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Info Delta Dash-horrible service

Will0W783

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Well, yesterday was a harrowing day for me. Last week I made my first purchase of venomous snakes that needed to be shipped. I had never picked up cargo at my airport before, so I was very nervous. The company I bought the snakes from was great, explaining the whole process and responding to any questions I had within minutes and thoroughly.

My snakes were scheduled to arrive in Philadelphia at 5:24pm. I got to the airport at 5:30 and checked in at the cargo claim area. After half an hour I was informed that the snakes never left the layover in Atlanta and were now scheduled to come in on a later flight, at 9:59pm.

I had to find something to do in Philly for 5 hours and wait nervously. When I got back to the cargo claim at 10pm, I was informed that the snakes were still not listed on the flight and the latest record showed that they were removed in Atlanta. The cargo company had no idea where they were or when they'd arrive. I was told to call Delta customer service.

I waited in the cargo claim while I called Delta, and was told that the snakes were missing. They had been removed from the flight cargo list because the package had not been scanned in at the gate, but they did not know where they were. I was told a trace would be initiated to investigate the whereabouts of my snakes. I was furious- how could they lose live animals??

I told Delta these were fragile living creatures and it was completely unacceptable that they had lost them somewhere in Atlanta. As I was getting more upset on the phone, one of the cargo crewmen walked in and asked me if I was waiting for the snakes. I told him yes, and he said he'd just removed the box from the plane and was bringing it in for me.

So, the snakes HAD been on the later flight, but Delta had no record of them. The only reason I found out they had gotten to Philadelphia at all was that crewman- had I been even a few minutes earlier I never would have run into him and my snakes could have been sitting at the airport for who knows how long!

I signed for them, checked them right there in the office, and thank goodness they were alive and well, but I'm very upset with Delta. Losing packages, failing to scan them in at checkpoints and having no record of the actual cargo on a flight is just plain unacceptable!
 
In total agreement. Misplacing hots and having no clue where they are is a joke. Misplacing any living animal is terrible..

Michael Fortier
 
I've shipped with Delta Dash since the mid-80's with only 1 box temporarily lost.

Still the most reliable and affordable in my opinion.
 
Sorry to read that. I dealt with one delay one time and had to return the next morning, but I am luckily within a reasonable driving distance from the airport. Overall, the staff are extremely pleasant with me at the cargo hub (they remember me and I even got to hold a baby tiger once that another party was receiving). I hope your next encounter is less stressful.
 
I shipped a snake one time Delta Dash, and it was never found. I didn't insure it, so I had to refund the persons money. I didn't like them too much after that.
 
The guys at the hub were nice, but they didn't work for Delta. The fact that they had lost record of live animals and had let u scanned cargo (my box) onto the plane really doesn't instill confidence. I'm just very relieved that my snakes arrived alive and well, albeit a bit cold from sitting in cargo holds all day. ...
 
That is rediculous to lose any cargo like that! I don't really deal with Hots, but Delta Dash is the only company that I have heard of that ships Hot snakes, if thats true, Its a shame.
 
Stuff can happen loosing any shipment is not cool.. Delta does so many animals it is a normal multiple day to day thing.. with familiarity becomes careless habits.. Hell if someone in a chain of procedures messes up, and everyone along the line accepts that this should have been done, it can happen... seems like they need to review their double checks.

But, geeze are their so many shipments of Hots going on that, such a package is not something the handlers note?? You think hey they would be oh we have a package of venomous animals expected today.. the box with the warning would get noticed too..
If it was just another dog, cat, or heck package of reptiles etc.. you could kind of understand how a package perhaps does not get scanned.. However you would think, HOTS.. would get some additional attention.. and very unlikely to just slip by..

How many shipments like this are going on??

Not only do you have every right to complain.. With a Hot species this kind of careless handling has the risk of jeopardizing the future for shipping.
All it takes is their mistakes a news story, and oh well the shipping companies can not be trusted, so..never a safe thing to do.. you know the line, these are animals no one should own, anyhow.. but would jump on the "questionable practice" of shipping hots, at all.. no specific company is able to do so safe..

That would severely limit the hobby, make it illegal to ship at ALL.. AR nuts would jump on it..
 
I agree misthold; that is part of why I was so livid that this happened. Delta Dash live animal shipping is currently the only legal method of shipping venomous reptiles that I am aware of. They must be shipped airport-to-airport. There are those individuals who ship them via Fedex/UPS under a "live harmless reptile" label, but that is illegal and also putting anyone who handles the package at risk should the integrity of the box be compromised.

My package was in a bright orange toolbox, clearly labeled "Danger! Venomous Reptiles!" It was the only venomous shipment coming into Philadelphia that day, and from the curiosity and interest of the cargo pickup crew, it must not be a common occurrence for snakes of any kind to arrive at the airport. They all knew what shipment I was waiting for; they all wanted to hear about the snakes and what species they were and how they act, where they're from, etc.
It would be devastating for Delta to lose ANY animal - dog, cat, etc....but the fact that they were so careless with potentially deadly animals really raises concern. Our hobby is under enough stress and attack right now, we don't need our shipping companies being careless too!

I am not sure what area of Delta customer service to contact to complain about this. The more I think about it, the more I feel that they need to know what happened and how careless their people were. Any suggestions on how I should handle this?
 
The more I think about it, the more I feel that they need to know what happened and how careless their people were. Any suggestions on how I should handle this?

You could send a query to the FAA as to who to contact in Delta. The FAA would contact Delta and the email chain to whoever is ultimately responsible in Delta would show the original query went to the FAA, that might make Delta sit up and take notice.

I can think of few things worse for Delta than a hot package going missing, and a subsequent death of an innocent flyer especially a child, who might not be able to read the warning and was curious.
 
Thanks Lucille. I'm going to try to get Delta to take notice of this. I don't want to create more problems for the hobby, as it's already hard enough to ship venomous snakes, but Delta needs to be far more careful as it was a potentially very dangerous package.
 
I don't do hots so I don't have to deal with Delta, won't deal with Delta, and trust FedEx way way more. This post is my AVERAGE dealing with Delta over 22 years.
 
Ive shipped Delta hundreds of times....a few delays, but never a lost package. Usually the DELTA people are not DELTA ITSELF but a contracted company such as Swissport, etc.
They run all of DELTAS cargo at a much cheaper rate then DELTA would if they hired their own people. DELTA DASH is no longer any method of shipping animals via DELTA. All animal packages should be booked as AVI (+animal code, reptiles is 00187 I believe). DASH is not considered live animal, and whoever booked it, or processed label/shipment did it as a regular DASH shipment, not an AVI shipment which is DELTAS only way of knowing it is an animal. The label sticker they place on the box says AVI and a code that scans for certain handling instructions. If dash, it could have been mixed up with regular cargo if the package did not say DASH or have DASH tape on it. They get THOUSANDS of boxes and containers with all sorts of writing on them, and they get complacent in that they do not go by label on box, but by label on the AWB sticker on the box. So it can have a million holes, live animal stickers all over, and if the sticker says DASH or other and not AVI, then it will not be treated as animal. They SHOULD, but they are just second hand cargo handlers. If you get one that doesnt care, then you wont get the service you expect. Label all ANIMAL shipments correctly, and get the AWB and sticker as AVI when using DELTA. That way it gets on plane first, off plane first, and has a 2 hour window to make it to next connecting flight with special vehicles, and special handlers. DASH people do not do this. DELTA DASH IS OVER for animals. Only Delta AVI is the correct way to send it. They should tell you there at counter, but like I said depends on your counter people, etc.
 
Michael is correct.

http://www.deltacargo.com/ProductsRates/Specialty/TransportationofLiveAnimals.aspx

"Transportation of Live Animals
Delta Cargo's Live Animal Program (AVI) is designed to address the special needs and care of all animals traveling as cargo. Recognized by pet owners and commercial shippers for our industry-leading level of service, our Live Animal program provides safe transport of unaccompanied pets and other live animals throughout the world."


Delta Dash cold-blooded commodity code is 0187. So the Delta AVI-0187 label should be a no-brainer for an experienced, knowledgeabe shippper/vendor. Especially a vendor/retailer dealing in Hots that has been conducting business for many years.

Now begs the the question ... how was the OP's box labeled? Surely, the seller/retailer would know how to properly label a box containing venomous snakes to conform with the carrier's standards, given the years in business and level of expertise claimed.

Michael is also correct that Delta ground crew & baggage handlers are outsourced and not actual Delta employees.

And hey, Underground ... where are your TOS or your shipping info on your website?
 
may all be true about what service.. super, worth looking into.. but come on.. even if the vendor used the wrong code or service (that is a separate complaint) but was the box not labeled?
If I walk into a post office.. my box said explosives.. they would hey NO we don't, and if I said oh no its just teddy bears.. would make me remove the labels, refuse to ship in that box.. or open and inspect it..

Taking a package with outside markings that don't conform with the companies services.. still a problem..
 
FYI I am not giving the seller a pass.. but as this is a BOI thread about delta... even if the vendor used the wrong service.. the fact that delta even accepted a parcel/package for NON animal service.. labeled.. .. DANGEROUS venomous reptiles.. Is NOT cool..

Airlines have regulations and they are supposed to ensure correct labels, correct type of shipments too..
 
the fact that delta even accepted a parcel/package for NON animal service.. labeled.. .. DANGEROUS venomous reptiles.. Is NOT cool..

Have YOU seen a package labeled "DANGEROUS venomous reptiles"? Have YOU seen the package that Underground shipped?

I haven't. Please post a photo of the recipient's box/package.
 
The vendor is not the one that uses the wrong code unless they are trying to get cheaper shipping by saying it is something else, as usually AVI is a little more expensive. The person behind the counter is the one that inputs the codes and such. They only go by what you tell them. Fish rate is cheaper, so alot of people say a styro box has fish....some delta counters dont know the codes so charge exuberant amounts for reptile shipment becuase they input it as dog or cat! The ONLY thing they need to be aware of is that it tested negative for explosive residue, and was screened. Contents do not matter by just "looking" at a box. The label is where ALL the info is. A tool box is NOT a shipping container for venomous snakes. Venomous boxes need to be a certain thickness of PLYWOOD, and have certain metal bandings, and reinforced corners(metal plates). I do not know who shipped it, or what, but a tool box sounds like a plastic container, with a lock on it. Snakes inside, hopefully double bagged and labeled (not correct way).

If the shipper input it wrong, or delta contractor put it in wrong, should have been checked is all so it might not have been delayed. Delta may have lost it because it was not where you told them it would be. By saying it is an animal, they would have looked in all the AVI places, and it might have been different. Either way, REQUIRE anyone shipping to you to use AVI.
 
The package WAS shipped as a live animal shipment. It said Live Animal- venomous reptile on the receipt and I was told at the depot it was designated a live animal shipment.

I thought live animal was a label under Delta DASH.

The vendor booked it correctly.
 
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