I wondered how long it would take delta to ruin what was, arguably, the country’s best airline. Unfortunately, it took much less time then I had anticipated when I booked what will be my last flight on delta/Northwest.

I booked a flight on NWA.com for myself, my wife, and my sister-in-law from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to John Wayne airport in California. We were scheduled to depart Milwaukee on February 26, 2009. Unfortunately, mother nature had other plans so we were rescheduled on the same flights on the 27th. Lucky for us, I was able to deal with Northwest people and everything was taken care of with a simple phone call. It was the level of service I had grown accustomed to from Northwest over the past ten years.

Contrast that with the “frig you” attitude I experienced from the delta bunch of ignorant, arrogant, non-professional, idiots in Orange County when we tried to return on March 3, 2009. It is difficult to express in words how horrific that experience was for me and others. I’ll start my arrival at the airport. We drove by the terminals the first time and, we thought, had missed the Northwest sign. On the second pass, my brother-in-law said that the sign must have fallen down but he had travelled on Northwest from Orange County many times so he dropped us off at the south end of the terminal.

I dragged our checked baggage into the ticketing time and still was not able to find the Northwest counter. I asked a TSA person and was told that I had to go to the north end of the terminal and check my baggage at delta. So I lugged the baggage down to the delta area. When I got there I found three lines, none with any markings. I asked a person in line 1 what it was. He informed me it was for delta frequent flyers. He said if I was checked in I could just get in the line next to him and use the kiosk to check my bags. Now by this time the line had gotten longer so I slepped the bags out to the curb and got in line for curbside baggage check (as suggested on my online check in). I worked my way to the front of the line only to be told that since I was a “Northwest person”, I could not use curbside baggage check!

Just an aside. There NO SIGNS anywhere providing any information (more on this later).

By this time I had been at the airport for 45-minutes and had accomplished absolutely nothing. Hauled the bags back inside and, seeing it was very likely I would miss my flight, I sent my wife and her sister ahead and told them not to worry about me if I did not get on the plane. So I am back in the line and one of the delta baggage witches asks if anyone is on the 6:45 to Atlanta. Several people raised their hands and they were brought to the front of the line. When I asked about the 6:45 to Minnie, I was told they had to take care of the Atlanta (translate “delta”) flight first.

I finally get up to a kiosk and after several attempts I ask the delta service witch for assistance. She tells me I am too late to check my bags and proceeded to “explain” to me I needed to be at the airport in time to check my bags. I told her I was there on time but there are not any signs outside telling anyone from Northwest where to go to check bags. She then told the first of many lies that I would hear from various delta folk in the course of the morning. She said the airport would not allow them to install a sign. (I just got off the phone with the airport administration office and was told they were not aware there was not a sign and they would under no circumstances forbid an airline from posting a sign).

The next step in the folly was when a delta warlock came over and told me I was in the wrong line as the Northwest system does not talk to the delta system and only one kiosk (the one in the last of the three lines) was where I had to go to check my bags. So once again I move to yet my fourth line and wait my turn. I make it to “next in line” and a little oriental delta witch appears and says she “knows a secret way” to make the delta kiosk work so she grabs my boarding pass and runs off. While this is going on, three other people use the kiosk I could have been using, to check their bags. At that point the little witch returns and “so sorry, I can’t get it”.

At that time I told them they could keep the damn bags I was going to try and catch my flight. After clearing security I did an OJ, running to my gate, shoes and jacket in hand. As I approached the gate, I saw the plane was still at the gate and the door to the jet way was open. I handed my boarding pass to the delta gate witch and she said ”The flight is closed.” By now three of my fellow passengers were at the gate as well. Despite our pleadings, she refused to even call the plane. Incidentally, the plane remained at the gate for another 11 minutes (I timed it).

I then asked about getting rebooked. After another fifteen minutes the CS witch got me rebooked on the 3:50PM flight arriving in Milwaukee at midnight. When I asked her if that was the best she could, she replied (here comes another lie) “Yes. I’m sorry I even checked all of the other airlines.” So I went, put on my shoes and got a cup of coffee. Then I thought, why should I believe that witch? I am a Northwest person and she is a delta witch who could not care less about a Northwest flyer.

So as I walked back towards my original gate (gate 3) I noticed that United had a flight to O’Hare just starting to board. I asked the United Angel if there was room on the flight and could I make any connections to Milwaukee. She checked and said yes there were seats and she could get me on a flight to Milwaukee arriving in Milwaukee at 4PM. I had to go back to the delta witch to get my ticket and she presented yet another lie when she said that flight did not come up on her earlier search. She was SO surprised when she found it this time. She issued the tickets and I was off in the Friendly Skies.

I arrived in Milwaukee on time and then set about getting a handle on my baggage. A wonderful Northwest baggage agent in Milwaukee took care of everything in a professional and cheerful manner. It is a shame that people like her are going to all be replaced by the brown booted, uncaring delta androids.

I want to thank Northwest for hundreds of thousands of miles of professional, courteous, and above and beyond service. It is sad to know I have flown my last flight on my favorite airline. My future travel will be on United, American, Midwest, or Southwest. I will NEVER, EVER set foot in a plane operated by the androids. In fact, I will use every means I can find; the internet, blogs, letters to editors, and networking to do my part to warn people of the hideous service (or lack of service) they can expect from the androids at delta.