Passenger ‘sticks it’ to Delta, gets $2,000

The ‘Hail Mary’ strategy — sending a FedEx letter to an executive — is probably my most controversial dispute-resolution tactic in my playbook. But when all else fails, an unorthodox approach to getting what you deserve from a travel company actually works. If you don’t believe me, consider David Wilson’s recent experience with a nonresponsive Delta Air Lines.

The airline had lost one of Wilson’s bags on a recent trip to Europe. It promised to return his luggage promptly and to compensate him for $200 in toiletries and incidentals he had to buy while he was abroad.

But the check never came, and neither did the bag. Instead, Delta asked him to re-fax his claim and wait. He did, but still no check, and still no bag. So he fired up his computer and decided to take matters into his own hands.

“I started searching for the names of the higher-ups in the Delta customer care department,” he said. “I found the name Steve Scheper. He apparently was the director of customer care. I called the executive office and asked to speak with him — and of course they said ‘no.’ They told me that he was very busy dealing with ‘high-level’ issues. The agent I spoke with actually said, ‘he deals with plain crashes and stuff,’ implying that my lost bag wasn’t that big of a deal.”

Undeterred, Wilson took a few extreme measures. “At this point getting the bag back had become somewhat of a challenge and I was determined to either get it back or stick it to the man while trying,” he said.

Wilson waited until the weekend and called Delta’s main business line. Knowing that no one would answer, he got a voice prompt and was able to navigate directly to Sheper’s voice mail, where he left a brief, polite message explaining his problem.

Next, he disputed his credit card charge, arguing that Delta hadn’t provided the service it promised when it accepted his bag and then misplaced it.

It worked.

“The next morning, I received a phone call from an executive claim agent who offered to compensate me for additional costs incurred by this inconvenience,” he said. “She also offered me a voucher of their greatest value available, $350. I gladly accepted both, but insisted on receiving two vouchers because my wife and I travel together. She agreed and had them shipped out right away.”

Three weeks later, the deal got even better. American Express, his charge card, notified him that Delta had not contested his dispute of the $866 airfare and he received a full refund.

“Total compensation for this lost bag came to nearly $2,000 and the bag was returned to me,” he said. “It was a lot of work and frustration, but it can be done.”

This is a remarkable story, and it goes to show that if you don’t take “no” for an answer, you can get a lot more than you ever thought possible from an airline. Since 2007 is shaping up to be the worst year for customer service in the history of aviation, maybe it’s time to resort to a few unorthodox tactics.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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