Delta Airlines just asked me how I felt about my recent experience flying with them. Here is a selected response I gave to one of their questions.

The agent was incredibly rude to me despite the small number of people in the que at this rural airport; which I always fly out of because of it's close proximity to my residence and many conveniences offered. I had my delta confirmation number but the automated check in machine did not recognize it. It would not read my credit cards, and the various functions took ages to use. Every part of my check in experience was loathsome. The flight left the TRI Airport so late, that it left me fifteen minutes to make it from terminal D to terminal B in Atlanta. That may sound fine in a corporate accounting office, but in the real world it is a hateful experience. I am a 6'4 230lb twenty three year old male in the prime of his life who happened to be laden a samsonite "carry on", and a Camera Bag "personal item" as I am a 35mm film photographer. With these fifty pounds of extra gear on my frame and my size thirteen boots clicking madly as I dashed through Atlanta I made an interesting spectacle. I made my connecting flight as they were closing the door to the aircraft. I avoided the stares of many dozens of people who were watching "that guy" with great interest. I happened to be "that guy", the bloke who enters the aircraft last huffing, and red faced wearing sweat soaked clothing. I took my seat while the aircraft continued to sit at the gate unmoving... For the next hour. Gee, wonderful thing I sprinted to make the flight eh mates? I'm sure everyone enjoyed the pungent odor of my exhaustion while the air con failed to function for our hour delay. I am not/did not take the return portion of my trip with Delta because I had to rush home to my farm in Tennessee for an emergency during my stay in New York. I instead flew with U.S. airways out of MacAurthur airport in Islip, on a double connection through D.C. To Charlotte/Douglass, ending at TRI airport in Tennessee. Every part of my U.S. airways flight was smashing. My experience with them was so lovely I signed up for their credit card. Would I love I refund from Delta? absolutely. Do I expect any form of compensation for the hardship of delayed flights and nearly missed connecting flights manned by a surly staff? Not at all. Please feel free to fact check any part of my story as the details are very accurate. Want to know another joyous fact? I remember a time when I bought some Delta Common Stock several years back. My experience with that was total **** too.

Sorry about your experience with them. I've been told they were pretty good. After my dealings with Southwest I will never fly again... It was nice to get to the destination in a couple hours... but the pain, embarrassment and other things on the way home far outstripped any benefits of flight in my experience... hopefully they'll improve at some point... I doubt it...but it's a hope of mine..

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hum.....
1987 300TD 311,000M Stolen. Presumed destroyed

I stopped flying US airlines entirely. Why? They suck. Period.

You carry-on 50 lbs of gear??? That's just so wrong. I can't stand those people who stuff up the overhead ....

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I try to avoid flying commercial*, but sometimes I have to for one of my jobs. Alaska Airlines is the best in my experience. Delta has generally been the worst.

*Flying military is way better. You do have to hump your own baggage to the plane, and the in flight accommodations aren't the most plush, but you get to bring your M4. Also hugging the terrain in a Blackhawk with all the doors open is plain awesome.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

Delta provides only one benefit:

The maintenance on the aircraft and engines is reasonably rigorous and the machine will probably make it to your destination.

However, do not even think that it will make it to your destination on any kind of a schedule.

Delta now reminds me of the old Western Airlines, now absorbed by Delta. If you got there the same day, you were doing well.

Here's a test for anyone who flies fairly frequently:

Delta flies 757's nonstop every hour from NYC to Atlanta.............both directions. They begin at 6:00 a.m. and end at 9:00 p.m. from NY. 16 departures. How many round trips can ONE AIRCRAFT make between the two cities? Now, before you answer, consider that Delta can't do a damn thing without taking forever to do it.

And people wonder why my family and I sail overseas most of the time.

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............probably get there faster...........

Yeah, and no TSA perverts getting their jollies looking at my daughter.

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I flew Delta this weekend to get to the NCAA regionals. Smaller jets and had connecting flights both ways.

Only quirk was that at one airport, mine and another Delta flight was scheduled to arrive at the same gate...so mine was routed to another gate at the last minute - a 30-minute delay.

Otherwise, the trip and connections went without a hitch.

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

Both my wife and I absolutely HATE Delta Airlines. Horrible experiences almost every flight.
But they have their hub in Atlanta where we have family.

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Current:
2014 VW Tiguan SEL 4Motion 43,000 miles.

2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (wife's).

Past:
2006 Jetta TDI 135,970 miles. Sold Nov. '13.
1995 E-320 Special Edition. 220,200 miles. Sold Sept. '07.
1987 190-E 16 valve. 153,000 miles. Sold Feb. '06.
1980 300-D 225,000 miles. Donated to the National Kidney Foundation.
1980 240-D manual, 297,500 miles. Totaled by inattentive driver.

This is not the review I wanted to come across. I just booked a flight to Florida for the month of June on Delta. Sorry to hear about the experiences. We usually fly US Air but after flying them for years as well as others it just seems like all the airlines in the USA seem to be getting worse. Maybe my Delta flight will change my opinion.

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2015 ML350 4Matic. Wifes DD
2015 GLK350 4Matic. My winter DD
2012 E350 4Matic. Road Trip car
2009 CLK350 Coupe Designo.Kleemann Tune For nice days/DD
2006 CL600. V12.Eurocharged Tune. Enough said
2005 CLK55 AMG Coupe.Kleemann Tune. For the sound and style
2004 CLK320 Cabriolet. 2005+ Interior swap. For the sunny Florida days & beach days

If you flew into LGA at the "wrong" time, they may have told the captain that he didn't have a landing slot at LGA and to hold takeoff from ATL. McArthur is a small airport, much less crowded airspace. BTW, did you actually fly on US Air for the leg back, or on a Piedmont turboprop?

I have flown about 1.2 million miles over the past 12 years.

About a million of those miles were with United.

The remaining 200,000 miles were split among Delta, American, and Southwest.

In my experience, Delta is by far the worst for quality of service and on time arrival.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Depends on the circumstances. One of my last military flights was in a chopper around what was called OP6. We sat on our helmets, surrounded by flak jackets and listened to the occasional thump! thump! as little projectiles hit the craft.

And all I had was an M9

Fortunately, no more of that. I retire soon.

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Strelnik
Invest in America: Buy a Congressman!

1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6

This is why I fly anyone but Delta.
My real favs are Lufthansa and Air France. Pay a little more, get quality.

Germans know how to convey you. maybe that's why we drive the cars we do.

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Strelnik
Invest in America: Buy a Congressman!

1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6