Delta should pay up after cancellation snafu

Readers: Dear John sometimes has his own problems to solve. Today I’m going to tell you about one of them.

Right now I’m supposed to be in Phoenix. But instead, I’m in Je🧸rsey.

Why? Because Delta Air Lines decided to cancel my flight 𒈔out of JFK despite the fact that it was scheduled for 5 p.m. on Thursday, which was well after last week’s snowstorm 💖had ended. Planes were taking off from the airport normally by then.

In fact, Delta canceled my flight𒆙 early Thursday morning. The text message I received at 7:19 a.m. informing me of ꩵthe cancellation said: “We’re rebooking your flight(s) and will text back with more info.”

Delta never got back to me. When I went to t൩he Delta Web site on my own to look, the airline said my alternatives were 14-hour or 12-hour flights with two stopovers. The normal flight is about six ho🤪urs.

Obviously, those weren’t good choices, especially since I wasꦅ taking my 91-year-old mother to see her 88-year-old brother who she hadn’t see🅠n in about five years.

I understand that Delta and all the ℱother airlines had a problem this wee🍌k. A lot of flights were canceled on Wednesday because of the storm. But Delta’s problem wasn’t my problem.

The weather was perfect when my flight was due to take off at 5💖 p.m. on Thursday — 50 degrees.

Like me, thousands of others were supposed to be on flights scheduled for when the storm was💧 over and operations were back to normal. I don’t 🐠have numbers, but they probably didn’t take off either.

When I confronted Delta, the only explanation I got was a lame one. Maybe there wasn’t a plan♈e at JFK, or the crew couldn’t get to the airport.

But Delta had more than 12 hours of good weather to get its planes and crew to New York, if that were really the case. A crew could have flown back and forth acro🌠ss the US and gotten to JFK in that time.

⭕Delta had, in effect, bumped us from our flights so it co💛uld send planes somewhere else. I had a ticket for that flight — a contract.

And while what Delta did really annoyed me, it🗹’s OK if the airline compensates me and everyone else for⛦ the inconvenience.

How much?

Here’s what the Department of Transportation Web site says: “Passengers who are denied boarding involuntarily due to oversales are entitled to compensation.” Most get compensation equal to double the price of ꦏa one-way ticket.

That🌌 compensation can go as high as $675. If the delays are longer — and not getting to my destination is about as long as it gets — bumped passengers are entitled to $1,350. I’ve seen instances where airlines are authorized to pa𒊎y thousands.

Delta will say it has no control over the weather. But the weather was fine at 5 p.m. on Thursday when it wa﷽🔜s contractually obligated to fly me.

Delta will also say it didn’t oversell tickets. Well, it certainly did if it didn’t have enough aircraft at JFK to accommodate everyone who had purchaꦇsed a ticket to fly on Thursday.

So, Delta, I want my compensation. And I want anyone else🧸 who experienced a similar predicament to get paid.

There was one c𝕴ompany that behaved honorably last week. I spent a good part of Thursday canceling hotel and car reservations. And I🅷 would have lost money if Priceline hadn’t stepped in and refunded the full prices of both.

And, no, Priceline didn’t know I was a journalist and was going to write about th🦩is when it made that nice gest❀ure.

I’ll expect a check from Delta. It🍨 knows how to reach me.