- Report: #3347
Complaint Review: Delta Airlines - Nationwide
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Delta Airlines
Nationwide, U.S.A.
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Delta Airlines AKA Air Sharks * REBUTTAL Delta Airlines has published bereavement fare *REBUTTALS
My mother's father is dying (we were told 1-2 weeks). My mom wanted badly to get back to visit him to tell him how much she love him and thank him for everything. My mother is disabled and one of her children must accompany her when she goes somewhere. Anyhow, we tried to get tickets at last minute for an impromptu family reunion/birthday party for my grandfather. My sister called.. Delta wanted $2000/person/roundtrip ticket.
My mom was shattered. Being on a fixed income and very proud, she was not about to ask us for that kind of money. We aren't just talking $2000, but we are talking $4000 due to fact that either me or one of my sisters needed to accompany her. We tried to get some type of a discount rate. Nothing. The company said, "If he dies, we can give you a bereavement rate of $900, but we need proof of death." Needless to say, she was beside herself.
These damned companies will give you a reduced rate for a funeral, but they won't give you a reduced rate for someone to see a parent who is dying and is lucky to live several days. Needless to say, I got online and search vigantly. We found some tickets for $568 on Delta Airlines, which were 25% of what they wanted. And with more searching online I actually brought the tickets down to half that (543.90 for two roundtrips from American Airlines). The flights went off without a hitch too. We got tickets the Thursday before labor day and they were able to make it to see him before he died.
Shame on big airlines for jacking up the prices for people who need last minute flights when the airlines have seats available, so many that they are obviously willing to let go of them at nearly a 10th of what they originally asked when we called them directly.
For shame Delta Airlines and all you other airlines who jack up prices over the phone just because you can when you have them available in other online at a reduced rate.
My mom was shattered. Being on a fixed income and very proud, she was not about to ask us for that kind of money. We aren't just talking $2000, but we are talking $4000 due to fact that either me or one of my sisters needed to accompany her. We tried to get some type of a discount rate. Nothing. The company said, "If he dies, we can give you a bereavement rate of $900, but we need proof of death." Needless to say, she was beside herself.
These damned companies will give you a reduced rate for a funeral, but they won't give you a reduced rate for someone to see a parent who is dying and is lucky to live several days. Needless to say, I got online and search vigantly. We found some tickets for $568 on Delta Airlines, which were 25% of what they wanted. And with more searching online I actually brought the tickets down to half that (543.90 for two roundtrips from American Airlines). The flights went off without a hitch too. We got tickets the Thursday before labor day and they were able to make it to see him before he died.
Shame on big airlines for jacking up the prices for people who need last minute flights when the airlines have seats available, so many that they are obviously willing to let go of them at nearly a 10th of what they originally asked when we called them directly.
For shame Delta Airlines and all you other airlines who jack up prices over the phone just because you can when you have them available in other online at a reduced rate.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
I write to support American Airlines
#20
Sat, February 24, 2001
This email is a rebuttal to RipOff #3347. It was sent by Ruth Romero at [email protected]. Delta Airlines AKA Air Sharks * REBUTTAL Delta Airlines does have a published bereavement fare (#3347) Their email: [email protected] Their name: Ruth Romero Rebuttal: Christmas Season, my daughter wanted to see her grandmother in Puerto Rico, as she was not expected to live beyond the next few days. We called all the airlines servicing San Antonio, TX to San Juan, PR, including Delta Airlines (who had a much higher fare than AA), and American Airlines (AA) out-shined them all, especially in cost. I write to support American Airlines, since they were tossed on the pile of bad airlines... Last Christmas, grandmother in Puerto Rico, whom my daughter lived with for a year and became very attached (qualifying her as an "immediate family" member), took ill and was not expected to live much past Christmas. This news came about 4 days before Christmas, and discounted airfares were sold out. I wanted to send my daughter to see her grandmother, but there were very few seats available and the fare was full-fare at $1500, round-trip. I explained the situation to the reservationist, who told me about their 1/2 off bereavement fare for $700 (all day, any day). I could purchase the ticket confirming one of the available seats for departure and the return date could be projected, but could be changed as needed, for no additional charge. This arrangement allowed my daughter the greatest flexibility for spending time with her grandmother, as she was not locked into a return date, as she would have been had I purchased a discount ticket. To purchase the ticket, I only needed to provide the airline with the grandmother's information and the hospital name and address, along with attending doctor's name for verification purposes. American Airlines made the process easy for us, minimizing the stress we were already going through with having a life threatening illness in the family. As it turned out, my daughter flew out on Dec. 23rd, on the last available seat, and by the time Christmas Day arrived...Grandmother and granddaughter were still together. This would not have been possible without the bereavement fare, because we didn't quite have $1500, which was the lowest available fare on any of the airlines. I don't know if granddaughter's presense made a difference or not, but Grandmother managed to pull through her illness and spent the next several months recovering. She sure does love her granddaughter. Ruth
American Airlines made the process easy for us....
#30
Sat, February 24, 2001
This email is a rebuttal to RipOff #3347.
It was sent by Ruth Romero at [email protected].
Delta Airlines AKA Air Sharks * REBUTTAL Delta Airlines has published bereavement fare (#3347)
Rebuttal:
Christmas Season, my daughter wanted to see her grandmother in Puerto Rico, as she was not expected to live beyond the next few days. We called all the airlines servicing San Antonio, TX to San Juan, PR, including Delta Airlines (who had a much higher fare than AA), and American Airlines (AA) out-shined them all, especially in cost.
I write to support American Airlines, since they were tossed on the pile of bad airlines...
Last Christmas, grandmother in Puerto Rico, whom my daughter lived with for a year and became very attached (qualifying her as an "immediate family" member), took ill and was not expected to live much past Christmas. This news came about 4 days before Christmas, and discounted airfares were sold out. I wanted to send my daughter to see her grandmother, but there were very few seats available and the fare was full-fare at $1500, round-trip.
I explained the situation to the reservationist, who told me about their 1/2 off bereavement fare for $700 (all day, any day). I could purchase the ticket confirming one of the available seats for departure and the return date could be projected, but could be changed as needed, for no additional charge. This arrangement allowed my daughter the greatest
flexibility for spending time with her grandmother, as she was not locked into a return date, as she would have been had I purchased a discount ticket.
To purchase the ticket, I only needed to provide the airline with the grandmother's information and the hospital name and address, along with attending doctor's name for verification purposes.
American Airlines made the process easy for us, minimizing the stress we were already going through with having a life threatening illness in the family.
As it turned out, my daughter flew out on Dec. 23rd, on the last available seat, and by the time Christmas Day arrived... Grandmother and granddaughter were still together. This would not have been possible without the bereavement fare, because we didn't quite have $1500, which was the lowest available fare on any of the airlines.
I don't know if granddaughter's presense made a difference or not, but Grandmother managed to pull through her illness and spent the next several months recovering. She sure does love her granddaughter.
Ruth
Delta Airlines does have a published bereavement fare
#40
Tue, October 24, 2000
Delta Airlines AKA Air Sharks (#3347)
Delta Airlines (Air Travel)
9/15/00 (Last Modified: 9/15/00)
They filed the following rebuttal to the above Rip-Off Report:
Their email: [email protected]
Their name: Elizabeth Michaels
Rebuttal:
Delta Airlines does have a published bereavement fare. It is 50% of the full coach ticket. It is for death and imminent death of an immediate family member. If death is imminent, we require a doctors letter on doctors or hospital stationary stating medical condition as well as the name, address and telephone number of the hospital and the attending physician. We will also accept a hand carried faxed copy of the doctors letter. Often there are lower fares in a market than the published bereavement fare as well as lower fares offered on the internet. It is our policy to inform any customer of these options.
