On January 1st, 2007 I arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport at 10:20 a.m. for check-in on Delta flight DL4386, service to Tulsa International Airport. The flight was scheduled to leave Atlanta at 1:17 p.m. This flight would be the second leg of a round trip travel plan that began on Sunday, December 24th. In taking this flight I would need to check two bags, both of which were brought from Tulsa during the first leg of the trip. After checking in at the automated kiosk, I entered the standing line so that I could check those bags. After printing my baggage tags and having placed one of the tags on my first piece of luggage, the ticket counter representative asked whether my second bag (a Titleist, soft cover, golf club travel bag) contained golf clubs. I informed her that the bag indeed did not have golf clubs in it. I informed her that on the first leg of my trip I used the bag to hold gifts which were given to family members on Christmas day. She then informed me that because the bag did not have golf clubs in it they would not be able to check it onto the flight. Not completely understanding why, considering the fact that I was able to travel with the bag from Tulsa to Atlanta with items other than golf clubs within, I asked that she allow me to speak with a supervisor.
After 5 minutes or so, the representative returned with her supervisor (Russell B.). He informed me that he was the manager on duty. Russell asked, once again, whether or not the golf travel bag contained golf clubs, to which I responded as I did previously, “No, it doesn’t”. He informed, as the counter representative before him, that they would not be able to check the bag. He informed me that it was the policy of the airline to not allow individuals to use oversized luggage for the purpose of transporting items for which the luggage was not designed. I then asked Russell, “Is this a company policy or is it based upon the travel location?” To which he responded, “The policy is a Delta policy and should be upheld at all Delta boarding locations.” I then asked, “If the policy is company-wide why was I never told or warned about it when I left the Delta boarding location in Tulsa?” When he responded, “I am not responsible for the way in which Tulsa manages their boarding procedures, I simply know that in Atlanta we uphold this policy and will not be able to check this bag seeing that it does not have golf clubs stored within it.” For clarification, I asked Russell, “Does this mean that if I place golf clubs in the bag along with a few miscellaneous items, such as hats, towels, shoes, boxes of balls, etc.,” as I had done on many occasions prior when flying Delta, “that the bag would not pass inspection for check-in?” Russell responded, “This is an athletic bag and must contain athletic equipment, namely golf clubs.” “So will I be allowed to check the bag?” I said. He responded, “No.” I informed Russell that in the last 7 years of flying I have done all that I can to make sure that the flights I take around the country are with Delta. I have respected the company for several years. In situations where it may have been 15% to 25% cheaper to fly other airlines, I have purposed to continue to fly Delta. I have worked in billion-dollar corporations where I have encouraged and, in some cases, have instructed my assistants to purchase tickets for executives within the company with Delta because of my long time respect for the airline. I asked whether there was anything that could be done, protocol to follow in situations such as this (individuals who, not understanding company policy, have been allowed to board with unacceptable luggage during the first leg of round trip travel and need to return with the same on the second leg). Russell informed me that they could not do anything; “The bag can not be checked,” he said. I then asked Russell if there was another individual working as his superior with whom I could discuss the matter. He said that he had no superior on site and that I would have to wait until tomorrow, January 2nd to speak with someone. I then took the bag, asked that my other piece of luggage and boarding pass be returned and, rather disgruntled over the situation, walked away from the counter.
At this point, I did not know what to do; I could have left the bag in Atlanta, it appeared that I would have to do so since Russell would not allow it to be checked. I went outside to the passenger drop-off area so that I could collect my thoughts and determine what to do. As I walked along the pathway, past the various check-in stations that were manned by Delta Sky Cap agents, one of the agents asked if I would like to check in, I said yes. The agent asked that I take position on the line to be serviced. I waited in line for a short time and approached the counter with my name and flight information. The Sky Cap agent proceeded to locate my flight information on file, take the luggage, both bags, tag them with baggage tags, provide me with an updated boarding pass, and wished me a safe flight. I asked the agent, “Are the bags okay to go?” He responded, “Yes, they’re fine, have a safe trip.” I was pleased. It seemed that everything was working out well.
As I was proceeding back into the building I noticed a porter taking the oversized bag to the oversized bag security inspection point; as he did so, I also noticed Russell coming out of the building. Russell, appearing angry, waving his arms, motioned for the porter to bring the bag to him. I then tried to catch up with the two so that I could know what was happening. I couldn’t catch them before they took the bag behind the ticket counter into an interior area of the airport. I searched around for Russell but couldn’t locate him. As I stood at the entrance to the airport I noticed the porter standing near one of the exterior doors. I approached him and asked what had happened to my golf bag. He said that he wasn’t exactly sure, but that Russell did take it to another area of the airport. By this time I needed to make my way to the security checkpoint area so that I wouldn’t miss my flight. While preparing to do so I placed a call in to the Delta reservations and customer service line. I asked that they connect me to a senior team member, a manager who could help me with the issue. I explained the situation to her and she immediately tried to contact the airport so that she could speak with Russell to gather more information. When she returned she informed me that, although she was not able to contact Russell directly, she was able to speak with someone at the ticket counter who witnessed the situation. She assured me that, because the bag was tagged with a baggage sticker, it would be delivered to the destination indicated on the ticket. She said that if it did not deliver I would have to file a missing baggage report. When I arrived to Tulsa I waited on the bag in the baggage claim area, but it didn’t show. I stopped by the baggage center and spoke with the Delta representative. She searched through her information to see if the bag made the trip and found that it was never loaded onto the plane.
I am not exactly sure what Russell did with the bag when he, in anger, took it to one of the interior areas of the airport. I was never paged in the airport, spoken with by someone at the Delta loading gate concerning the luggage, or provided with any information concerning the bag when I arrived to Tulsa. My hope is that the bag will be returned since it contained items that were valuable to me (my winter jacket, digital camera, gifts which I purchased while visiting my alma mater – Georgia Tech, and three other Christmas gifts which were given to me by friends and family).
This experience with Delta was very disappointing. As I mentioned previously, I have tried to fly Delta whenever I traveled. I have encouraged others to fly the airline and have spoken highly of their services. This incident was very disappointing. Russell was not willing to provide me with any options. I didn’t understand why, although I was allowed to travel with the bag on a Delta flight earlier in the week, I was not allowed - as an issue of courtesy - to travel with it when returning home. Russell provided no answers or solutions, displaying no respect for me as a customer, and no appreciation or concern for the 7 years of patronage that my family and I have given to the company. My hope is that not only my bag be returned, but that my respect and love for Delta could be somehow reestablished following this disappointing experience with the airline’s representatives. (squid)
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