I have had several occasions to fly DELTA within the USA. For these flights I have considered DELTA as superior to American Airlines and the low cost airlines. When flying to India in 2003 I felt DELTA was pretty good compared to AIR-INDIA(which I used prior to that).
However, after traveling by other carriers like Emirates, British, Singapore and KLM I felt that DELTA is inferior compared to the more respectable airlines.
The last time I came to Bombay I was stranded in Atlanta for several hours due to weather in another part of the country(I do not quite remember but it may be Denver or something).
The airlines staff did not respond to the pasengers at the counters. There was a big line of about 300 people, at a main counter, awaiting to know what has happened to their flights. AND man, did the line move ever so . so slowly. After several hours in the line they told me I will have to take the same flight 2 days later. I told them this was crazy. What would I do for 2 days in a transit airport? I told them "send me back to home" they said "you pay again - and we will do that". I said "no way"!
At this time an AIR-INDIA flight that was leaving was going almost empty. When I pointed out to the attendants at the counter they acted as if they did not know there was an AIR-INDIA flight available.
Then they asked me to go to the Brussels Air counter and see if they will take me. I asked them to give me a voucher to go to them. They reluctantly gave this. If they had given me a voucher to that AIR-INDIA flight I would have been on my way. But they never did this.
After about 2 hours wait on Brussels counter I was told that the flight was full capacity. When I returned to the DELTA counter to return my voucher for a fresh one I was told "we could have sent you to Bombay by AIR-India if you had come a little early".
SH*T ! I said. This is what I was telling you guys in the first place. After I gave them a sampling of my words they agreed to put me on standyby for another flight the next day. Then they offered to put me as standby on the flight to Dubai by the next available flight by Emirates -for the same day.
This worked out. I reached about 18 hours after my scheduled arrival at BOM. BUT they lost my luggage. At the DELTA counter in BOM there was no body. When I found somebody -they did not have any idea of where my luggage was. They sent me to the AIR-INDIA counter for the baggage.
I had to fill up paper work for lost baggage at the AIR-INDIA counter without any assistance from DELTA or EMIRATES.(Emirates naturally did not own up to this responsibility since I was a DELTA passenger.)
After 2 days of wearing the same old pants I got a call from the Lost&Found of "AIR-INDIA" that my bags have arrived.
Again when I reached the counter and stood in line- they told me wait for the DELTA agent - who they fortunately called over their walkie-talkie. Arriving 30 minutes later this agent took me through both the terminals through security to the tarmac(about a 2.5 mile walk) where several baggage transport carts(trailers) full of bags were shown to me. "Get yours" she told me . I then proceeded to dig and find my bags.
Moral of the story: **If some thing goes wrong - Delta will ditch you in an instant!