Can you trust what your airline tells you?

It is common in the US for passengers to be offered a cash bonus or vouchers to give up their seats when flights are over-booked.

The passengers are usually offered a seat on the next available flight.

But what if the airline deliberately misleads you?

A Delta Air Lines passenger thought he’d hit the jackpot recently when a flight attendant made an announcement asking for one volunteer to give up a seat in exchange for $15,000.

The passenger said the amount was confirmed more than once, loud enough for others to hear, and he agreed on the spot.

Daniel Christiansen said he deplaned the flight from Salt Lake City to Palm Springs, leaving his wife and infant daughter onboard and trusting the airline’s word.

He claims that once the aircraft pushed back, everything changed, the Aviationa2z and Simple Flying websites reported.

Christiansen alleges gate agents reportedly told him the offer was only $1,500 and accused him of lying about the original promise, even after the airline later acknowledged the $15,000 amount had in fact been announced.

“They treated me like I’d invented the number out of thin air,” Christiansen said. “But the flight attendant, the captain, and even Delta’s own emails later admitted the $15,000 offer was real.” 

Several witnesses backed his account.

Emails from Delta customer service admitted the $15,000 figure was real but labelled it a “miscommunication,” refusing to honour it.

The final offer was for $1,500 and some air miles, a fraction of what was promised over the intercom.

In the US, airlines routinely oversell flights, expecting some passengers not to show up. When too many travellers check-in, carriers request volunteers to surrender seats in exchange for compensation.

It seems that in the case of Delta you need to get the offer in writing - preferably in duplicate, before giving up your seat.

Delta reportedly refused to apologise to the passenger - who happened to be a frequent flyer - for the bait and switch. Not a good look at all.  

It seems likely the cabin staffer mis-spoke and Delta was unwilling to fess up. The airline saved $13,500 but cost itself substantially more in adverse publicity. 

Delta adds new flights to/from Australia

Timing is everything - and I'm not sure Delta Air Lines got its timing right with the announcement of its new flights between Melbourne and Los Angeles.

The announcement came on the heels of a whole batch of nonsense from Donald Trump and wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

Delta Air Lines will launch nonstop Melbourne flights from LA on Airbus A350 jets starting early in January. By which times things may have returned to normal. Or not.

The flights add competition to current providers Qantas and United Airlines.

Delta initially launches Melbourne flights with a three times per week service.

The airline already flies to Sydney and seasonally to Brisbane.

“This is a win for the whole state – for tourism operators, businesses, hotels and restaurants, and for families and travellers,” Victoria state Tourism, Sport and Major Events minister Steve Dimopoulos said.

“These new Delta flights will bring thousands more tourists from North America to Victoria.

“These new flights will also make it more affordable for families who have America on their bucket list."

Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said: "North America is an incredibly important inbound market for us, and we’re proud to be partnering with Visit Victoria to help restore capacity on the Los Angeles route.”

Delta’s flights from LAX will depart on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with the return journey from Melbourne every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

The new flights are set to add an extra 86,000 annual seats between Melbourne and the US.

Plane stowaway makes it from New York to Paris

You know those multiple checks you go through every time you take an international flight?

It turns out they are not so effective.

The US Transportation Security Administration is conducting a "far ranging" investigation after a stowaway without a ticket was able to avoid multiple checkpoints this week and flew from New York to Paris undetected, news portal Travel Mole reports.

The middle-aged woman went through a security checkpoint without a boarding pass at New York's JFK Airport and then was undetected at two further ticket checks before boarding a Paris-bound Delta flight.

The woman apparently spent the duration of the hours-long 100% full flight moving from bathroom to bathroom undetected.

It happened during a busy day for travel just ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.

An "exhaustive investigation" is underway.

Delta Air Lines is cooperating with law enforcement and has opened its own investigation, the airline said.

“Nothing is of greater importance than matters of safety and security,” a Delta spokesperson said.

The stowaway hasn’t been named but media reports said she was US green card holder with a Russian passport.

On landing in Paris, passengers were requested to stay seated while French police boarded the flight and the woman was taken away. She is expected to be returned to the US. 

Good job she wasn't a terrorist.