Guilty Until Proven Innocent at Delta
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at 07:56 by LuganoPirate.
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rjblackjr0ParticipantI have been a Diamond Medallion member (currently Platinum) with Delta. One thing which is making me fly Delta less is the continued insult given to frequent travelers at the Sky Club. When you enter, you TSA checked boarding pass is not enough, your Sky Club Card is not enough, you MUST show ID.
I have asked several times why this is so, and have been told “the card could be stolen” and “you could switch boarding passes”. Most of the Delta employees at the counter are embarrassed to ask, but say they must or risk losing their jobs.
Now the topper. I am using my new iphone to display my boarding pass. Sure enough, they asked for my ID. I said “Do you think I stole the phone?” The lady just looked embarrassed.
United doesn’t do this, nor American. I will be flying them more and Delta less. Treating me like a crook after 1.8 million miles flown with them is not my idea of good customer service.
rjblackjr0
10 Oct 2013
at 04:49
MartynSinclairParticipantPart of my work involves the continual identity checking of certain clients, including myself – YES – you read it right, checking I am who I say I am.
My view – just smile, because generally, as you pointed out, the people who are ask a merely messengers. Sure, make a stand, change airlines, change routes, but does it really matter – show your ID, smile and that’s the end of it….. AMEN!
10 Oct 2013
at 07:06
SenatorParticipantWhilst I would agree that it may seem overzealous to ask for the ID, and as you point out neither American nor United require this at their respective lounges I am not sure I see the big nuisance as a passenger, breach of my privacy or something that would make me leave an airline.
The example of the iPhone is interesting because one could easily use someone’s profile and credentials by login onto their account.
I suspect this policy is in place due to misuse by passengers which is rampant. Let me give you a real example:
I did find the policy of Lufthansa and Swiss that requires a boarding card and Frequent Flyer card a bit over the top for a while. I figured the information on the boarding card should be sufficient. The issue is that some airlines don’t feed back correct status information from the system, so you can “fake” your status.
So on a normal travel day, the Front Desk Lounge Representative in Zurich showed me a box of roughly 30-35 expired Star Gold, Miles & More Senator or Frequent Traveller cards she had confiscated from people trying to enter the lounge without the correct credentials in 24hrs.
So any policy like Delta’s I am pretty certain we as humans have brought upon ourselves.
10 Oct 2013
at 07:57
rjblackjr0ParticipantHi Brett88,
The point is you can’t get to the Sky Club without proving who you are at the TSA security checkpoint. Your boarding pass and ID have been verified. United and American are smart enough to know this. Delta assumes you are a cheat, and makes you prove you’re not. You can grovel to them all you like, it’s a free country.
10 Oct 2013
at 08:42
rjblackjr0ParticipantNo, the end of it is me flying United where they don’t automaticly assume you’re a cheat.
10 Oct 2013
at 08:44
rjblackjr0ParticipantThis does not apply. I have a purchased Sky Club Membership and my “status” has nothing to do with it.
10 Oct 2013
at 08:46
MartynSinclairParticipant@rjblackjr0 – apart from the lounge access, how do you find Delta otherwise in terms the lounge product and the flights you take.
Here in the UK, we have/had similar problems with accessing lounges, including being forced to walk an extra 600 metres if we are not travelling First Class, to gain access to one of the British Airways lounges.
Overall though, this is only one part of the airline flying experience – whether I would change airlines, just because I was asked to produce one further piece of ID – I generally smile to myself and say, (to myself) thats why I do the job I do, and you do the job you do (to the person asking for the additional ID) !!
More interested to hear about the positive parts of Delta (if there are any!!)..
10 Oct 2013
at 08:50
Brett88ParticipantBut then you could give your boarding pass (including phone for that matter) to someone else without status, and then go in using your own Platinum card?
Only people with status (and their guests) or those flying first/business shoudl be eligible to use the lounges. That’s part of the incentive to fly premium classes.
I can only afford to fly economy. I would feel no guilt in cheating the desk clerks and blagging my way in to a lounge at all. But on the same token I have no problem with airlines checking ID to make sure that people like myself aren’t using a service I haven’t paid for but others have.
I used to work in a 5 star hotel and people would often get infuriated when I asked for their room card to charge it to their room, as if they were too good to have to have to inconvenience themselves by taking it out of their pocket to prove it was their room. Bottom line is, people try and blag things for free, and companies are within their rights to try and minimise that.
10 Oct 2013
at 08:57
Brett88Participant@MartynSinclair I don’t think there is any call to be condescending. Not everyone has the same opportunities to work their way to jobs which are far more prestigious than others. And usually they’re doing what management tells them.
If I had have asked for your room card when you were signing things to your room, would you have smiled at me in the same way?
10 Oct 2013
at 09:02
FormerlyDoSParticipant“@MartynSinclair I don’t think there is any call to be condescending. Not everyone has the same opportunities to work their way to jobs which are far more prestigious than others. And usually they’re doing what management tells them.”
He is not being condescending, he is just recognising the reality in different job choices and chooses to make the other person comfortable by smiling as they follow their management’s directions. I think it is called empathy.
I have met Mr Sinclair on more than one occasion and he would not know how to be condescending, even if he tried.
10 Oct 2013
at 09:14
MartynSinclairParticipantI had a unique experience yesterday. I was stood in the galley of an 320, behind the cabin crew as a full flight boarded. What we as passengers NEVER see are the facial expressions of passengers as they board. It was an absolute eye opener and only reinforces why I smile at people, more than growl.
The sheer rudeness of some passengers, the total fear in others, the absolute charm in some and the acceptance of waiting in line whilst others crash through the aisles with a too many bags… by others… hats off to cabin crew who have to put up with some really sh**ty “alpha people”..
I learnt a big lesson yesterday, a smile goes a long way, even through “challenges”.
So whether Delta make you feel guilty or innocent, its all in a days smiling….
10 Oct 2013
at 09:27
MartynSinclairParticipantNo worries Brett88 – nothing wrong with healthy debate…
10 Oct 2013
at 09:41 -
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