[eeichleay]

last november, i suffered a seizure (my first) and was hospitalized for several days, including the day that my international flight was scheduled to take off.

my husband secured travel vouchers (good for one year) that we tried to redeem on september 8... at which time we were told that they'd expired. APPARENTLY they were only good for a year from the time of booking - not the time of travel, something we'd NEVER been told. (EVEN SO, we were only three days late, as we'd originally booked the tickets on september 5, 2008.)

when we called to inquire if there was anything we could do, we were repeatedly told by the customer service representatives to FAX our medical papers to a different number, and that a supervisor would be able to help us. we REPEATEDLY requested to be contacted VIA telephone in those faxes. NOT ONLY were we repeatedly denied our vouchers, but we were consistently denied the opportunity to speak to a human being.

further, the faxes we received back from customer service got increasingly snarky, including phrases such as: "I am genuinely sorry it was necessary for you to write again" and "I apologize for your continued dissatisfaction with my response."

i don't understand why the airlines feel it necessary to act like petulant children - refusing to talk to, and sending rude form letters, to customers.

it was NOT my choice to spend my days in a hospital bed instead of having fun in europe. they've already collected my money, and it costs them NOTHING but two seats and a little compassion to let us redeem our vouchers. but i guess that's what air travel's become...

i will NEVER fly delta again. and i will do my best to make sure no one i know does either...