This story starts with excitement – a Delta flight, a smooth check-in, and the anticipation of a pleasant journey. But, a dark cloud quickly appears on the horizon, casting a shadow on this otherwise delightful experience.
My anticipation of a comfortable journey was dashed as soon as I requested a wheelchair. Instead of a helping hand, I encountered a demanding employee who insisted on being paid. Shocked, I refused, as I had always assumed this service was complimentary, and usually tip generously. My daughter arrived to pick me up and the employee, persistent in his demand, pressured her to pay, making her believe the service was now a paid one. This encounter left me feeling completely violated and disappointed.
First Class Fails: Delta’s Flight Crew and Baggage Blunders
We decided to splurge on first-class seats, hoping for a comfortable and luxurious experience. While the seats lived up to our expectations, the flight was marred by delays due to a late arrival of the flight crew. Sadly, this disrupted the travel plans of many passengers who had connecting flights. We felt terrible for them.
Adding insult to injury, our luggage caused more grief. We checked four bags and only three made it onto the baggage claim carousel. Our fourth bag was lost. The online help offered by Delta proved ineffective, but the baggage claim staff were compassionate and supportive. However, after waiting for nearly two hours, the bag was still missing. It eventually turned up several hours later, requiring us to drive back to the airport to retrieve it. This experience left us with a bitter taste in our mouths, deterring us from splurging on first class anytime soon. The stressful ordeal and subpar service were far from what we expected from a premium airline.
American Airlines – A Mixed Bag of Experiences
My encounter with the check-in agent at American Airlines left me completely bewildered. The agent insisted that the baggage weight limit was 50 pounds, even though I knew the limit was 23 kg, which is just over 50 pounds. When I gently corrected her, she brazenly claimed the limit was 22 kg! I was stunned. Her ignorance or poor training was evident.
Despite this initial annoyance, the boarding process was smooth, with clear announcements that could be heard over the inconsiderate passengers who continued to chatter. The flight itself was marred by an inconsiderate passenger behind me who kept kicking the back of my chair. Despite my attempts to politely signal her, she continued. Sadly, the flight was a bad experience from start to finish.
British Airways: A Train Wreck From Beginning to End
This was a journey I never even got to embark on. A system crash on British Airways left me stranded, unable to board my connecting flight. The staff member who was there at the time of the crash was unhelpful, and when he was replaced, the new staff member accused us of being liars and said we were going to be too late for our flight.
This was simply untrue. I was an hour and ten minutes early for my connecting flight. After waiting for three hours, I was left with no other option but to book a train home, a four-hour journey. The staff was completely useless and the entire experience was a disgrace. This journey was a complete waste of time, energy and money. I will definitely not be flying with British Airways again.
British Airways Business Class – A False Promise
In this experience, I flew in British Airways business class, hoping for a luxurious and relaxing flight. However, I was profoundly disappointed. The lounges were underwhelming, the boarding was chaotic, the suites were not as comfortable as I expected, and the service was mediocre at best.
The lounge at
LAS
was basic and crowded, and while the LHR/T3 lounge was a slight improvement, it was still not comparable to the luxurious lounges I am used to on United Airlines Polaris class. Boarding was chaotic and disorganized. The suites, while nice, were not designed for sleeping and the crew offered only one tray for dinner, lacking the usual attentiveness of top-notch airlines. The arrival at LHR was even worse – chaotic and rushed, with the bus packed beyond capacity and the driver screaming at passengers to squeeze in. I felt like British Airways had sold me a premium experience and delivered a mediocre one.
This journey was a disappointment, and I will be hesitant to choose British Airways again in the future.
