Delta socks passenger with H1N1 (swine flu) $200 to follow CDC advice

Last week, I published an opinion piece, Why swine flu shouldn’t fly. No sooner had my post hit cyberspace than I received a copy of a letter sent by the husband of an infected passenger who had been socked $200 to change his tickets.

This passenger’s letter provides a stark example of the unconcern Delta registers for any of their passengers. They, as an airline, measured by their cancellation policies, would rather passengers fly sick and infect other passengers and spread this virus rather than do the right thing and allow passengers to make alternative plans without a penalty.

This irritated passenger’s letter underscored my concerns and the concerns of thousands of travelers in this time of influenza uncertainty.

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Dear Mr. Anderson,

I write to express concern and disappointment with a Delta Airlines policy and a conversation I had with a Delta customer service representative today. A month ago my wife, Kay, and I reserved a flight from Denver to Maine to take a vacation in Acadia National Park. Unfortunately, starting yesterday morning (10/12/09), Kay became very ill with what, based on her symptoms, we believe to be a form of the influenza virus. As I write, Kay has not been able to get out of bed for over 24 hours. Out of concern both for Kay’s health and the possibility of exposing other Delta passengers to what may be the H1N1 influenza virus (characterized by the media as the “swine flu”), we decided an hour ago to cancel our trip, and hopefully reschedule a new flight to Maine next week when Kay is feeling better.

Unfortunately, I was told this afternoon by a Delta Airline representative that there is a $200 cancellation fee to do so. This is surprising. Our flight is not close to being sold out, so Delta did not forgo revenue it could have otherwise earned from another customer when we reserved a seat on the flight. Moreover, we were trying to meet Delta halfway – I was not trying to cancel the flight altogether and get any money back. Rather, I simply wanted to reschedule the flight for next week when Kay will hopefully have recovered. I assume Delta would prefer that passengers refrain from travel if they have highly contagious illnesses that could endanger the well-being of other passengers. Indeed, the Center For Disease Control and Prevention explains (http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_homecare.htm) that if an individual has the H1N1 virus:

“Unless necessary for medical care or other necessities, people who are sick with an influenza-like-illness should stay home and keep away from others as much as possible, including avoiding travel, for at least 24 hours after fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities.”

The Delta representative I spoke with suggested that we might be able to obtain a waiver of the cancellation fee if Kay has a note from her doctor certifying that she is, in fact, sick. It is my understanding that unless symptoms are very severe, there isn’t a whole lot a doctor can do to treat the flu once a person has it. That understanding is, again, based on CDC recommendations:

“Get medical care right away if the sick person at home:

• has difficulty breathing or chest pain

• has purple or blue discoloration of the lips

• is vomiting and unable to keep liquids down

• has signs of dehydration such as dizziness when standing, absence of urination, or in infants, a lack of tears when they cry

• has seizures (for example, uncontrolled convulsions)

• is less responsive than normal or becomes confused.”

Since Kay does not exhibit any of these particular symptoms, we do not believe it is necessary to seek medical treatment at this time, and that it is therefore wise to follow the CDC’s advice by having Kay remain at home and rest in bed and stay away from others. That does not, however, mean that Kay is somehow fit to travel or not contagious. It is troubling to me that Delta’s policy regarding waiver of cancellation fees requires an individual to disregard the CDC’s advice by traveling to a doctor not for the purpose of seeking medical treatment, but merely to prove Kay is in fact sick. The Delta representative I spoke with was explicit on this point – he said he does not care whether the doctor could do anything to help Kay feel better; he simply wanted us to obtain a “certificate” proving she is sick. During a time when the nation is having a conversation about health care resources, and the extent to which unnecessary visits to doctors drive up healthcare costs, this policy is especially troubling.

In short, it is disappointing that Delta’s policy has presented my wife and me with a Hobson’s choice between (a) paying a cancellation fee, (b) traveling on a Delta flight with the flu and endangering other Delta passengers (which is against CDC recommendations), and/or (c) disturbing Kay’s rest by going to a doctor merely to get a “certificate” (also against CDC recommendations).

It is hard to believe that such a result comports with your vision of Delta’s values, principles, and customer relationships. The policy of charging customers under these circumstances is founded on a cynical assumption that the customer is dishonest (potentially lying about her illness), and puts the burden of proof on a person who is extremely ill to disregard medical best practices and endanger others at the same time. While we have chosen to absorb Delta’s flight cancellation fee, it is inevitable that some Delta passengers will choose option (a), since it is cheapest, exposing other Delta passengers to the flu.

I cannot believe Delta would condone this practice, but your customer service representative told me that, “I think that’s a very good practice,” and explained that it’s necessary because of the possibility that I might be lying about Kay’s illness. I assure you, I am not (and unfortunately seem to be coming down with the same flu now).

I also want to call to your attention the disturbing level of cynicism exhibited by your customer service representative who asked me (paraphrasing), “How do you know your wife even has the flu?” I responded, “Do you know what the symptoms of flu are?” “Yes,” he responded. I replied, “So do I, and she exhibits those symptoms,” to which he had no response. I’m not sure what purpose this test of my flu symptom knowledge served other than to question my truthfulness and make light of a serious situation.

Perhaps most importantly for Delta’s self-interest, our circumstances presented the company with an opportunity to build a strong customer tie. For little or no incremental cost, Delta could have put us on a different flight to Maine next week and waived the change fee. I recognize that the terms and conditions of purchasing a Delta airline ticket give your business all of the leverage in a situation like this. You are, technically, within your contractual rights to insist we pay a change or cancellation fee. But looking beyond the terms, conditions, and fine print, I don’t believe this is the customer experience that you or Delta intend for customers. But remarkably, your service representative insisted that Delta’s position was necessary to ‘treat all customers fairly.’

It has been unpleasant to have your employee question my truthfulness, question whether my wife is truly ill, and suggest that she get out of bed and see a doctor merely to prove that I am not lying. It is annoying to pay a cancellation fee when it would cost Delta virtually nothing to simply put us on a different flight next week. And it is also troubling that Delta’s policies incentivize consumer choices that will inevitably endanger other travelers in order to avoid change and cancellation fees. That is not a risk I want to take on future Delta flights. Nor is this treatment consistent with the values and principles that my family supports with repeat business (and, with family members in Michigan, we provide a significant amount of repeat business to your merger partner, Northwest Airlines). Unfortunately, we will no longer be flying on Delta or Northwest Airlines. For the good of your future customers, I hope that you will consider modifying your flight change fees in a way that others will have a better experience than we did.

Sincerely,

CW