Bob Cramer's Blog

Delta Airlines is an Atlanta institution.   There is nothing better than seeing a big, wide Delta jet when you are ready to return from an overseas trip.  That sight makes you feel you are partially home even before leaving foreign soil.  Delta can take you so many places around the world and we are thrilled that they are so active here at Hartsfield-Jackson.

But, on the flip side, there is something about Delta that makes me feel like they are always trying to stick it to us, no matter what.  Worse, it seems that Atlanta residents get hurt more than others with fares ($861 to fly roundtrip from here to Charleston, SC?).  Maybe it is just the price we pay for being a “hub”, but something about it doesn’t feel right especially as we share a hometown.

This week’s news from Delta was once again a mixed bag.  It was nice that they said our frequent flier miles would not expire, but, sort of like an Indian giver (I am not sure where that phrase comes from and I don’t mean to offend anyone) why should they have expired in the first place?  We earned them.  Delta was also credited with leading yet another fare increase, immediately matched by their large airline brethren, as they cope with rising fuel prices, crowded planes and rising travel demand.

To me, Delta is always the one airline that wants to gouge you just a little bit.  They seem to have people everywhere just looking for ways to hit you up for an extra fee here or there.  It costs you $75 each way to use your frequent flyer miles for a free trip.  That doesn’t make sense.  $150 is not free.  And don’t get me started on the change fee.  Southwest already has called them out on that; Richard Anderson, Delta’s CEO, must have been the role model for the big company attorney who tells the young man, “just put it on your credit card and stop complaining”.  And who has time to mention baggage fees, fees for booking on the phone, and fees I don’t even know about.

I also think those Delta people are watching us on the Internet when we look for fares.  How many times have you gotten a fare, gone to ask your wife if the times are good, and when you come back, your time has expired?  You do the same search again and presto, the fare has gone up $50 or $100 bucks and you just want to explode.  Maybe it just happens to me.

I want to really like Delta.  They survived bankruptcy and bought Northwest.  They employee many people in our community and they are a good corporate citizen.  They just need to work on showing us, the Atlanta traveling public, a little more love so we stop thinking they are always cheating us ever so subtly.  Now would be the time to do that before Southwest comes to town.  I’m just saying.