Regular readers know that I am typically a defender of Pete Buttigieg and think he has done a fine job as US Transportation Secretary. But Buttigieg’s “warning” to Delta Air Lines strikes me as the same sort of unhelpful lip service that has characterized Delta’s own response to its meltdown.
Pete Buttigieg Warns Delta Air Lines To Provide Excellent Customer Service (Or What?)
Buttigieg took to X in a trio of tweets over Delta’s operational difficulties this week. Those include:
- Promising to hold Delta to “applicable passenger protections”
- Reminding Delta it must provide:
- “Prompt refunds” or “free rebooking”
- Timely reimbursements for food and hotel stays incurred due to Delta flight delays or cancellations
- “Adequate” customer service
- No stranding of passengers overnight
- No multi-hour waits to speak to a customer service agent
We have received reports of continued disruptions and unacceptable customer service conditions at Delta Air Lines, including hundreds of complaints filed with @USDOT.
I have made clear to Delta that we will hold them to all applicable passenger protections.
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) July 22, 2024
No one should be stranded at an airport overnight or stuck on hold for hours waiting to talk to a customer service agent. If any airline fails to honor its customer service requirements, let us know: https://t.co/Noj5A5hE8w
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) July 22, 2024
And I don’t disagree with any of those goals...but what is Delta really supposed to do here? Hire and train thousands of temps to pick up the phone? Force airport agents to work 24-hour shifts? It seems to me that Delta recognizes it is in a mess and is doing all it can to dig out of it. Were there mistakes along the way? Of course…and hopefully, Delta can learn from them and avoid them next time.
But there is no immediate fix. There is no way to get the operation back in a single day or suddenly eliminate hold times. And Buttigieg knows this, which makes his tweet sound as self-serving as Delta’s myopic blame on CrowdStrike when intervening issues were also at work.
Perhaps, giving Buttigieg the benefit of the doubt, his pressure will help shape Delta’s overall response. Reader Evan has been impacted by the meltdown and left the following comment earlier:
To me, the key is what DL is going to do after it gets out of “crisis” mode. Will they keep doing only what they’re legally obligated to do, or will they actually be a premium airline and go above and beyond? I personally lost $1,100 in prepaid deposits. My trip insurance will only cover a fraction of it because it considered what happened a “trip interruption”.
I don’t expect DL to make me whole…it’s not going to happen. A travel voucher of $100 – $200 would be nice. At least for me, it will show DL is a premium airline. However, if DL just says, “Sorry, oh well, legally we don’t have to cover that” and does nothing, then it’s not a premium airline, it’s like every other airline. We’ll see.
I think his sentiment is reasonable and indeed, all eyes will be on Delta in the days ahead to see how generous it will be.
CONCLUSION
I didn’t find Buttigieg’s comments concerning Delta’s meltdown helpful in this circumstance. Rather, they sounded to me like a bad boss who demands solutions immediately when it is clear there are no immediate solutions. Nevertheless, if Buttigieg’s comments can spur Delta to quickly make things right with the hundreds of thousands of people it has stranded, then there will be some good that comes from this.
Damned if you do damned if you don’t.
I’m sure if he said and did nothing you’d be ok with it.
Or if he shrugged his shoulders and said “it happens” you’d be ok as well.
Gurl please. I’ve defended him:
https://liveandletsfly.com/defense-of-buttigieg/
Spoken like a true magat.
Nice. You didn’t even read it.
You assume Johnnie can read at all.
Pete is just rattling his saber!! However, he’s putting the airlines on notice to follow the rules on cancelled flights which I do appreciate.
To me, the airlines act like first year freshmen attempting to get away with what ever is possible. Periodically, they need a swift kick in the arse to remind them Uncle Sam has the final say.
As an example, looks like WN will be called down to the office over low decent into airports, closed runways, and a few other things. I would image the chief pilot in the room will be responding, “Sir, Yes, Sir” during these pow wows!
And the Dept. of Transportation does such a good job overseeing manufacturing of aircraft ?
And the Dept. of Transportation installed DEI at the FAA ?
Oh please not that tired and racist anti-DEI nonsense again.
Since when does this useless DEI hire care about transportation? Maybe he’s angling to be the first polesmoking VP and wants to show that he actually works instead of just collecting government paychecks and benefits at his do-nothing job.
He has always cared, it’s just your hateful bigotry that prevents you from seeing it.
It’s called reality you ignorant dimwit.
@Aaron … “Caring” is not Rational Management .
“Ooooo he cares and he feels” .
What do you mean by polesmoking? I don’t understand, please explain.
Let me explain: The act of oral sex is a long-running sexual activity among humans. Given the shape of the human penis as a long, hard shaft crowned with a big sensual head, it is commonly associated with a pole. Smoking of course is a slang term of “sucking”. Ergo, the act of oral sex on a male is colloquially known as “polesmoking”. When it comes to creepy homosexuals like Pete Ballgag, the term is used as a denigrative term for both his sexual orientation and his lack of ability.
Hope that clears things up for you.
Wow! What a bloody hatred human being you are
We will pray for you
NOT
You can knead my silky buttocks.
It’s also why we call Aaron a tonsil jockey.
He is also well acquainted with other activities like sausage smuggling and chicken choking, the latter being both an individual and group activity.
Personally, you bigoted shred of human debris, I hope that one of my big gay friends kicks your scrawny ass so hard that you taste shoe leather. It’s too bad that the better part of you dripped down your mother’s leg.
The truth hurts, you walking talking jizzbucket.
I see. And in your opinion, this is relevant commentary on the US Government’s response to an airline’s scheduling and deployment challenges?
Exactly, for you see, Pete Bootygag is known as a “DEI hire” because he has no qualifications for the Job, and he is lazy, but was given this job SOLELY for being gay. This is a huge problem in our political system because it elevates unqualified individuals to high positions based solely on their race or what shafts they suck as opposed to their worthiness and qualifications.
Are you looking at yourself?
I am very sure that Buttigieg is much smarter, better read, and more honest than the Don the Con-Man running as the Republican Party’s candidate for US President. The convicted criminal Donald is an example of affirmative action for the stupid children of the rich — without his family’s inherited wealth which he managed worse than a monkey trained to keep depositing money into a major US stock index fund and keeping it there. In the case of ye MAGA Lord, it’s DEI for the stupid, immoral children of the very rich.
Pete is a nice guy. He’s smart and thoughtful as well. But he’s not effective in this role. To his credit, there are limits to what he can do.
Effectiveness matters more than caring or speaking kindly.
Also I thought DEI was supposed to be a good thing? Do you disagree?
And people thought the SWA Christmas meltdown was bad. SWA passengers were at least made “whole”. Getting reimbursements for hotels, cars and flights on other airlines. SWA even threw in miles on top of all that. 25,000 to be exact. And the reimbursement (in cash) only took a couple of weeks)
It will be interesting to see what, if anything Delta does, to try and make up for it.
Hm, okay.
I think it’s more likely he was appointed because of his mayoral experience, military service, and high profile during the 2020 Democratic primary. And that his response and actions, whatever your opinion of them, are best judged on their own merits and in the context of this situation.
It’s even more likely that what you are asserting is offensive, juvenile, and irrelevant, and has no place in public discourse. I truly wonder what your thought process is when you decide to type out and post something so demeaning, and low-class, and I cannot imagine how you function as an adult in the world, and perhaps you do not/are not.
This was a reply to the troll, not you. But it posted under the wrong comment.
I take his messaging as less “fix it now” and more posturing to signal what DOT will take action on as follow up.
“More posturing to signal” his stupidity … there will be No action as follow up .
That clown could not change a wheel if he had a flat ; he wouldn’t wish to touch the wheel with his manicured hands .
@ Alert
Pete Buttigieg is a Harvard grad and Oxford Rhodes scholar. They are selected for commitment to manhood, the truth, devotion to duty, and others virtues. He also served eight years as a naval intelligence officer. I wager he could change a tire.
He is NOT however a xenophobic, homophobic racist.
@Maryland …
I don’t know if he is a Harvard grad , a Rhodes Scholar , or a Naval Intelligence Officer . Even if he actually is all of those things , none of them include training to change a wheel . A military Jeep driver would be able to .
I said he is a clown who could not change a Wheel if he had a flat .
Changing a Tire is much more difficult , and I myself cannot do that . Can you change a Tire ?
Yes. Buttigieg is all of those things. Seems your reality cannot accept things that don’t fit your narrative. And yes as a five four woman, until lymphoma and PCV cancers I had changed the tires on my Chevy Silverado. Alone. They were over sand with more than an eight inch ground clearance ( so 17 inches ). I am sorry to find a veteran as yourself that is so disrespectful.
@Maryland … +1 . Good reply .
Bill Clinton was also a Rhodes Scholar. I think Clinton may have actually been the first former Rhodes Scholar that I ever met. But he’s no great example of commitment to the truth and good morality — and that may very well explain why Clinton and former Democrat Trump were buddies with each other. It also may explain why they had a mutual interest in Jeffrey Epstein, even as it was Trump who was far more often partying with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and “the girls”.
He’s a lot of great things.
Effective is none of them.
You can have a solid resume and still execute poorly.
The real solution is enforcing EU 261 like protection here in the US , not this grand standing by Pete.
@Mike.
This is 100% the real solution. Make the rules and penalties upfront and clear. It’s so hypocritical that an airline can cancel on passengers with nothing to show for it, but passengers can not do the same
Yes, but the amounts need to be higher and the rules set so as to not let airlines cheaply play the kind of games that they play with EC 261/2004. And when writing the US rules, they should factor in the case law in the EC area so as to make sure to get ahead of airlines’ creative avoidance of hanging out customers to dry when making the US version of EC 261/2004.
The solution is very simple. There needs to be at most two agreements between airlines. Maybe one agreement between United, American, Delta, Alaska + Hawaiian. Another agreement between Frontier, Spirit, Allegiant, Sun Country, and others. JetBlue and Southwest can decide which one they want to join. Then when there is a major meltdown, the airline must endorse the ticket to another airline within the agreement.
Even better is to allow Westjet and Air Canada to join in. If there is a meltdown, then cabotage would be temporarily allowed. For example, in the Delta meltdown, a passenger could get to their destination via Toronto even if the origin and destination is in the US. If there is an Air Canada meltdown, a passenger could be ticketed to fly from Vancouver to O’Hare then to Toronto.
Pete is full of it if he doesn’t recognize that. Refunds only is worthless if you are stuck in Atlanta trying to get from Little Rock to Scranton.
@Derek. This already exist for the most part. Airlines already have these agreements in place with fixed price to rebook passengers if a seat is open. I think it is Delta unwillingness to pay and possibly heard that technology limitations that allow for mass rebookings (whether on Delta or another carrier) that are holding this meltdown down
Reference for 2018… https://thepointsguy.com/2018/01/delta-american-interline-agreement/
Even 24 years ago at this time, if I got hit by a cancellation or massive delay, it was pretty easy to take the paper ticket and get a major carrier in the US to endorse it for use on a same-day flight. The airlines figured out it was financially better for the airlines if they collectively made things worse for their flying customers hit by IRROPS, and so they did with a “monkey see, monkey do attitude” and collectively playing “see no evil, hear no evil, say no evil” while making things worse for consumers on the ground.
GU … Yep . I can remember going to various international stops with a sheaf of paper tickets , and I could have them endorsed whenever and wherever I wished . And the airlines never charged me extra . They were happy to get the extra passenger , even for a fraction of their fare price .
Better to go from Little Rock to Dallas , to Los Angeles , to Honolulu , to San Francisco , to Chicago , to Pittsburg , to Scranton .
Always avoid Atlanta or Denver .
I would argue the other side Matthew. I think Delta can do a lot in the immediate and long term. And for the long-term items, I think they could and should have learned from their previous meltdowns in the last 5-10 years. I think they had a few bad ones and they all should have been learning and improvement opportunities.
Immediately. Delta could start issuing hotel and meal credits for stranded passengers, offer to guarantee refunds for other travel like train, rental car, bus and critically rely on rebooking passengers on other airlines at whatever costs it takes. Lets not forget that in 2016 Delta cut interline with AA with massive amounts of hubris only to have a meltdown and not rely on their closet hub airline (AA at CLT) to help rebook passengers
In the longterm, they should have learned from the previous meltdowns and have the right technologies and solutions in place. An easy change and cancel feature in the app. ability to change to a nearby airport (flying to PHL instead of NYC for example) and more executable playbook plans for situations like this.
Bunch of meaningless pontificating . Both parties have been purchased by these airlines. On Capitol Hill they’ll soon be some chest thumping, some fake outrage then a token fine will be issued. Same response as every other recent meltdown You want change? Stop electing the same red and blue rubber stampers every two years.
Crew scheduling software is the issue, correct?
I’d think the big airlines would have reviewed contingency plans after the WN problem recently.
His comments simply reminds Delta’s passengers that they will be owed compensation for their expenses etc., and that the DOT will be there to enforce it. In a time where Delta is being very coy about reimbursements, and even trying to refund as credits rather than cash, is that not how the DOT should be operating?
This is the opening shot. People are suffering and the excuses ( lies?) will no longer be acceptable. That is how I read Buttigieg’s warning.
He’s not going to be US DOT Secretary at this time next year, so he’s just talking a big game while the clock is running down before the next Administration is in place and he is no longer the Secretary of Transportation.
He is not more capable of talking a big game , than Joe , Jill , or Camel-a . Very weak games from all three .
Have you heard Trump speak? He is more like the moron who is a broken record player and dishonestly responds to challenging questions and challenges without actual answers — instead he responds with showmanship worthy of a court jester who put the fool in fool while the gullible swallow it hook, line and sinker or support him anyway because they want the federal government to be a mockery of itself and gutted.
100%
Why would you ever defend Pete?? He has no clue about what he is doing!!! from a small city mayor to a Cabinet member… Nuts.. Clueless in DOT land.I hope CS has good Insurance so DL and other can sue them to get reimburses for all of the $$$$ they lost.
When he was picked as the nominee for Secretary of Transportation, I was inclined to think two things:
1) He is stupid for accepting the traditional career-killer role in politics when he wants to be President — that typical dead-end position being the role of Transportation Secretary.
2) He is poorly suited to be Transportation Secretary — just like I would consider myself to be in the role — and thus he’s stupid for getting in over his head while having presidential aspirations.
In hindsight, I was wrong about him when it came to this role. That and he has positively exceeded my expectations. But it helps that he was given a lot of money to deploy across the country. Either way, he’s no “DEI hire” — unlike Trump who is the poster child of DEI for rich, spoiled brats.
Like you, he cares about co#k in his a#s, nothing more. The fact that he and his sh#t breath buddy were allowed to adopt a kid is a national embarrassment. The kid would have been better off aborted as buttplug is so in favor of.
This was meant for Aaron obviously as a reply above. Not sure why it is on its own.
You really like to talk grossly about people. Let’s try to be more clinical. How about Ye MAGA Lord who said his personal Vietnam was sexually transmitted diseases? Ye MAGA Lord may be a text-book case of a syphilis -damaged brain already damaged by toxoplasmosis. It would explain a lot about the gross behavior of Ye Lord Trump.
As most normal people believe, I’d rather have a daughter su#k 500 coc#ks than a son that suc#ed one.
Gross. Did you feel that way about your mother and grandmothers too, or did they all fail to teach you to have basic respect which all individuals deserve in the absence of an individual engaging in or inciting illegal harm against another person.
Shut your cake hole, moron.
You appear to have some serious psychosexual issues. Consider a consult with a licensed mental health professional.
Meant for Dave Edwards
I wish I could just read comments that are on topic instead of profane narratives on sexual aberrations and/or proclivities.
NO DEAL
WWJD lolz
The immediate fix is an instant refund so people can rebook elsewhere followed by full compensation for replacement airfare of an equivalent class. I like Delta but you’re being unreasonably easy on them.
These comments. Oh man…
You might as well make this a political blog and discuss your thoughts on Kamala Hartis at this rate.
I thought we were all adults. Can’t we just discuss Pete Buttigieg without discussing broader politics?
Come on Matt, you know Pete might be the most controversial person you occasionally write about. And know EXACTLY what is coming in the comments when you do.
Slowly but surely the public is waking up to the consequences of not hiring the best person for the job.
Oh, I realize the comments will be a cesspool of hatred against him…that I understood (and yes, it does make me sad because he’s done a heckuva a lot better job than Mrs. McConnell).
But I don’t understand people like Pete making claims (above) about ME that are not true. Stupid people who can’t read and just comment annoy me just as much as reducing PB to a “polesmoker.”
You know, I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I’m starting to suspect my insights aren’t being appreciated here.
They are appreciated as a view from MAGAworld.
I understand that there is a long history of people freaking out over there being LGBTQ+ people in the world, but the country is on a new level of crudeness in how freaked out people open their mouth to talk about LGBTQ+ people. Are you afraid they are going to want a piece of you when you least expect it, or are you inspired to try to be as pornographic with the public as such First Amendment freedom fighters as the notorious Al Goldsteins and Larry Flynts of America?
100%
Oh the comments indeed.
Maybe it’s “that time of the month” for Chi and Dave E above and so they are “extra sensitive”, “extra emotional” and “extra easily triggered” and thus in need of a “safe zone” where they won’t be intimidated by Buttigieg’s existence, words and actions. Maybe we should give them some “thoughts and prayers” for its “that time of the month” for these easily-triggered CIS-presenting males Chi and Dave E above?