Yesterday I got an e-mail from Delta directing me to their website and followed the step-by-step directions on how to go about transferring them. In the past I had done this but simply could not remember nor find out how without their guidance.
Of course, it costs money to transfer the miles from account to account (ugh!) but it was far less than the cost of a round trip ticket. This process took a bit of time, and I used it to make sure that I was doing everything correctly and not causing myself any mix-ups.
Once that was complete, the miles showed up in my account and I was free to make the reservations. Well, from one day to the next, the amount of miles needed for the flights on the days I had chosen had increased!!! Those snakes!! I had to be in Manty on the 11th, for sure, so that day had to stay fixed but I extended my time by a day or two. Finally, I managed to find a schedule that worked with my miles.
Twice I went through the entire process and got to the page where I had to click "Continue to Confirmation" and twice, it went blank. Eventually I would get a message reporting "Unable to Process", and if this continued, I should contact them using a toll free number. At one point in my frustration Justin said, "I think you better call the number..." My cheerleader suggests throwing in the towel---but he was right.
That process had me repeating my selections into the phone to the mechanical voice asking me questions and then I was directed to a live operator. It didn't take long for someone to come on the line and she started working on this before I even said "hello"! I heard my name, and as I said "yes", she was rattling away with her questions. Where do you want to go? When do you want to come back? Are you flexible? (NO! I am as stiff as board, thank you!) She was able to maneuver things around to allow me to travel the day before I actually must be there (whew!!) and arranged for me to come home again two weeks later.
I did make her laugh, though, as she was being strictly business with me. She asked if I wanted an aisle seat and I told her I prefer a window seat. Mrs. Singh asked if I wanted a full reclining seat or not, and I told her I did not recline at all. "I already look like a sack of potatoes in the seat, I don't need to lay back and make it worse!" Finally, the ice was broken, so to speak.
Lickety split my itinerary was e-mailed me, after she had to charge me $25 for using her services to make the arrangements. Wait just a doggone minute!!! What? I explained to her how twice I tried to do it myself and the website threw me out, referring me to her department in the first place..She apologized that she could not refund the fee, and thanked me for my business.
Well! I was glad to be able to inform Justin my arrangements for travel were made and he would be able to take me to the airport on his day off, a Thursday. This is good! When he heard I was charged for the help making the reservation, he agreed this was not right. I told him I was writing a letter, and off I went to do so.
I wrote to the same man, Neil, who helped me with the miles transfer info, explained how I am usually not a grump but holy cow!, it was not my fault I needed to call for help. They could not process, but I could!! This a.m. I had an e-mail from another fellow/department telling me my fee would be refunded to my account and apologized for the problems I had making the online reservations. There! THAT, my friends, is called 'good customer service'!
On the drive to choir last night, I called Mom to make sure she checked her e-mail for my itinerary and such. Since I was driving I could not look at my copy, but tried to recall for her the times, etc. She wished I came earlier or a day sooner, but I explained I had to take the times and dates available for using my miles. I did the best I could so as not to miss my friend, Christin's, appearance in a show on Friday evening. She is singing the lead in "The Sound of Music" and I am going with a group, including several from my family, and Linda J.!
My sister, Lynn, is being feted at a special banquet, celebrating her retirement from LTC on the same night that I arrive in MKE. Because of that, Lynn is not available to collect me. I told Mom that was fine, I would ask someone else or use the shuttle service. Mom offered to treat me to the shuttle ride and I accepted her offer. That is so nice of her! Mom will be Lynn's special guest at the banquet, which I find incredibly wonderful---for them both!
I am also going to miss attending Mom's Ladies' Aid banquet that same afternoon (is that all they do up there is eat???) and while I would enjoy seeing the ladies and all that, it just won't work out. I am not doing one thing to mess with my reservations, now that I have them!!!
