Delta Airlines Flight DL4557 - Epic Fail

My wife and I checked in very early to DL2294, as my business had finished up early in Orlando. At the time of our check in, we were presented with the option of potentially travelling on an earlier flight. While an appealing option, the $50 fee per ticket was not appealing at all, so we opted for a leisurely lunch and the original itinerary. What a huge mistake.

We arrived at MSP and were boarded on DL4557. Upon boarding completion, we were informed by the captain of a mechanical issue, and were ultimately informed that we needed to be deplaned. At the gate, it took about 45 minutes for the decision to come down that our plane was grounded, and that we could fly to GRB on one of the regularly scheduled flights the next day.

We headed to the rebooking station where the ONE worker manning the area was immediately overwhelmed with the crush of the entire flight coming into the area. How do you not send additional help to that area, especially at MSP? Unbelievable.

As a professional, I need to be at my job. Waiting until it is convenient for you to accommodate me in your existing schedule is not convenient for me. Arrival at GRB at 11:29 the next day is completely unacceptable.

Left with no other options, my wife and I rented a car and drove the four hours back to Green Bay so that I could attend the important meetings I had scheduled. We spent our Valentine’s night driving across the state of Wisconsin; arriving home just after 2:00AM. Romantic, huh?

I understand mechanical issues, and that safety needs to prevail. What I don’t understand is how a mechanical issue can cancel a flight at MSP. Delta had equipment all over the ground; we could see it from our gate. We had a crew that was committed to fly. And yet nobody could figure out how to get us a plane, so the decision came down to just cancel and try to accommodate the 50 or so of us into your everyday 2/15/2012 schedule. No special flight was considered to get us home at a reasonable hour.

I can accept a cancellation due to mechanical reasons at a secondary or tertiary airport. I cannot accept such an event at a major hub, especially at MSP. As stated, equipment was there. The desire to take care of your customers was not.

Delta, you failed across the board in your decision making on how to handle us on DL4557. The only saving graces were our gate agent who conducted himself with an incredible amount of professionalism and the flight captain who should be writing your procedure manual on how to communicate to passengers in a mechanical delay situation. Both gentlemen performed their duties impeccably, and deserve commendation.

I wish I could say that for others in your organization that could have gone above and beyond to get us where we needed to be at a reasonable hour, but instead chose an easier, cheaper, or more convenient (for you, not for us) path. Overall, you failed.

No Reason to Ever Leave Starbucks

Starbucks has recently announced that they're going to test into an expansion of their offering to include beer and wine.

Bathroom, food, beverages, and wi-fi.  It is now official.  There is no reason to ever leave their store. 

See you there.

Teens (and Lego Man) Touch the Final Frontier

Just about the time you think our youth are a bunch of video game playing slackers, along comes a story that leaves you with an incredible amount of hope for our next generation.

Meet Matthew and Asad - the two young men that sent a Lego man to near space:

Why Gun Sales are Skyrocketing - One Theory

Article after article has been written on the skyrocketing sales of guns and ammunition.  There are lots of theories as to why, but nobody seems to have pinned it down.

I can't explain the whole trend, by I can explain my part in it.

With the rise of the Occupy movement, there has been much talk, mostly veiled but some very overt, that the rich need to pay their fair share, and if they would not, they'd be forced to via violent means. 

In chat rooms, websites, and social media everywhere the rhetoric is getting more and more threatening.  There are forces at work that absolutely desire that this cold war turns hot.  They crave the day of comeuppance that they feel will set the world right.

I take them at their word.   

I'm not rich, but I guess I'm technically a "have," and as such feel like I am a target.  I'm spending some of my hard earned income on the ability to protect myself and my family.  I won't go into details as to what and how much I've purchased, but suffice it to say I'm well armed and continue to augment what I have.

I may be a target, but sure as hell refuse to be a victim.

IT Dad Take Revenge Over Facebook Post

The video tells the whole story, so I'll let it speak for itself.

As stated earlier, EVERYTHING you do online is trackable.  And to try to pass under the radar of a father that works in IT is just asking for, well...

Hat-tip to Murph

Charity Starts at the Biden Household

In the class warfare rhetoric, there's been lots of examination on how rich Mitt Romney is and how little tax he's paid.  But what doesn't get mentioned is what he'd done with his money.  And that, my friends, is that he put it where his mouth is. 

He's paid millions to charity, and donated over 15% of his income. 

Now compare that to our current Vice President Joe Binden, who has donated a whopping average of $369 to charityover the past decade.  No, that number is not in thousands, nor is it a typo. 

$369 bucks. 

Given these two examples, who is the greedy pig here?  And why isn't this front page news?  Incredible.

Ease of Voter Fraud in Minnesota

That's the bad news.  The good news is that we'll have a couple of really good quarterbacks voting in the next election:

Why Isreal Must Do What Isreal Must Do

English Conserviative Douglas Murray, debating at Cambrdige, clearly and succintly lays out why Isreal must ultimately take action against Iran.

And why they will do it alone.