Back From Our Paris Vacation

We made it back from our Paris vacation safe and sound with a lot of beautiful memories along the way. I have probably 6000 photos to go through. After reviewing them I will post some of the best of them. I did not do a daily journal because we went to so many different locations each day. Most days we ended up walking an easy 6-8 miles and on some days it was over 10 miles. Needless to say we were rather sore and totally wiped out by days end but we gathered up our energy and did it all over again the next day.  We had a really great time together viewing the sights of the magical city of Paris, France.
Our vacation started off and ended on a really bad note thanks to Delta Airlines. We were both really excited during our flights to Paris and unfortunately we hit rock bottom when we went to pick up our luggage. When we got our luggage off of the conveyor belt, 1 piece of luggage had the lock and the zipper pull tabs completely and forcibly pulled of off the luggage. The only thing holding the suitcase together was a small section of the zipper teeth. Once we move the luggage around the teeth separated and the luggage opened up and the clothes that were left over fell out of the luggage. When I said "leftover" it was because there were several articles of clothing missing. And if this was not bad enough the 2 piece of luggage had been sliced open on one corner along a seam and the luggage liner had been sliced open in the process. Veronica found several items missing from that piece of luggage also. Luckily for us our 3rd piece of luggage came in intact with no damage and no looting from it.
After we saw what our luggage looked like, we went directly to Baggage Services. They were two females there who spoke little to no English or at least acted like they did not understand what we were showing them and telling them.
They ended up calling a Customer Service Representative from Delta to assist us. This individual was of no assistance at all. All 3 of these ladies said that TSA had caused the damage, which we knew was not true. TSA will unlock a TSA approved lock, which all our suitcases had on them and they will look through the suitcase and leave a flyer to let us know they looked through it. hey don't slash the suitcases open nor do they rip out the zipper by the lock on a suitcase and take peoples belongings.
By this time Veronica was in tears because it was apparent that these 3 ladies could care less about our problem. One of the ladies offered Veronica a piece of chocolate once she saw Veronica crying. Instead of taking any notes on the damage they observed to our suitcases or opening up any type of claim for us, we were given a plain piece of typing paper with the 1-866 telephone number for the TSA along with the web address to the TSA which was www.TellTSA@TSA.DOT.GOV
So we left CDG airport with the remains of 2 out of 3 of our luggage and several of our personal items stolen. The personal at CDG Airport were of absolutely no help to us whatsoever.
We ended up having to buy a new piece of luggage in Paris. We bought a smaller piece than what we previously had and it cost us 90 Euros. I tried to tape up the slashed piece of luggage but the tape job would not hold the piece of luggage together. We ended up having to throw away both pieces of luggage.
Now that we are back home we are starting the claim process with both Delta Airlines and with the additional insurance company coverage that I bought prior to leaving for this trip.
This wasn't the only problem we had with Delta Airlines on this trip. On our return trip home from CDG Airport, Delta had decided that they would move me from my assigned seat to a seat in a different isle from Veronica. From what I was told, Delta switched over to their Winter schedule and thus using a smaller jet for our flight to the Atlanta Airport(ATL).  This was unacceptable to us and after going through several inept and incompetent Delta airport personnel, we came upon a really good person who was willing to take responsibility and make some moves in the plane so that we could sit together on this almost 10 hour flight. I want to give a big "THANK YOU!" to Christophe who works for Delta at the CDG Airport. We truly appreciate everything you did for us.
This wasn't the end of our problems with Delta on this trip. We arrived at the Atlanta International Airport(ATL) with only approximately 45 minutes to get off the jet, go through security, go fetch our luggage which took awhile to show up at the baggage claim area, take our luggage to go through the inspection again, go to Terminal A which meant a train ride  which of course had to stop at terminals C & B first and then try to make our way through TSA security again only to find out they they had given us 2 identical boarding passes for Veronica. We found this out as I was trying to go through TSA security with the duplicate boarding pass that Veronica and I received as being for me. So back to the agents desk we went in order for me to get the proper boarding pass for myself. We were running everywhere trying to make our flight, which was the last one for the night going into Atlanta via Delta and Veronica had to be at work the next morning. Of course our outgoing connecting flight to Atlanta(ATL) was all the way at the other end of the airport.
We barely made our flight but only because they were holding the flight for us and another late arriving group that was coming in from Italy. We barely made this flight no thanks to Delta Airlines.
Other than Christophe, Delta Airlines did an absolutely horrible and pathetic job and they should really be ashamed of themselves at the way they handle each and every situation they we were unfortunately put though. But we all know that being ashamed or embarrassed at the way they treat their customers is not important to them. Only the bottom line and profits are. Way to go Delta Airlines!!!!
Happier times of our vacation will be posted soon.

No comments:

Related Posts with Thumbnails