Delta Requiring Passengers to Agree to Basic Economy Restrictions Before Purchasing Ticket

From 1969 to 1972, before deregulation, I used to fly from Hartford (BDL) to LAX student standby on mostly empty flights, with food, for $77 each way. Fifteen years later, I picked up a brown bag of food at the airplane door as I boarded. And now that seems like a luxury. I've flown over-priced business class to Asia and have been offered a second dinner. I don't expect more than half a can of soda now when I fly now. Being charged to bring your luggage when you travel is unbelievable. I hardly look forward to flying now.

Next will be BYOB and (hold your breath) BYOTP TP stands for Toilet Paper.

Just for grins, I priced a flight from Memphis - Las Vegas in January for a trade show I have to attend. The cheapest Delta fare quoted on Expedia was $278.70 round trip. The Southwest fare was $275.00 round trip. But, no bag fees on SWA. That's worth up to $60.00, plus I don't have to do business with an airline that despises me and had no compunction at all about bending its customers over when it had the chance. It'll be a cold day in "you know where" before I go Delta.

Delta is apparently getting a bad rap for this, and I don't understand why. People want rock bottom fares, well guess what, that's what you're going to get...no frills, period. You want priority seating? Pay for it. Upgrades? Pay for it. Early seat assignments? Pay for it! Tired of people whining or feeling like they are entitled to something they aren't paying for while others do.

Yeah, insert your credit card to open the overhead bin. Don't tell Delta! Insert a quarter to recline your seat. Want to use the tray table? It'll cost ya. I think I'm onto something!

Sucks for frequent business travelers like me, whose company's travel agency books the cheapest economy fare available. I've been stuck with this E-fare code twice now.

I say bring back the all-inclusive coach fares, and the empty middles as well as the in-flight steak dinners for that matter.

Steve Cravener...NYC to Orlando is about a 20 hour car drive... When you figure in tolls, gas, wear n tear on your vehicle, hotel, and food stops your looking at a 1000 dollar round trip and about 2 1/2 days to drive round trip...
It would be easier to just take the 3 hour flight and save hundreds

It's like the old Tim Conway skit "No Frills Airline." I guess a Delta exec found it on YouTube and thought it was a good idea.

I frankly don't see how saving 20 bucks is much of a lure to agree to all of these restrictions. Someone commented something like ... if you want the frills you've got to pay for them. These things aren't "frills", they're very basic services that cost the airline nothing. This kind of attitude toward the very people who fly the airline and keep it in business sure as heck doesn't make me want to fly Delta.

Last to have overhead bin space? That one seems to describe the airline's attitude.

Why doesn't Delta simply have you check a box that says, "I acknowledge that the airline is going to treat me like shit and there is absolutely nothing I can do about it."?

BYOTP--visit China sometime

This is how the airlines make big bucks. Take it or leave it.

With retail, there are stores that charge more for the same item and people willingly pay for it because of the extra service they get. A perfect example is Publix Grocery Stores. If you compare non-sale prices to other grocery chains, chances are, Publix costs more, but their customers rave about the friendliness and helpfulness of the employees and shop there for the experience.

I don't guess it's feasible for their to be an entire company willing to provide better customer service at a higher price in the airline industry, probably because Southwest already offers a higher than average level of customer service at a price equal or less than the competitor.

Delta is merely saying, we'll provide the price you want to pay, but here are the sacrifices you have to make in order to get that price. You're going to see other customers getting better service on the same flight because they paid for it and you didn't.

Up up and away.......

Oh, . . . and yes we dressed decently too.

Sad but predictable. When I took my first flight in '61 (TWA Connie from Dayton to Hartford) as a kid flying was an adventure, something to look forward to; today it's mostly akin to a bad bus in a hostile territory. These days, unless I can't avoid it, I either drive or find a way to fly GA. Thanks Delta and all the rest of the corporate greed mongers for ruining a beautiful relationship.

I don't remember where I read that, but when Air France introduced the very cheap tickets - not sure now how they are calling them - without checked in luggage, the main reasoning behind it was to score higher in the tickets search engines.
Following this reasoning, it makes sense that Delta is doing the same, as I think they make more money, by scoring higher and then asking you to add a checked in luggage afterwards.
From the consumer's perspective, it takes a little more search to find the best fare, or a development of the various search tools to include or not the checked in luggage in the price.

As someone implied before, if the prices are indeed cheaper, then maybe it's not a big issue. But if it's a trick to increase their prices by eventually offering only the flight with the same ("old") price and then ask you for more for the addons, then that's a reason to avoid that company.

On the other hand, if they offer prices such as Ryan Air's, for example, that can be really less than half the price of a "regular" airline, then I would vote for Delta if I'm up to pay for the extras that I want.

This makes me sad because my Dad&I were both WAL sucked into DAL! My Dad retired just prior to the merge, I got the boot along with 100's+ in ALL departments, from pilot to baggage crusher,(even the sky caps!).Flying non-rev was okay the first few years, then with so many employees/family flying, DAL made it harder even for them! One of the perks of any job is perks, but treating the hand that feeds you like crap with other carriers that can(and do) better,not a good move with DAL!

For many years now I have avoided flying Delta even if they were lower. I find them to be arrogant and no t a people person airline.

You both have a point, but my response to yours is that I will vote with my wallet. If Delta feels that I should pay extra to be treated with dignity, I will give my business to an airline that provides said dignity in the price of my ticket.

I found Delta to be the most arrogant Service out there. For many years now I have made it a point not to fly delta even if they were less expensive.

What this really is is an attempt by Delta to see just how many people will bite on a really in-the-dirt fare. All they are trying to do is determine what percentage of customers are willing to forego all the basic reasonableness for a $20-less ticket.

What other industry says to it's customers "If you're willing to be treated like dirt, we're willing to have you pay a dirt-level price."

Anyone who bites on this offer deserves the low level of service they get. You can justify it however you wish, but that's the real deal here.

I may look for a cheap flight, but I look for services I want. Still, even though I live in the Atlanta area, I avoid Delta all that I can. I often flew AirTran if I went anywhere though now that Southwest merged with them, I fly them now, but they do not go into the airport 2 miles (off the end of the runway) from where my folks live like AirTran did.

Last time I went anywhere overseas, it was United and Air Canada. If I could fly Lufthansa here in the US, I would.

Just imagine if they didn't do this. Passengers would be howling at the flight attendants for NOT giving them the same level of service as people in other classes.

I sure hope someone from one of the airlines is catching the discontent with its customers and decides to start treating us with a little respect. Unless something changes, the flying public, their customers, aren't right, which is my round about way of saying I thought the customer is supposed to be right. Ha! Their attitude is named after an old airline - if you're in New York and you want to get to London, Try Walking Across. I love how airfares are dropping with another round of fuel price cuts. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Where do I sign up?

Will you stop whining, I am fed up with so many complaints like demanding first class travel and paying close to nothing. Back in 1969 good ole PANAM charged $ 232 one way to Orly Airport (that is Paris for those of you who have not traveled around the world like me). I asked Expedia what is the going rate 15 advance purchase and returning 15 days later and the result was $ 810 or so. Well according to the Dept. of Labor 232 bucks in 1969 dollars are worth 1,508 in today´s dollars, and one more thing, Economy in those days was almost like Business today. So for those who want royal treatment cough up good or walk (just jocking)..

$216 each way from New York to Oralndo? Why would you not spend the extra $20 if you were forced to fly? A trip that short though, I would just drive.

Another over reach by a major airline to the detriment of passengers. Add this to the other reasons... NOT TO FLY DELTA.

Remember when flying was fun and you were treated with respect?

This is the type of "stuff" (I'm being nice) that caused me to completely quit flying Delta a few years ago. Something about two mechanicals in one day. The gate agent in Springfield, MO told us they couldn't get our connecting flight out of Atlanta to Springfield because they couldn't find a mechanic in Atlanta to fix the plane! They then completely trashed my bags on another flight about two weeks later. FYI I'm still waiting for an apology.