Delta's Historic Meltdown: Misleading Excuses Leave Passengers Stranded – Avoid at All Costs
Delta’s Historic Meltdown: Misleading Excuses Leave Passengers Stranded – Avoid at All Costs
Delta's Historic Meltdown: Misleading Excuses and Stranded Passengers
By Gary Leff | July 22, 2024
Southwest Airlines faced intense media scrutiny and criticism during its multi-day meltdown over the 2022 Christmas period. Interestingly, Delta is currently experiencing a similar situation, with even higher cancellation rates, yet they seem to be flying under the radar in terms of negative press. Was it the timing of Southwest's issues during the holidays, or the initial staffing and IT challenges they faced, that set them apart?
As of Sunday, American Airlines had canceled 2% of its flights despite adverse weather conditions in Texas, while Delta canceled a staggering 36%. Despite this, Delta continues to spin a positive narrative instead of taking responsibility for the disruptions. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has even contacted Delta CEO Ed Bastian to remind him of the airline's obligations to its passengers.
Delta's recent statements have been filled with misleading information and excuses. They claim to have continued their operational recovery on Sunday, despite data showing that day's operations were worse than the previous day's. They blame an "outside vendor technology issue," while their competitors experienced a similar CrowdStrike outage on Friday but were able to recover. Delta's crew scheduling system failed, stranding employees and leading to a collapse in customer service.
Delta's attempts to deflect responsibility by blaming CrowdStrike's issues on Friday are disingenuous, as the current issues extend beyond that event. While they commend their employees' tireless efforts, the reality is that flight crews and aircraft are still out of position, and the disruption is far from over. Their claims of notifying customers through the Fly Delta app ring hollow, as the app itself crashed for many users. Despite promising to make it right for customers, Delta falls short of Southwest's response, which included reimbursing customers for travel on other airlines, a costly move that demonstrated their commitment to customer satisfaction.
The contrast between Delta and its competitors is stark, with one customer even expressing regret for choosing Delta over United. Southwest's CEO took responsibility, albeit after several days of hiding from the media. In contrast, Delta's CEO seems to be nowhere to be found, and their statements consistently deflect blame and avoid accountability. It's unclear why Delta is succeeding in diverting scrutiny when compared to Southwest's experience.
As Joe Brancatelli observes, Delta lacks the corporate humility to acknowledge their failures and take the necessary steps to rectify the situation. Their current state renders them unfit to fly, and customers should avoid the frustration and uncertainty of relying on Delta to get them to their destinations. Even if Delta extends its travel waiver, it's evident that customers should steer clear, at least until they can demonstrate a genuine recovery and a commitment to transparency and accountability.
By Gary Leff | July 22, 2024
Southwest Airlines faced intense media scrutiny and criticism during its multi-day meltdown over the 2022 Christmas period. Interestingly, Delta is currently experiencing a similar situation, with even higher cancellation rates, yet they seem to be flying under the radar in terms of negative press. Was it the timing of Southwest's issues during the holidays, or the initial staffing and IT challenges they faced, that set them apart?
As of Sunday, American Airlines had canceled 2% of its flights despite adverse weather conditions in Texas, while Delta canceled a staggering 36%. Despite this, Delta continues to spin a positive narrative instead of taking responsibility for the disruptions. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has even contacted Delta CEO Ed Bastian to remind him of the airline's obligations to its passengers.
Delta's recent statements have been filled with misleading information and excuses. They claim to have continued their operational recovery on Sunday, despite data showing that day's operations were worse than the previous day's. They blame an "outside vendor technology issue," while their competitors experienced a similar CrowdStrike outage on Friday but were able to recover. Delta's crew scheduling system failed, stranding employees and leading to a collapse in customer service.
Delta's attempts to deflect responsibility by blaming CrowdStrike's issues on Friday are disingenuous, as the current issues extend beyond that event. While they commend their employees' tireless efforts, the reality is that flight crews and aircraft are still out of position, and the disruption is far from over. Their claims of notifying customers through the Fly Delta app ring hollow, as the app itself crashed for many users. Despite promising to make it right for customers, Delta falls short of Southwest's response, which included reimbursing customers for travel on other airlines, a costly move that demonstrated their commitment to customer satisfaction.
The contrast between Delta and its competitors is stark, with one customer even expressing regret for choosing Delta over United. Southwest's CEO took responsibility, albeit after several days of hiding from the media. In contrast, Delta's CEO seems to be nowhere to be found, and their statements consistently deflect blame and avoid accountability. It's unclear why Delta is succeeding in diverting scrutiny when compared to Southwest's experience.
As Joe Brancatelli observes, Delta lacks the corporate humility to acknowledge their failures and take the necessary steps to rectify the situation. Their current state renders them unfit to fly, and customers should avoid the frustration and uncertainty of relying on Delta to get them to their destinations. Even if Delta extends its travel waiver, it's evident that customers should steer clear, at least until they can demonstrate a genuine recovery and a commitment to transparency and accountability.