My Delta flight started off great – from check-in to arrival, everything went smoothly. But then, my experience took a sharp turn for the worse. I needed a wheelchair, so I requested assistance. The wheelchair attendant who met me at the plane in Boston insisted I pay him to take me to baggage claim. I was shocked! I thought it was a complimentary service, and I always tip generously. He forced me to pay, and when I refused, he became aggressive. My daughter arrived to pick me up and he demanded payment from her, which she reluctantly paid, assuming maybe the service was no longer free.
A First-Class Flight With First-Class Problems
We decided to splurge and fly first class. The seats were spacious and comfortable, but the flight crew’s late arrival caused delays. This left many passengers scrambling to make connecting flights. I felt terrible for them! We checked four bags, and only three made it to the baggage claim carousel. The fourth bag was lost. Delta’s online help was useless, but the baggage claim staff were friendly and sympathetic. Unfortunately, we waited for almost two hours before the bag was found. We then had to drive back to the airport to collect it. This experience made me rethink the whole “splurge” idea. I’m not convinced first class means better service. I’m not a huge fan of Delta, but we have family in Atlanta, so we don’t have much choice. What should have been a simple flight became a stressful ordeal due to flight crew delays and baggage mishandling.
A Norse Nightmare: Everything’s for Sale, Even Water
Norse Atlantic Airways is hands down the worst airline I’ve ever flown with, and I travel a lot. First, they made me check my carry-on duffel bag – something I’ve never had to do before. They claimed my backpack wasn’t a “personal item,” even though it fit perfectly under the seat! They charged me €125 for the duffel bag and another €125 for my wife’s checked bag. A total of €250 for two bags! That’s a complete rip-off!
Things didn’t get better once we were on board. Our flight was delayed for 45 minutes because the airline attendants were giving a handicapped gentleman a hard time about his scooter, even though they had previously given him permission to bring it onboard. The gentleman was adamant that he had never had this problem before, and after a lengthy discussion, they finally realized their mistake. His scooter wasn’t battery-operated, and he had all the required paperwork. They eventually allowed him to stow it above his seat, but his wife had to struggle with it for a full minute before they offered to help her.
This was just the beginning of our misery. Everything on board is for purchase, including water, snacks, and even blankets! Yes, you read that right, water! On an international flight, you have to pay for even a sip of water! It was insane! People were lining up to the bathroom with empty water bottles just to fill them up in the sink. The cabin was freezing – it felt like they intentionally turned down the temperature to force people to buy €7 blankets. People were changing into layers in the bathroom and digging through their carry-ons for extra clothes. Passengers who hadn’t packed layers or had to check their bags endured an 8.5-hour freezing torture session from Rome to JFK.
To add insult to injury, they turned on the lights during the red-eye flight so they could sell duty-free items. This was a hot topic of conversation among passengers while we waited to disembark and go through customs. I would never fly with Norse Atlantic Airways again, even if they paid me.
Reclining Seats and Unruly Passengers
The boarding process was disorganized, adding unnecessary stress. The airline’s business model is tight spaces, but with seats that recline more to make sleeping in economy easier. The passenger behind us didn’t get the memo and kept shaking our seats, claiming we were reclining too much. We asked the flight attendants to intervene and de-escalate the situation, but they didn’t. The passenger continued to harass my wife throughout the 8-hour flight. The airline needs to better train their flight attendants if they’re going to offer reclining seats and make promises about legroom. Passengers like us do our research before booking, and it’s unfair to be subjected to this kind of behavior.
