved the luggage, put on a hat and flew the plane, a two engined 20 passenger VSTOL(very short takeoff or landing) plane. My first time on a plane that rotated its wings for take off and landing. Very disconcerting to see while in the air the first time.

[brooklynite]

14. I love flying...

With Global Entry/pre-Check, I can scoot through easily.

I've been on some incredible trips since 9/11.

[marble falls]

18. When getting to the airport and all the early crap and everything else and then it's reverse ... ..

... process getting out lasts longer than a flight half across the US, there's something totally screwed up with flying. We won't even add the morons who also fly or those who make up the TSA.

I've had some amazing experiences driving to Oregon, Ohio, and Phoenix. Actually got to see things up close and eat at some awfully good road food. Actually talked with a lot of people.

[brooklynite]

22. But it doesn't...

Takes me max of 10 minutes to get through security, and (with carry on luggage) five minutes to clear customs.

[marble falls]

24. International flights are more efficient for a ton of reasons. Most flights are not international ..

... for a ton of reasons, and the airport experience is terrible. I find I enjoy driving and getting to see things and talking to locals over coffee, at produce stands, local museums and attractions an enjoyable part of the trip.

[brooklynite]

25. I don't have the patience for driving for than four hours.

[George II]

30. I flew a lot for work around the time Reagan fired all the traffic controllers. It was worse than..

...after September 11. They would load all the planes almost on-time and then taxi out to a holding area, where we sat for hours. They needed the gates for arriving flights which is why they did that.

Planes were only allowed to take off every 10 or 15 minutes (maybe longer), and since I generally flew between LaGuardia and O'Hare, there was a LOT of traffic and long backlogs.

[marble falls]

32. That was about the time I started hating flying. He also in a very low keyed manner, eliminated ...

... the Sky Marshals. A very terrible idea that demonstrated how bad it was 20 years later.

[HipChick]

36. Delta are also re-activating Reclaim My Status

I started one last year, but didn't get to finish, as I stopped flying for a bit

Folks who able to reach half their medallion status requirements in a short time...

I saw like a 2-3 screen upgrade list last week for First Class

[NurseJackie]

16. Perfect!

[George II]

31. It's not just rank, there are "intangibles", too. My wife and I were returning from Florida.....

....about 10 years ago. We were on the usual line waiting to be screened. A TSA guy tapped my wife on the shoulder and moved her over to the "medallion" line or whatever they called it and she was whisked through while I was left standing on the regular line without my shoes on.

But she's a lot hotter than I am!!! Plus, she wound up going through accelerated screening next to Senator Cory Booker. Maybe it was his idea?

To this day she STILL taunts me about it.

[marble falls]

35. There is that. On the Gold Level the celebrity would have been Pia Zadora.

[Marrah_Goodman]

2. Delta gave a huge number of people early retirement during Covid

My bf worked for them for over 40 years. He got a good retirement package. I can completely understand them being understaffed. it's going to take a while to get back up to good levels.

[dflprincess]

3. I tried calling them last week

and noticed they no longer give you the option of someone calling you back when it's your turn. It was a two hour wait when I called. I gave up but finally figured out how to do what I needed on line.

[brooklynite]

5. I got a callback option...

They announced that they're redesigning the calling system; might have an impact.

[dflprincess]

6. I did get the redesign comment

And thought that might be it. Good to know they haven't done away with the option.

[spinbaby]

19. You can't do everything online

I had to call last spring to book a KLM connection that was consistently returning error messages when I attempted it online.

[zuul]

7. The rental car companies are understaffed too.

Lots of folks in upper management and entry-level positions left the industry and had to move on to something else.

I blame TFG.

[FBaggins]

20. Understaffed and under supplied

They sold off much of their inventory during the pandemic

[cinematicdiversions]

9. I blame the Delta virus. NT.

[George II]

29. Because of that I'll never fly Delta again.

[7wo7rees]

10. Gosh Chris, that is just awful..

[NurseJackie]

42. That was very naughty...

[royable]

12. In May I needed to reach Delta customer service. 4 hours on the phone got me nowhere

and I had to give up and go to bed. The looping phone message had kept pushing the Delta app for faster service. People posting online said you could text customer service via the Delta app. So I tried that the next day, and it still took me over 10 hours to get through, with automated messages coming back at me every hour or so asking if I was still there, ready to cut me off it I didn't reply by saying "YES!"
Amazingly, when someone finally communicated with me after 10 hours, he was able to handle the complicated situation well, and to my satisfaction, in just a few minutes. I'd had a long document prepared, explaining my situation, which I texted to him to get him up to speed once he picked up my case.
If they're down to five hours now, perhaps things are slowly getting better.

[BannonsLiver]

13. I've had good luck with their callback feature.

[lapucelle]

17. I get immediate service, but I'm a Black Label Set member.

My experience has been that "platinum status" is often more aspirational than meaningful or useful. It's the same with Amex platinum cards versus the black card.

[brooklynite]

23. In the past Platinum had its own call-in line...never waited more than a minute.

[marble falls]

26. On the Magenta Flocked Velvet card, they anticipate your problems by automatically booking ...

... you on another airline.

[lapucelle]

27. ...

[NurseJackie]

28. Haaaa!

[malaise]

33. ROFL

[marble falls]

37. Hey!

[malaise]

34. ROFL

[marble falls]

38. See: https://democraticunderground.com/100215697428#post37

[malaise]

39. Now I'm really

[marble falls]

41. I live each day looking for it!!!