I love traveling and this Delta flight started off great, from check-in to arrival. However, things took a dramatic turn when I needed assistance. I requested a wheelchair, and the employee who met me at the gate in Boston demanded payment. I was shocked! I thought this service was complimentary and I always tip generously. But the employee was insistent. My daughter arrived to pick me up and he, unfortunately, convinced her to pay him, too.
First Class Mishap: A Baggage Debacle
We decided to splurge on a first-class ticket, and the seats were comfortable. But the flight was delayed because the flight crew was late. This caused chaos for many passengers trying to catch connecting flights. We checked four bags and, unfortunately, one went missing. Delta’s online help was unhelpful, and while the baggage staff was sympathetic, it took hours to find our missing luggage. It’s safe to say that I won’t be booking first class with Delta again. This flight should have been easy, but the crew’s tardiness and lost luggage made it stressful.
Overbooked and Overwhelmed: A Swissair Saga
My family had a truly unforgettable experience with Swissair. While traveling, we discovered in Miami that our children’s connecting flight from Zurich to Budapest was canceled due to overbooking. They rebooked us on a much longer route: Miami to Zurich, Zurich to Amsterdam, and Amsterdam to Budapest. We had a long layover in Zurich and arrived in Budapest nine hours later. It was frustrating to find out that tickets purchased months in advance were sold to others, and we were forced to endure this chaotic journey. I’ll be contacting customer support for a refund.
Unexpected Disruptions: A Frustrating Flight
The second leg of my flight was suddenly canceled, and I was stuck at the airport all day. Instead of flying out in the morning, I ended up flying out in the evening. This was the second cancellation for some passengers, who were supposed to fly the day before. While rebooking was quick, it was frustrating to be delayed. The only compensation offered was a voucher for food. I eventually arrived without further incident, but this flight was one of the most frustrating I’ve ever experienced.
A Boarding Pass Breakdown: A BA Nightmare
I didn’t even get on my flight! Due to a system crash, British Airways invalidated boarding passes for connecting flights, including mine. We missed our connecting flight because we were denied access to the gate. When we tried to explain, a staff member called us liars and accused us of being late, which was completely false. I was an hour and ten minutes early for my connecting flight when I scanned my boarding pass. We waited three hours and ended up booking a train home, which took four hours. The staff was unhelpful, and the entire experience was inconvenient. I had been traveling for months, and it was back in my home country that I encountered this disastrous travel experience. I definitely won’t be flying British Airways again.
Business Class Blues: A BA Letdown
I was expecting a luxurious business class experience with British Airways, but I was disappointed. The lounge at LAS was basic and crowded, while the LHR/T3 lounge was a bit better, but still not as nice as the Polaris lounges. Boarding was chaotic, and no one seemed to know what group was supposed to board. The suites were nice, but the padding wasn’t comfortable for sleeping. The crew was friendly, but there was only one tray/serving for dinner. On United Airlines Polaris, there’s more attention to detail with a “drink first, then dinner with 1-2 pourings of wine, then dessert” service. On this BA flight, there was no one checking in after the initial service. And to make things worse, arrival at LHR involved packed buses, with the driver yelling at passengers to cram in. I felt like BA sold me a premium flight experience, but delivered mediocre economy class service. I’m extremely disappointed.
