Our Amazing Delta Experience Part One

A little over a year ago, on Saturday January 3^rd, 2015 Jamie and I woke up at 3AM and commenced driving from Morgantown to Pittsburgh for a 645AM Flight. We left a little earlier because we had heard the roadways may be a little challenging for driving. Little did we know how challenging they would be. We started driving in our first vehicle option and nearly made it to the interstate near Star City WV when we hit ice patches along the road and across a bridge. The vehicle was rear-wheel drive, and so we decided it might be best to take a front wheel drive vehicle. 45 minutes later, we arrived back at our house to switch vehicles.

We started the drive once more, and ran into the same problem in the same location. This time there were a few more cars on the road (like a dozen total), and about half of them were in ditches or pulled over. We decided to turn back to the house. I knew if we were having trouble in town, the interstate would be even worse. And if we ran into trouble on the interstate, we could be stranded for quite some time, and we would not be able to walk back to our house. So we turned around again—it was 515AM when we made it back to the house. I thought, “There is no way we are going to be able to make this flight, and we might just have to eat the cost of the tickets, but that is better than being stranded, injured, or killed while attempting to make a flight.”

So when we arrived back home, I called Delta customer service and explained our situation. I had always heard that airlines make adjustments when a flight is delayed or cancelled or a connection is missed as a result of something on their end, but I was not sure what would happen in our situation. There was no way we would have made the flight. I feared they would charge us an exorbitant price for new tickets later in the day, and that we just would not be able to swing the upcharge. I had to make the flight for an All Nuru Staff Summit, but Jamie did not have to go. I figured Nuru would cover my flight, but that Jamie and I would just have to take the hit for her flight. Not a pleasant thought any way it is sliced, but it was a much better thought than one of us being hurt.

But, when I called Delta, I was amazed and surprised. The customer service representative told me that there was a weather bulletin for our area and that Delta would help us find a later flight at no extra charge!!! They booked us on an afternoon flight to Atlanta and then an evening flight to Orange County, CA. We were able to travel safely, and we were also able to get a little more rest. I quickly checked us in for the new flights, and made adjustments to our rental car reservation, and then I went back to bed for a couple hours after two stressful and tiring trips around town on ice covered roads.

Not only did Delta place us on a later flight with no up charge, but also they placed us in exit rows and allowed us to board in group one for each leg of our flight. While Jamie and I were not able to sit together on our first flight from Pittsburgh to Atlanta, we were able to link back up for the second leg. I had a great conversation with a flight attendant named Kristi from Toledo, and she told me about some of the great benefits that Delta extends to their employees as well. I am thoroughly impressed with Delta and I hope we are able to take future trips with them, and recommend them to you as well!