dear delta...

(be prepared for a rant)

dear delta,
i'm trying not to let you ruin our vacation.
first, we boarded our plane from minneapolis to appleton and sat there for 35 minutes.
then the captain got on the intercom to let us know that our flight was temporarily delayed because our co-pilot could not be found.
his flight was also delayed so we were waiting for him and it would be about an hour.
they were nice enough to let us off of the plane while we were waiting for him to arrive.
they suggested we not wander too far from the gate.
after 50 minutes or so, they announced that our flight was cancelled.
now, here's the kicker about this.
there had been no flights in or out of appleton the whole day.
so, why have us wait around for almost 2 hours to tell us it was cancelled.

they quickly re-routed us to another gate for further information.
well, first we find out that there were no flights available in or around appleton for 2 days.
so i started making calls to get us a rental car.
the first company didn't answer the phone. the second company told me that there were no cars available at their company, their sister company, and two of their competitors.
at this point i had a breakdown. we then were able to speak with someone to have our suitcases taken off the plane and transferred to a carousel in baggage claim.

long story short. we finally found a one-way rental but it cost us $400. we waited for about an hour for our bags. we were then told that could take up to 4 hours. really? four hours to remover our bags from a plane that wasn't taking off and bring it to baggage claim.
they also told us that if our bags weren't picked up, they would be on a flight in the morning to appleton. luckily we met a really nice young couple from montana and they chipped in for the rental and we dropped them off in stevens point. they weren't 25 and couldn't rent a vehicle and were there to visit family and go to the packer game. we finally go our bags this morning.

because the cancellation was due the weather, there is no reimbursement available for the rental. they will not refund any of the costs for our baggage.

delta, this is the second time in the last three years that you have caused me stress, anxiety, and frustration when travelling. i don't like you, your airplanes, or your staff.

i sincerely hope i never have to board one your airplanes ever again,
kelly