DELTA stoops to lowest level, first to charge this new Fee

[Flyer1015]

Delta Responds to Record-High Fuel Prices by Charging Human Remains Handling Fee

ATLANTA, July 30, 2008 – Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today announced a $25 human remains handling fee to help offset the 70-80 percent increase in jet fuel prices in the last year. These changes will apply to customers who expire on board a Delta aircraft on or after July 31, 2008.

As fuel costs remain at record levels, Delta believes this fee for the removal of a recently expired passenger from the cabin of a scheduled flight is essential to generate the necessary revenues to offset record fuel costs while continuing to offer basic services to our living customers. The $25 Deceased On board Aircraft (DOA) fee will be collected from the estate of the deceased.

In related news, Delta continues to offer all customers, both living and dead, a complimentary first checked bag for domestic travel and two checked bags for international flights.

 

[clippyrip]

They take up space and weigh a lot, I don't see the problem. Ass, gas or cash, nobody rides for free.

 

[Fins Up]

They take up space and weigh a lot, I don't see the problem. Ass, gas or cash, nobody rides for free.

The "expired" already paid for their ticket. If I was executor of an estate and received a charge for that I'd wipe my butt with it and send it back. There is no way could collect on that. It wouldn't be worth their time to pursue the delinquent payment.

 

[ProFracPilot]

I think this will be the silver bullet that sends DAL skyrocketing to profitability. I mean, have you drank that stuff they call coffee? Built in revenue stream.

 

[contrail67]

Delta Responds to Record-High Fuel Prices by Charging Human Remains Handling Fee

ATLANTA, July 30, 2008 – Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today announced a $25 human remains handling fee to help offset the 70-80 percent increase in jet fuel prices in the last year. These changes will apply to customers who expire on board a Delta aircraft on or after July 31, 2008.

As fuel costs remain at record levels, Delta believes this fee for the removal of a recently expired passenger from the cabin of a scheduled flight is essential to generate the necessary revenues to offset record fuel costs while continuing to offer basic services to our living customers. The $25 Deceased On board Aircraft (DOA) fee will be collected from the estate of the deceased.

In related news, Delta continues to offer all customers, both living and dead, a complimentary first checked bag for domestic travel and two checked bags for international flights.

They announce this after the dead lady found in the bathroom......why?
Delta: Body of woman, 61, found in plane bathroom

July 30, 2008 9:14 PM ET
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All Associated Press news
ATLANTA (AP) - Flight attendants discovered the body of a 61-year-old woman in the restroom of a plane shortly before the flight landed in Atlanta Wednesday morning, a spokeswoman for the airline said.
It was unclear how Michaele O'Neil Carnahan died, and how long she was in the restroom.
The crew on the Los Angeles-to-Atlanta flight noticed the restroom was occupied on final approach, just before Flight 950 touched down at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 5:51 a.m., spokeswoman Keyra Johnson said. Atlanta police were notified and met the plane at the gate, Johnson said.
"Delta extends its condolences to the family and commends our flight crew and medical professionals onboard who handled this incident with the utmost professionalism and respect for which they are known," spokeswoman Betsy Talton wrote in an e-mail.
The body was taken to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in suburban Atlanta for an autopsy scheduled for Thursday, said GBI spokesman John Bankhead. Authorities were awaiting the results to determine the cause of death, Bankhead said.
Bankhead said Carnahan was on her way from her home in Ventura, Calif., to Florida for a wedding.
Atlanta police stationed at the airport respond to calls about dead bodies on airplanes a couple of times a year, said Officer Eric Schwartz, a police spokesman. Talton said the situation was rare, but flight crews are trained to handle "a number of situations on board."
Airlines are not required to track or report the medical incidents they handle, so an exact tally of in-flight deaths is hard to determine. MedAire, an Arizona-based company that staffs doctors on the ground to advise flight crews in a medical emergency, counted 89 deaths for the flights they handled in 2006, which represents about one-third of the world's commercial flights.
If the death rate is similar for the rest of the flights, annual deaths on airplanes could exceed 260.

 

[getonit]

Any of you guys know the meaning of the word gullible?

 

[N1VIBS]

Any of you guys know the meaning of the word gullible?

ROFLMAO!! Some people will believe anything. Huh, I mean, this is a joke right?? On the other hand, 25 bucks is 25 bucks, DAL could pick up a extra $75 or $100 a year. Darn, the bean counters might be on to something here!!

 

[spitfire1500]

I wonder if they charged the lady they found in the bathroom yesterday the extra $25.00

 

[180ToTheMarker]

Nobody has ever officially died on an airliner. But you smartasses knew that right?

 

[spitfire1500]

ROFLMAO!! Some people will believe anything. Huh, I mean, this is a joke right?? On the other hand, 25 bucks is 25 bucks, DAL could pick up a extra $75 or $100 a year. Darn, the bean counters might be on to something here!!

Before flying I was a full time licensed Funeral Director ( with gas going through the roof I just renewed my license...just in case) and moving human remains is big business. Airlines advertise in all the funeral industry trade publications. When moving remains via air cargo it is the funeral home and not the family that arranges it so cost always took a backseat to convenience. In other words if we needed to get someone to CVG it would probably be on Delta since they would have a mainline flight going there. When RJ's started becoming popular it became logistically harder to move remains since you cant put them on an RJ (cargo area is too small).You would be surprised how many human remains get shipped a day. There are companies out there like Inman http://www.inmannationwide.com/ that this is all they do. When on the ramp I would notice caskets in the brown cardboard shipping containers known as "airtrays"constantly being loaded on A/C. American Airlines have staff that are dedicated to the discreet movement of remains and their families. When you call their cargo people and ask for "Jim Wilson" https://www.aacargo.com/shipping/humanremains.jhtml(why they picked this name I have no idea) they immediately know why you are calling and send you to those that specialize in this ( they know the paperwork for each state, mortuary transport laws and how to store casketed remains...in other words never lift the foot end higher than the head end and always load the casket head to the front of the plane...you don't want to know why...). It pays.. they just sold a large amount of cargo space, an "airtray" and if the family was traveling away from home with the deceased they just sold some last minute fares to put the family on the same plane.
Hope no one gets the willys but if you are flying a mainline sized aircraft you would be surprised how many times you are moving human remains, especially flying out of Florida (all the retirement communities...when there is a death the person is usually transported to their original hometown to be put in a family plot).

 

[Redmeat]

Wow.

Some of guys haven't had your morning coffee yet obviously.

Not too quick on the uptake, hopefully you get rid of the cobwebs before you get to the airport...

:laugh:

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Maybe the RJ guy who likes slinging bags into the belly of a 121 jet and pushing wheelchairs could wheel the stiff into the terminal.

 

[Andy Neill]

Kudos to Flyer1015 for his best suckerbait post of the day. By my count, you've already hooked 4 and one of them was a whopper.

 

[Tanker Clown]

Another new low for Delta. First their pay scales...now this. I'd hate to see what else they have planned. Maybe they could charge for old people and disabled veteran's wheel chairs.

 

[spitfire1500]

Kudos to Flyer1015 for his best suckerbait post of the day. By my count, you've already hooked 4 and one of them was a whopper.

You got me 1015...hook line and sinker......Dork!!!! Guess I should read everything!! You better hope I dont catch you sleeping somewhere!