Prescription Suitcase

I didn’t always love Delta. Part of the reason was because Atlanta is one of their major hubs, and I detest the Atlanta airport with a passion. As my mom always used to say, “Even if you’re going to hell, you have to change planes in Atlanta.” I’d always take her one step further and say that if you’re on your way to hell, then Atlanta must be purgatory.

For years, I steered clear of Delta. I lived in Pennsylvania for a long time and as a result became pretty loyal to USAirways. That loyalty continued when I moved to the south and started flying through Charlotte on a regular basis (another USAirways hub.) Then, when making travel arrangements for a consulting gig in West Palm Beach a few weeks ago, I found that the only flight that was going to work for me in terms of schedule and price was on Delta, with a connection in Atlanta. With a heavy sigh and gritted teeth, I bought the ticket.

Delta recently emerged from bankruptcy and is clearly trying to turn over a new leaf. Their employees have snappy new uniforms, the logo’s been overhauled, and they’re freshening things up right and left. When I flew to West Palm Beach, I noted that the cabin crew seemed to strike the right balance between firm (asking people to stow their bags and be seated quickly in order to prevent jetway traffic jams and ensure an on-time departure) and friendly (a flight attendant striking up a conversation with me as we waited to de-plane.) In addition, Delta’s in-flight snacks are far and away the best treats you can get these days without paying an extra $4 or $5. You actually get a choice — there are Sun Chips, cheese and crackers, biscotti, granola bars, and that air travel standby, peanuts. It’s not the same as those in-flight meals of yesteryear (which I never thought were that good anyway) but it’s nice to get something besides a few crumbled pretzels to go with your beverage.Since it was a flight to West Palm Beach, a large proportion of the passengers on board were somewhat elderly. One elderly woman who had made her way to the back of the plane to use the lavatory was scared to walk back to her seat because of some turbulence that had arisen. The same flight attendant who later chatted with me offered the passenger her arm and walked her back to her seat so she wouldn’t fall if the plane hit a few bumps. In a day and age when most flight attendants are indifferent at best and downright surly at worst, her gesture of kindness was a very refreshing thing to see.

The best part of the experience, though, was when my return flight was delayed.

“Come again?” I can hear you saying in disbelief.

Yes, you read that right. The best part of my experience with Delta was when my return flight from West Palm Beach was delayed. I’d arrived at the airport well ahead of my departure time (somewhere between 90 minutes and 2 hours early) and was in the process of checking my suitcase and printing boarding passes when the ticket kiosk displayed a message that no traveler likes to see: “There is an irregularity with this flight. Please see a Delta agent for assistance.” The ticketing agent who came over to assist me quickly explained that the ominous-yet-cryptic message just meant that there was most likely a delay. He confirmed this, and informed me that my flight to Atlanta was so late (it was arriving from Boston) that I would most likely miss my connection in Atlanta and be stuck there overnight. Without me having to say a word, he started checking into all of my options.

The first option was to jump on an earlier flight, as there was one boarding at that very moment. Unfortunately, there were too many people ahead of me on the standby list, and the Delta agent was worried that my suitcase wouldn’t make it onto the plane in time even if I could get a seat. The agent then mentioned that my original flight had experienced a similar delay just a week or so before, and that in that instance they’d been able to get another aircraft and another crew and keep the flight on schedule. Before re-booking me, he said he would check to see if there was a possibility they might do that again. Unfortunately, he learned, it wasn’t going to happen this week, because the crew on the plane from Boston needed to be in Atlanta that night. After checking one more time to see if the standby list was shortening for the earlier flight (it wasn’t) he offered to rebook me on the first flight out in the morning. It was a nice early flight that would have me home before lunch, so I readily agreed. He issued the tickets, apologized for the inconvenience, and made sure I knew how to get downstairs to the baggage claim area so I could get a cab.

It was the nicest, most relaxing flight delay I have ever experienced. Not two weeks earlier, I’d run into a nearly identical situation with USAirways, and the contrast between the way they handled it (basically doing jack squat to help me and leaving me stuck in Charlotte without my suitcase) and the way Delta did was like night and day. Because of the Delta agent’s proactive approach and willingness to explore all the options, the inconvenience registered as a minor blip. I was able to keep my luggage, book a hotel room near the airport, and get a full night’s rest before heading home the next morning.

As for the Atlanta airport, it’s still a lot like purgatory, but my newfound appreciation for Delta Airlines has made it more bearable. I’m going through there again this weekend!