Delta the good and the ugly

[Stinky10]

Ok....How do I post a picture?

Delta was the best airline so far about making note of a traveler with peanut allergy,  letting us board early, they gave us wipes to wipe the seat,  all the staff knew, we were asked reasonable questions and treated quite well.  Really better than any other airline.

On the first flight I felt like I could smell peanuts.  Just faintly. 

On the second flight I figured out why.  The rails that chairs sit in are completely gunked up with peanut bits, other food and filth.    I seriously considered getting off the plane when I saw what was there.   So the good news is DS was fine and we made it.   I'm not going to tweet the picture until we get back on the mainland.   

[CMdeux]

Oh wow-- thank you SO much for sharing that. 


After you get back do you mind if we move this up to Travel?



PS-- to share a photo, the easiest thing is to use a photobucket/imageshack account, but a flickr stream works, too.  Just share the URL and use the picture button to insert the html code to make it show up as an image (that's the tiny Mona Lisa up there below the bold button, and next to the globe.

[becca]

Yuck.  I found the same at the *peanut free* red socks game.  My son looked into the cracks on the countertop where were seated and they were filled with peauts and shells.  We were on an upper deck, and I think they basically just sweep it clean, and don't seel peanuts there and post some signs.  But residue is there for sure.  It has not been a problem for my dd but would be for some. 

[Stinky10]

I can't get the pic to upload.  I emailed it to another member and I'll try again to post it later.   It's really bad.  I spent a good 45 mins debating if we should get off the plane or not.....

it's funny - I really felt that it would be ok - I could feel that we'd make it and I could see us in Hawaii with my mom - all having arrived safely.  It felt very real.   But I felt foolish for thinking that and should anything happen I would so regret it - just not worth it.

this was my logic in staying on the plane...

we just flew a two hour flight on delta where I could faintly smell peanuts - I didn't know why at the time
we were sitting on this plane for a full 45 mins before take off
we were flying from Salt Lake City - so had some time over land (not the case when you leave from Seattle)
we go to theaters and out in the world without any trouble and I know that there are pnuts around in many places
DS has sat next to friend eating pad thai with peanuts

I'm so glad that we made it and really wished that we had done some "proximity testing" before hand
I really had NO IDEA how peanut Delta was because I haven't flown them in years!   

Had I flown Delta myself recently I never would have booked us on that airline.

[CMdeux]

 


try not to think about the return flight the entire time you're there, okay??

[becca]

It is just plain dirty, regardless of allergies.  Yuck.  Like it is rarely cleaned.

But, how is Hawaii?!

[Macabre]

Stinky emailed me the photo.

[Macabre]

Yeah, in January DS flew by himself in US Air to a traveling speech tourney because his team was flying Delta. I thought that was safer.

Buy a crib sheet and Cloroz wipes for the trip home.

[Stinky10]

I'm not worried at all about the flight home.   Yet.

[Stinky10]

Flight home was good.  The plane was totally clean and didn't smell at all like peanuts.  It was 3 seats, isle then 3 seats.  I didn't see any filth or peanuts.

DS's ticket was marked as peanut allergy.  The staff in Hawaii didn't seem as aware of the policies, but when I said that we needed to board early - they were fine with that.   They didn't serve peanuts.  When we walked on I mentioned to the FA - "this is the peanut allergy - isle 44", and they said that they knew and welcome aboard.   After we were seated one of the FA's asked me if "he was really sensitive?" and "could they eat peanuts in the galley?" - he asked it very gingerly and accepted the answer of "yes he's sensitive and no, not even in the galley" just fine.    That made me wonder about the staff bringing their own food and if they weren't told about a peanut free flight, if they brought something with peanuts for their lunch - that would really stink.  They also made an announcement asking people not to eat peanuts on the flight.

It was actually the least worried that I've been on a plane in a long while.  Taking the red-eye really reduced that amount of food.  I didn't see any one - not one person eating anything.

Also Delta seemed really attentive to people, they announced connecting gates, they announced the baggage carousel, there were water bottles and peppermints at the baggage carousel.

Delta would not be my first choice given the first flight, but they were easily the best of the airlines that we've flown, including Alaska and United recently in handling peanut allergy with pretty comprehensive policies and a general feeling of courtesy and respect.

[CMdeux]

That's GREAT.  I'm glad that the return flight was so low-stress, Stinky.

Is it okay that we move this at some point up to travel where it's more visible via search engines?

[twinturbo]

Congrats on the vacation. Glad it was a success.

[Stinky10]

Yes- please move to travel. 

[ajasfolks2]

The cleanliness of any airline aircraft depends on the contracted cleaning crew at the specific locale.

That photo doesn't surprise me at all -- for any airline that still is serving peanuts regularly.

Tells me that our family will continue to stick with United Airlines due to the length of time since they regularly served bags of peanuts (about 1999 when they stopped).