u/DryGoat1

Seeking advice for reimbursement for a flight that has completely turned into a disaster of a layover experience.

What should have been an 8hr international flight from Milan MXP to Atlanta ATL has turned into a long drawn out 20+hr layover in Birmingham BHM.

First the flight was delayed 2 hours at MXP due to maintenance of navigational equipment. Not a problem…I guess?

BUT as we approached ATL to land…we were turned around last minute to fuel up?

20 minutes after circling around ATL waiting for direction, the pilot announces that since there is too much traffic, we can’t land and must go to BHM to fuel up and await further instruction.

When we arrive at BHM around 7pm we are then informed that the staff has reached the end of their shift and we will have to wait for another ‘rescue’ crew to take our plane back to ATL after fueling.

Since the staff must disembark, now we all have to exit the plane and go through customs. Well we landed in BHM where apparently no staff was scheduled to check people in through customs due to the holiday weekend.

Now they have to call on a SINGLE special agent to check every one of 200+ people + crew through customs. This whole operation takes well over 2 hours just to get us through.

10pm People are losing what little patience and faith they have left and are starting to request off this circle jerk of a layover. Delta staff was basically holding passengers captive by not allowing them to take their bags after completing customs when they arrived in BHM.

People are supposed to collect their baggage when they go through customs but no not this flight. Bags are staying on board while everyone waits for a new crew to show up and man the plane. People who want to leave are just supposed to figure out their bags another day I guess?

Around 12am after everyone was corralled back through security screening to access the gate - that the plane they just left is sitting at - we are sitting at the 20 hour mark. People are held with an indefinite boarding time awaiting this rescue crew.

BHM staff passes out snacks to everyone to keep hostility under control. Good on them.

Eventually everyone is allowed to reboard the same plane they just left so the original shift could go home and once again as I type this out we are sitting on the tarmac…waiting at 1am.

Just called the attendant for an update and THEY STILL HAVE NOT FUELED THE PLANE.

YALL WTF?!?!?

Seeking advice for how to be refunded for this disaster of a flight experience. Please HELP!!!

EDIT: 2 hr delay + 10 hr flight + 1 hr redirection + 3-4 hr debarkation + 2 hr holding for fuel = around 20hrs travel time

sorry I desperately need some sleep

UPDATE: It’s now 4:30 in ATL and there is no help at the Delta counter to assist around 200 people with rescheduling their flights, rechecking bags, or checking in people who have already rescheduled flights…let’s see how late in the day we go before we are wheels up