Stuck in Atlanta airport for 22 hours

Posted on Fri, Jul 27, 2007, at 08:41 AM

Have you ever gotten stuck at an aiport? I was recently stuck at the Atlanta airport for 22 hours. No joke....22 hours. My flight was scheduled for 10:40pm, and I missed my flight. The next flight was at 7:30am so I was thinking about getting a hotel room close to the airport. The Delta rep told me that I need to wait in line to try to reschedule my flight. No joke again, I waited in a line of at least 65 people, and I sat in line from 11pm to 1:30am in a single line. I couldn't believe it. I was in line for over 2.5 hours! Yikes. I was so exhausted and sleepy by the time I got to the front of the line. When I got to the front, the Delta rep simply told me she couldn't do anything for me......she said I needed to go to a different line. I was so angry, but too tired to show it.

I waited in another line for 45 minutes, and it was well past 2am now. Finally, the new rep told me that she couldn't do anything for me until 7am. By now, I was so exhausted that I laid my luggage in a corner and fell asleep on a chair in the airport. I woke up, and I saw hundreds of people roaming into the airport. I got up quickly and stood in line again. I spoke with a rep and she said there were no flights to Seattle for 3 days. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Finally, I asked to speak with a manager and the manager was able to get me on a flight at 8pm. I waited all day, and I finally got on the last flight to Seattle. The Seattle flight that I was scheduled on was delayed. I left Atlanta around 9pm. Wow, almost 24 hours at the airport. It was no fun, but the coach seat never felt so good.

10 Comments

Jim Gill on Fri, Jul 27, 2007, 10:39 AM

WOW... !!

Michael Dorausch on Fri, Jul 27, 2007, 10:46 PM

While the experience sucks, there is ALWAYS opportunity. Imagine having collected contact information from those people and invite them to comment on your blog? We (society) eat this stuff up because we have all been there.

I've been in that same airport at least 14+ hours in the past.

Was just in San Fran airport for 6+ hours but had 2 laptops, secure wifi card, made a business connection, wrote articles for my websites, had dinner with an old friend (gotta love the universe), and made it home safely.

Rong Fu on Sat, Jul 28, 2007, 08:34 AM

Good thing to know that. Wow, I 'll not book a ticket from Delta in future. What a management!

Amanda Besemer on Sat, Jul 28, 2007, 08:13 PM

You forgot to mention the good time before hand that made this long delay worth it... ;)

James Sun on Sat, Jul 28, 2007, 08:14 PM

Amanda, don't worry....the positive experience is coming next.

Frank on Sun, Jul 29, 2007, 06:41 PM

Life is grand.

Jeff Hill on Mon, Jul 30, 2007, 02:16 PM

James -

I fly weekly - it happens. Hence the reason I keep a Crown Room Club membership. Free alcohol and decent wi-fi connection - depending on the airport, free food.

As far as Delta is concerned, they give better customer service than some of their counterparts.

Jeff Hill

Amanda Besemer on Fri, Aug 03, 2007, 07:44 PM

Thanks James!

Anna Lee on Tue, Aug 14, 2007, 10:03 PM

Delta... I'll remember that.

Lawrence Lam on Sun, Sep 16, 2007, 07:28 AM

Funny - I was in Atlanta the same weeked - my flight was fine but I saw the looooong line of people with cancelled flights!

Blogger

Redmond, WA

Archives