----- Original Message ----- From: "Else Leek" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, February 10, 2006 11:41 AM Subject: PSG: Fw: [NWDogActivities] A horrifying ordeal with Delta Airlines
> Hope this goes through to the list,, belive everyone should know of this and > I belive the original sender will apriciate all to send it to the lists they > belong to,, Bitlit > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "BasenjiBreederRoundtabl" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "NW_LureCoursingChat" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Nguyen, Vince" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Friday, February 10, 2006 7:08 AM > Subject: [NWDogActivities] A horrifying ordeal with Delta Airlines > > > > > > > > *** Crossposted WITH permission.... FYI... > > Please crosspost!!! > > > > > ==================== > > > Last Friday had to be one of the very most frustrating > > > days of my entire life. Never have I encountered , > > > all at once, such a group of un-co-operative uncaring > > > people all working at the same company. The company > > > is Delta Airlines. > > > Looking back, I should have realized that something > > > was different. I have shipped puppies with Delta for > > > over 30 years. This time, when I called the Pets > > > First desk to make the reservation, at about 6 am one > > > morning I got a recording telling me that it was > > > closed and that I should call back during office > > > hours. The recording did not say what those office > > > hours were. > > > > > > When I finally did get through to them later in the > > > day after being on hold "waiting for the next > > > available representative" for 25 minutes I made a > > > reservation for last Friday, Feb. 3, 2006 for a puppy > > > to go "Pets First" from Ft. Myers FL to Bloomington , > > > Illinois, with a change of planes in Atlanta. I > > > specifically asked them to check that the planes were > > > big enough for a 200 crate, and was assured that both > > > were full size Delta jets. > > > > > > I went up to the airport cargo on Thurs. Feb. 2 to do > > > the paper work , surrender the health certificates, > > > etc. since the flight was at 6:55 on Friday morning > > > and this would simplify . On Friday morning, I took > > > puppy , crate, newspaper, towel, stuffed toy, baby > > > blanket, an unopened bottle of water , dry food in a > > > zip lock bag, and plastic dishes attached to the door > > > of the shipping crate. Every inch of the crate and > > > all items were examined, approved , and placed in or > > > taped to the crate. This was at 5:30 in the morning. > > > > > > My name and number, owner to be's name and number , > > > were on at least 3 pieces of paperwork attached to the > > > crate. My name, address, and telephone number are on > > > the crate side in black laundry marker. > > > > > > Puppy was to arrive in Bloomington at 11:30. At that > > > time the new owner called me. The puppy was not on > > > the plane. She was frantic. No one had called either > > > of us. The airline did not know where he was. An > > > hour later he was located in Atlanta. They informed > > > us that he was not on the plane because they had used > > > a different plane that did not allow dogs. So they > > > just let him sit there. THEY NEVER CALLED TO LET US > > > KNOW!. > > > > > > No other flight with appropriate plane was scheduled > > > that day. It was then arranged that he would fly (at > > > 2:40 pm) to Peoria, Illinois and arrive there at 3:20 > > > (change of time zones) . OK - things happen. Not > > > happy, but puppy would get there and new owner would > > > drive to get him in Peoria. Then 3:20 arrived, so did > > > the plane, and THE PUPPY WAS NOT ON THE PLANE. THEY > > > NEVER CALLED EITHER ONE OF US TO SAY THAT HE WOULD NOT > > > BE ON THE PLANE. I had called the Pet First Desk and > > > been on hold for 60 minutes one time before giving up > > > and 50 minutes another to make sure he was on the > > > plane and never contacted a real person. The tracking > > > site on the Delta web site would not show anything. A > > > real person told us later that they DO NOT TRACK DOG > > > SHIPMENTS, ONLY PLANES. > > > > > > It took two hours for them to find him, still at the > > > Atlanta airport. I was FRANTIC - I am 10 hours away > > > from Atlanta. The new owner (at the airport in > > > Peoria) was frantic. Once they located him ( I am > > > going," has he been out to potty, has he got water, > > > was he offered food?" - oh yes, he is fine, right here > > > in front of me wagging tail) > > > > > > Arrangements made to put him on a plane at 8:40 pm. > > > Got through to the pet desk at 9:00 - NO - THE PUPPY > > > WAS NOT ON THAT FLIGHT - HE WAS STILL IN ATLANTA. > > > Told to call a "logistics" number I found that he had > > > not been put on that flight because it was carrying > > > dry ice. BUT THEY NEVER CALLED EITHER OF US TO TELL > > > US-------------WHY WHY WHY------------silence. Now, > > > they told me, he would have to go to a kennel as they > > > couldn't keep him at the airport for over four hours. > > > I am to the screaming stage - he has already BEEN at > > > the D------ airport for over 12 hours. Is the puppy OK > > > , is he dehydrated? Has he been allowed out of the > > > crate, does he have water? Puppy, they said , is > > > fine. Will go to a kennel. I will be billed. They > > > have no idea when puppy will fly to Illinois. ALSO > > > TELL ME NOW THAT HE WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN SHIPPED OUT > > > WITHOUT A FAX FROM ME CHANGING HIS DESTINATION. NEVER > > > EVER MENTIONED THIS BEFORE ALL DAY > > > LONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! > > > > > > I tell them to hold - using cell phone I call Kitty > > > Cahoon who is at dog shows in Atlanta. Kitty > > > immediately agrees to go and get the puppy - I convey > > > this to the idiot that I am talking to who then > > > transfers me to another idiot who says that they won't > > > release the puppy to anyone without a FAX. I stop > > > trying to reason with them and scream that it is now > > > 11:30 at night and I don't have a bloody FAX machine. > > > No budging them. A rule. A contract that I signed > > > that morning giving them jurisdiction over the puppy. > > > I tell them that the contract has already been broken > > > by THEM - that it was to deliver the puppy to > > > Bloomington 12 hours earlier. I finally told them I > > > would find a FAX machine if I had to drive 100 miles > > > to do that - to not send the dog to a kennel. I am > > > terrified that I will never see this puppy alive > > > again. Finally my daughter gets hold of someone in > > > the newpaper office that she knows and a FAX is sent. > > > Kitty picks up the puppy. He is, thank God, alive. > > > He is also dehydrated, un- watered, un- fed and in a > > > kennel with urine and stool, dirty paper, bedding , > > > and toys. To her it seems he has never been taken out > > > or fed or watered. In that shipping crate for 18 > > > hours. They go back to the show grounds to her RV and > > > I sink to the floor crying and threatening to sue > > > Delta for the inhumane and callous way they have > > > managed to lose this pup and cause trauma to us all. > > > > > > This is Sunday. Puppy was not in good enough shape to > > > try to fly him yesterday. Fluids have helped and he > > > is now back to acting good. Delta wants to "start > > > over" to get him to Peoria. They also want me to pay > > > another $200 to do so. Guess what - I have called my > > > credit card company and that charge already there will > > > be disputed until the day I die. I WILL NEVER USE > > > DELTA TO SHIP A PUPPY AGAIN. I will tell everyone I > > > know of the horrible way we were treated. I will > > > contact every Delta official that I can get a > > > name/address for. Any other suggestions? I WILL > > > FOLLOW THROUGH. > > > > > > All through this whole thing not one employee of Delta > > > ever apologised for the problems. Not once did > > > anyone, except for one ticket agent in Bloomington, > > > even express sympathy. I told the last person I > > > talked to at the Atlanta airport that if that puppy > > > died that "heads would roll". Well, the puppy has > > > survived. Kitty has him safe with her. We don't know > > > at this time if he will continue his trip or what. > > > Right now we are just glad that he is alive. But > > > heads are still going to roll. > > > > > > Please feel free to post to any and all lists and > > > concerned people so they can't do this to anyone else. > > > > > > > > > Marcia Deugan > > > ZIYADAH Sussex Spaniels > > > > > > > > *There's a list of dog-related items wanted/for sale in the > NWDogActivities database. > > **To view and add upcoming dog events collected in a calendar, please go > to: > > http://www.sardogs.com/calendar.htm > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > PSG - Poodle Support Group > http://poodle.org/mailman/listinfo/psg > _______________________________________________ > YOUR PERSONAL SUBSCRIBER OPTIONS: > > Unsubscribe or choose new options at > http://mail.nyhost.net/mailman/options/psg/golds_s%40bellsouth.net > > " Lets talk about our wonderful little friends! Join today! " Yahoo! 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