Delta tweets insults at Ann Coulter. Still want to fly Delta?

Columnist Ann Coulter is a tall woman, and apparently, she spent some time selecting the right sort of seat for a person who needs more legroom on frequent flights, perhaps to avoid deep-vein thrombosis, or perhaps to fly more comfortably. She spent the time and paid the extra money to get an aisle seat in an emergency row on a Delta flight, which would have done the job.

For some reason, as the flight was boarding, the airline decided to move her seat to the window in the same row and seat a group of other passengers, perhaps because they had requested to be seated together. It might have been OK had the flight attendant pleaded for her cooperation; offered her a free something extra, maybe a drink; and apologized for the airline's poor planning or failed capacity to please all its customers. Instead, the attendant decided to go bureaucratic and stony, telling Coulter "I don't know" when asked why the seat Coulter paid extra for was being moved to a less desirable area. It was a perfect opportunity to coax a cooperative attitude, but instead, it lit the fuse on an angry, unsatisfied customer, which seems contrary to Delta's mission. All they had to do was say why, apologize, and ask for cooperation.

Instead of seriously apologizing for its failure to live up to their contract, which left Coulter on a miserable flight – and that is what this was – Delta decided, incredibly, to hurl a storm of sarcastic customer-service-type canned mechanical apologies, mock the $30 she paid, and then add some invective at her on Twitter. A few samples from the unhappy customer and the big airline's corporate office:

I've a similar observation to yours. Airline arrogance is a function of location more than it is of company. I'm surprised that you find PHL to be helpful though.

The locational arrogance does NOT follow the usual geographic stereotypes. Some midwestern and southern airports are arrogant, some east coast airports are professional.

PHL was a disaster on USAIR. Hated going through there when I lived in upstate NY. Half the time I ended up driving 4 hours rather than waiting around all night to see if they would eventually fly. Now that I live in Southeast PA, I prefer Allentown to PHL just for the ease of access. The schedule is limited, however so PHL sometimes becomes the only choice.

Delta has been fine. One time my UBER driver screwed up so badly I missed my flight. Delta booked me on the next flight at no additional cost and even got me a seat upgrade.

I’ll still fly with them since everybody else is about as awful as flying CCCP Air.

IMHO though, the public subjects themselves to cattle status by the way they behave and dress while flying. I recall flying as a child when everybody smoked in the cabin and respect still meant something to people who flew.

Having to transport freaks, pedophiles, and welfare queens who wear their pajamas on flights makes the decision to become an airborne cattle car all the easier.

The United Airlines goons did not “beat the crap out of” that idiot criminal ‘doctor’.

They asked him to move, he screamed that he would not comply. When the SECURITY TEAM came on board to remove him, he screamed and hit his own head and pretended to be knocked out as they dragged him off the plane (if you look closely, unconscious people do not hold their own head up and assist in being dragged) Then, when they set him in the hall and went to get medical help he magically recovered and ran screaming back onto the plane.

United CEO acted stupidly by not pointing this out, and caving in like a coward and apologizing for DOING NOTHING WRONG.

United should have sued HIM for the media damage he caused. There was video of him saying (in advance) that he was going to resist them.

I agree 100%. That was completely uncalled for.

Ann, did you get permission to publicly drag these people into your problem?

Of course not.

Not cool at all.

“But Delta’s PR stunt thereafter was obviously personal, unprofessional, and likely political.”

The obviously did not know of the when you find you are in a hole, stop digging!

If she was moved from the aisle to the window in the same row, I don’t think she has a viable point. If it was to a row with less leg room she should, as I would, complain.

Airline service has truly fallen off the edge over the past 15 years. Probably a result of less competition. During the airline tariff rules prior to 1980 they used to compete on service as the fares were set, admittedly much higher than today. Once they began cutting fares to compete, service declined. Once competition was gone, it became similar to riding the dog but one with wings. The only costs left to cut were crew costs, and that probably is the last leg down. Cannot wait to see Ralph Kramden as a pilot.

If you really cared about your aging mother, you’d move her closer to you so you could check in on her daily.

I put you down as one who believes in warehousing old folks.

My mom likes it just fine where she is with her view of Palm Beach and the Intracoastal, thank you.

ML/NJ

Screw them.

NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO MOVE. PERIOD.

I would have taken a few of those security goons to the hospital with me.

Their freaking problem, get another plane for their damned employees. Once you agree to take me somewhere at a particular time, that is IT; someone is going to the hospital if you try to change it; if we get a few million people who wouldn’t put up with that crap instead of sheepishly just getting up and moving when asked we would be a better people for it.

And no, I don’t give a rip WHAT the ‘terms and conditions’ on that ticket said; if you didn’t notice a condition on page 223 of your mortgage that said they could repossess your house anything for any reason, should you just leave? No; just because someone sneaks stuff in the boilerplate doesn’t mean we should be abused because of it.

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