Delta Flight Attendant Accuses Colleague Of Not Helping Grieving Family

A Delta flight attendant is justifiably upset about the way that one of their colleagues treated a family going through the worst situation imaginable, as flagged by PYOK. Unfortunately this seems to be one of those cases where the human touch is lost in the airline industry, which is all too common…

Delta flight attendant upset over Red Coat’s actions

A Delta flight attendant recently posted online to share an experience where they were frustrated by the way that one of their colleagues treated a couple dealing with an unimaginably tough situation. Let me just quote the entire post:

We talk SO much about being the Delta difference and making connections with our customers, but when it comes down to the moments that would TRULY matter, how do we drop the ball so badly?

A young family was woken up this morning to the unthinkable news that 2 of their teenage children had died in a car accident. They booked the first flight they could (mine) to check on the surviving child who is currently in critical condition at the hospital.

My crew spoke with the Captain, requesting that we please have a “Meet and Assist” or Red Coat meet the family at our gate to help them navigate Atlanta airport from terminal A to terminal C. (Not getting lost should be the last thing on their minds at a time like this).

Simple, right?

Show empathy, compassion, and go just a LITTLE bit of the extra mile to help a grief-striken couple?

Instead, said Red Coat (AFTER having been briefed by us and being aware of the situation) points at the board with departures, then gestures in the general direction of Terminal C…from gate A10.

I am so upset right now on behalf of these people.

And most of all, I am extremely disappointed in us.

This was NOT a difficult ask.

Being kind to a grieving family on what is likely the worst day of their lives is NOT something that is beyond a Delta family to do. Again.

I am so extremely disappointed.

For those not familiar, Red Coats are Delta’s higher ranking airport customer service agents. Think of them as supervisors, who are supposed to provide the best customer service, and help customers when things go wrong.

It’s disappointing to see this level of care at Delta

I think all too often, the human touch is lost in the airline industry. In some ways, that’s understandable — it’s such a complex industry, and there has to be a focus on efficiency, and dealing with matters in a calm and non-emotional way. Furthermore, given the number of people that airline employees deal with, it’s natural to be desensitized a bit.

At the same time, this incident is really unfortunate to read about. While Delta’s service isn’t as differentiated as in the past (in my opinion), Delta still does want its employees to go above and beyond for people. Executives at the company always talk about the “Delta Difference.” Clearly the flight attendant in this situation recognized that, and tried to go out of their way to empathize with passengers.

I have to imagine that these parents were having the worst day of their life, and a little bit of compassion would’ve gone a long way. It just seems borderline heartless for the crew to ask the Red Coat to do something in a situation like this, and for the Red Coat to them simply point them to the departures board.

If anything, this seems like one of those situations where they should’ve rolled out the red carpet to give these passengers a Porsche transfer on the apron, to make their day better.

I’ve gotta say, in my experience, Delta’s airport customer service agents are a mixed bag. Flight attendants and lounge staff are generally very professional, but aside from that, it’s a game of roulette.

On a recent flight out of JFK, the two gate agents were arguing with one another over some personal matters, to the point that one told the other it was taking all her will to not get physical. Not exactly a great look, especially in front of customers…

Bottom line

A Delta flight attendant recently had a couple on their flight who had just lost their two kids in a car accident, with a third kid in critical condition. This seemed like an obvious situation in which compassion was warranted, so the crew contacted airport operations in Atlanta, so that the couple could be brought to their connecting gate.

Instead, the flight attendant claims that the Red Coat (who is supposed to be a senior customer service agent) simply pointed them to the departures board, and that was the extent of it.

What do you make of this Delta flight attendant story?