# I want to file a complaint against Delta - Any advice?



## BabyMommee (Sep 30, 2007)

My in laws paid over $800 to fly my husband, myself, and our 10 month old son out to Utah from California for Thanksgiving. It ended up being one of those tiny SkyWest planes. During take off, as I was nursing the baby, he soiled his diaper - woops! So as soon as the seat belt sign went off I went and asked the flight attendant where I could change him. She said, "Oh, I'll go unlock the lav for you." I peeked in the lavatory and saw nowhere humanly possible to change a baby, so I thought I must have misunderstood her with all the noise and pressure in my ears. So I trekked back up to the front of the plane and asked again, "_Where_ should I change him? Is there something that folds down or something?" She said, "Oh, you don't have anything to put down? Would you like a blanket?" I said, "No, I have a changing mat, I'm just not sure where to put it." She then informed me that I could change him on the toilet. I'm sure my jaw dropped but then I thought maybe once the toilet lid was down it might be flush with the area around it so that it would make a flat spot to lay a baby. No such luck. It was exactly like trying to change a baby on the lid of your toilet at home (a 30 inch long 22 pound baby who is very unhappy!) Then the turbulence started. Luckily the bathroom was small enough (how ironic is that?) That I could brace myself pretty well, but I've got my son teetering and flailing on an oval that's smaller than him. It was an absolutely terrible experience. Am I wrong to be mad about this??? I really think this should change. I can't believe it hasn't happened sooner. How hard would it be for them to install something that folds down from the wall? If it's some kind of safety issue I can guarantee that it is safer to change a baby on a FLAT surface than a toilet seat. If anybody has any advice for how I can get this to change please let me know. Thanks for letting me vent!


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## Rhiannon Feimorgan (Aug 26, 2005)

Wow, how awful for you! I would be complaining too!


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## momileigh (Oct 29, 2002)

I once had to change a diaper on an airplane, and there WAS a fold-down thing for the purpose. Even with that it was very difficult. I really feel for you, having to do it without that! Ridiculous! I guess you should have found a vacant seat to do it on? Done it on your lap? No idea really.


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## Mommy&Will (May 22, 2003)

Write a letter to their public affairs dept. I once did this with a complaint to American Airlines and they sent me two free travel vouchers.


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## jeca (Sep 21, 2002)

I would have sat on the toilet and changed him on my lap. Most airlines have no place to change babies on board the planes and that really needs to be changed.


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## blessed with boys (Nov 3, 2005)

I'd complain too!


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## BabyMommee (Sep 30, 2007)

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that was ridiculous. Some people I've told have sorta laughed about it. I guess it would've been a funny situation if it wasn't so darn dangerous. I thought about changing him on the floor, but there was no room there with the door closed. I think if I had to do it again I would worry less about the other passengers' sense of smell and done it in the aisle somewhere. (It was a completely full flight on one of those tiny little planes - so no extra seats available.) Then maybe other passengers would be complaining instead of just me! Delta sent me a "How was your trip?" survey so I guess I'll send that in and then a letter so hopefully it gets to where it needs to. This is my first time trying to get a big company to change something so I appreciate everybody's advice. We'll see what we can do!


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## diamond lil (Oct 6, 2003)

I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but I'm not sure how Delta can be liable for your troubles. You mentioned that there was turbulence. The airline cannot help that. Many of the diaper changing tables were removed from aircraft bathrooms because passengers were having sex on them.

It sounds like you were inconvenienced, but traveling with a baby is not easy. Ask any mams here who have flown. The flight attendant could not have permitted you to change the diaper elsewhere in the cabin as that would be against safety rules.

Again, I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but airplane bathrooms are very small and won't be getting any bigger and airlines cannot avoid turbulance.


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## momileigh (Oct 29, 2002)

Diamond lil: How on earth do you know that changing tables were eliminated due to passengers having sex on them?

And really, let's say people were having sex in the wheelchair accessible restrooms at the local park. Would they get rid of wheelchair accessible restrooms and say, "too bad" to anyone in a wheelchair?

Babies are legitimate passengers on airplanes and their needs must be met. It is the airline's responsibility to ensure there is an appropriate place to change a diaper. Traveling with a baby may not be easy, but it shouldn't be made impossible or harder than necessary. The whole point of mentioning turbulence is that it would be hard enough changing a diaper with turbulence if there WAS a changing table... without one, you've got a pretty bad "safety" issue.


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## bri276 (Mar 24, 2005)

I know. I often have to change my dd by standing her up on the floor or sink counter in restrooms, incl. airplanes and "fancy" restaurants that can't be bothered to install a baby changing unit. but when they're small infants who can't reliably support their weight in their legs, even that isn't an option.

personally, I don't care who was having sex on the darn thing. they're still going to have sex in the bathroom if they want to. and I'm still going to lay down a mat or a napkin before my baby's butt touches the thing, so that's not valid either. it is unsafe and unsanitary to expect parents to just figure it out some way! with all the money we pay for airline tickets, they can have a changing station.


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## diamond lil (Oct 6, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *momileigh* 
Diamond lil: How on earth do you know that changing tables were eliminated due to passengers having sex on them?

I work in the aerospace industry. I know someone who works for Airbus and he told me that the changing tables were removed from the A330 and A340 models because they kept breaking due to passengers having sex on them. It became a liability issue. If a changing table were to malfunction and a baby or child was injured as a result, the airframe manufacturer could get sued. Unfortunately by removing them altogether, they made it harder for parents to change diapers. Airframers justify the removal because babies and parents are not the market they are catering to. Sorry, but that's just the way it is.


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## blessed (Jan 28, 2006)

I changed dd on the floor in the kitchen galley area on a small Chinese aircraft once. That was fun.


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## CariOfOz (Jun 30, 2005)

Heh.. the minute I understood that she wanted me to lay the baby ON the toilet to attempt to change him I'd have said nope, I think I'll just put my change mat on the floor and do it right here thanks. Right in the aisle, and if they complain about it being a safety hazard I'd have to ask exactly what changing my child on a raised surface not large enough, nor intended for the purpose was?!?! Good luck with it.

And yeah.. I think it's crap if they took the fold downs out because of the desire of idiots to join the mile high club







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## momileigh (Oct 29, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *diamond lil* 
Sorry, but that's just the way it is.

Well, let's just make that the Official Slogan for the Activism forum!


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

I would have just changed the baby on my seat. And I probably would have just done it, and not asked the flight attendant for permission first.


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## diamond lil (Oct 6, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *momileigh* 
Well, let's just make that the Official Slogan for the Activism forum!

OK, you can petition airframers to take out seats to make bathrooms bigger for changing tables. I bet Delta (and their customers Boeing and Embraer) would really love to hear that idea, especially now that all airframers are scrambling to find engineering solutions to reduce fuel costs.

The OP had a very sucky flight experience, and I sympathize with her. I fly several times a year and just when I think I'm totally prepared for everything, something new pops up. It's just a general pain in the rear to fly anymore. But this storm cloud has a silver lining! I'm fortunate enough to work in the industry, so I see firsthand the efforts airframers are making to restore dignity and comfort to air travel. The Boeing 767 Dreamliner cannot get here fast enough!


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## momileigh (Oct 29, 2002)

Well, Diamond, clearly you don't have to have a bigger bathroom to have a changing table. No one actually suggested that. According to you, the biggest reason for the lack of changing tables is not the lack of space, but people who use them for inappropriate activities. And you really didn't sound very sympathetic when you said, "Traveling with a baby isn't easy, ask any of the moms who travel." To me, I read, "Suck it up, you decided to travel with a baby, after all!"

I'm no aeronautical engineer, but I'm sure if we can walk on the moon, we can figure out some way to make diaper changing a tad safer than balancing a baby on a toilet seat! Here's a crazy, off-the-wall idea: a removable changing platform that can be attached securely in the restroom, that stores flat, and can be requested by moms with babies, but does not need to be supplied to horny idiots. Oh my goodness, what will they think of next!?! And that's off the top of my head.


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## indie (Jun 16, 2003)

What if the table folded down directly over the toilet so that the toilet would be holding the weight of the amorous couple. Or the table could be locked and a flight attendant could unlock it. These aerospace engineers ought to be able to engineer a little common sense.

And I would change the baby in the cabin. It is unacceptable to not to have bathroom facilities for all passengers.


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## chfriend (Aug 29, 2002)

I flew alot with dd1 when she was a baby. She never stopped moving so I rarely used a changing table. I'd be too scared to use one on an airplane with the possibility of turbulence.

I changed her on my lap sitting on the toilet. She really liked the tiny sink to wash her hands in.


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## KatWrangler (Mar 21, 2005)

Was this a little plane? Like single seats on one side and two seats on the other? We flew in a plane that small this past Saturday. Fortunately that part of our trip was a short flight (hour and 15 minutes) so I didn't use the bathroom. I thought the large planes had fold down changing tables in them? Hmmm Hubby always changes the kids on the plane, I will have to ask him where the heck he is changing them.


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## BabyMommee (Sep 30, 2007)

To answer the last post: yes, it was one of those tiny SkyWest planes. I emailed Delta, but haven't heard anything back yet. Today I found their address and phone # for complaints, so if anyone else is interested, here it is:
Delta Airlines, Hartsfield-Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, Ga. 30320;
(404) 715-1450. Patricia J. Robinette, director, consumer affairs.
Thanks to everybody for your comments. I'll post again if I have any more updates.


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## BabyMommee (Sep 30, 2007)

I just called that number expecting a big wait time, but someone picked up immediately! She said she would send my suggestion along and she also recommended that I submit a complaint through the "contact us" section on Delta's website. I'd actually already done that, but I thought I'd pass that along if anybody would rather email them a suggestion instead of calling or writing.


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## amyleigh33 (Nov 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *diamond lil* 
I work in the aerospace industry. I know someone who works for Airbus and he told me that the changing tables were removed from the A330 and A340 models because they kept breaking due to passengers having sex on them.

I'm sorry but
















When I flew cross-country with my 2-month old I didn't even leave our seat to change her. At the time I just changed her on the change pad on my lap. Now that she's bigger and squirmier if I were put in the same position I would have made DP get up and changed her on his seat. I hate airplane bathrooms they are disgusting because of the movement and ... yuck. I wouldn't take my baby in there even if there was a change table... but then again maybe I'm just paranoid.









I'm sure you could complain to the company ... complaining often gets you free stuff, too, so it's worth a shot


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## prothyraia (Feb 12, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *diamond lil* 
Many of the diaper changing tables were removed from aircraft bathrooms ....The flight attendant could not have permitted you to change the diaper elsewhere in the cabin as that would be against safety rules.

So your options are...to not change the baby?







What if you had a very small infant with no head control that you couldn't safely (hah) balance on a toilet a seat? Or a large toddler that wouldn't fit?

"I'm sorry sir, but we've removed all bathroom facilities from this plane. You'll just have to hold it. No, you can't even pee into your water bottle, that's against safety regulations. Sorry, that's the way it is, don't bother complaining to the airline"

Plus, I'm not sure why changing elsewhere in the cabin would be against safety rules. There's no "babies must be restrained all the time" rule, you can hold them in your lap. What *exactly* would be the rule that disallowed laying an infant on your seat while you changed them (which I have done before), assuming the fasten seatbelt light was off? I mean, if there's a policy that needs to be changed then we need to know what it is. You'll be able to knock me over with a feather if there actually is one, though.


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