As SJK mentioned, I too picked the wrong return date, when I was absolutely sure it was correct.
You don’t pick wrong dates.
This is Delta’s scam right up front. I’ll bet any Delta agent any amount up to 10K cash.
I had the ticket already in hand printed, and by luck sent copy to partner who did see it wrong.
Now rebook from scratch, hoping you didn’t loose the flight altogether.

Two of us traveled to Australia. Payed full price, 3 days ahead of flight.
Delta 17, LAX to Sydney.
Delta 2181, Sydney to Melbourne, but not true.
1* By Virgin Blue was the clue missed but printed no where near the intended flight.
The actual flight 2181 is Operated by VIRGIN BLUE as VA Flt 2826 as a domestic flight.

It was never mentioned on the way over assuming we both had the same final to Melbourne. Plus the assumption Delta had agent in Sydney.

I head upstairs at Sydney International looking for Delta to clarify ticket.
Five football fields of agents, and no Delta exists while I struggle with two full bags of heavy gear.
I stop at a random Thai airlines agent being there was a human there.
She does a few calls seeing my ticket for connecting flight is totally retarded.
I owe her a major happy hour.

She then discovers that Virgin Air is the connecting airline, but you have to get on a transfer bus to go to domestic airport. Now 1/2 mile walk again.
Non of this is ever mentioned when you get ticket.

This caused major BS delay making the two of us disconnected by a good hour with no phone access or hotel known, or any person there that was picking us up.

Luckily, partner realizes what happened, and waited in Melbourne terminal.
We reconnect gladly and head straight for beer.

On the return, it gets even worse 6 weeks later.
Now Delta doesn’t have a record of flight itinerary for the return flight to USA.
It was Delta’s own agent that handled the call, when I called in to extend the flight
by two weeks.
I too had to pay the $250 extra.

When you get to LAX on schedule, or before depending on tail winds for 14 hour flight from Sydney to LAX, you and crew are forced to wait onboard till Customs opens for business at 6AM.
Delta has your ticket scheduled to depart LAX one hour later at 7AM.
That’s one hour after touchdown. It’s not fkg possible under two hours, and they know this.
You walk a mile through the worst pathway of broken escalators hauling heavy as hell bags that can’t be rolled.

You spend an hour at Customs minimum.
You also need to get your bags from cargo hold.
Now the really fkd deal.
When under way to domestic from Customs, my check-in bag goes w/o me on scheduled flight within that hour.

You just came out of a secure area, then forced to go out of the terminal back into domestic area of terminal, to then have to wait in cue of 200 people to go through security again.

This is the worst planned action by any airline that I ever experienced in thirty years.

Your flight leaves in five minutes that Delta scheduled while in cue at security.
You try to tell security of the issue, and all they imply is it’s not their problem, and won’t
get you at head of line to maybe catch the flight.
Now the added stress just created a fkg ugly pain in your chest.

Finally get through security, head to nearest Delta agent, and what the hell’s going on?
One of the agents just leaves the desk to not deal with it.
By luck, the other asked your name.
She see’s the issue and say’s their working on it. Yea Right!

Two weeks later when my partner arrives at same point, he goes through the very same steps of mis-applied fkd up mess.

Your booked for flight four hours later, but there is a flight out in a hour back to Mpls.
You asked for stand-by for it, and it’s set up vs the four hour layover flight later.

You get on board, the gangway pulls out and away.
They close the door on the ship, and Oh Fk!
Not one seat open.

They have to contact the tower to find someone to get the gangway back into position.
Not only are you pissed, but the entire crew and passengers are adamant voicing a blur of swearing and delaying their flight a half hour.

Your previous chest pains just go to the next level, and you try fkg hard to fight it.
When I get to Mpls, I head straight for baggage looking for my bag that left w/o me at LAX.

Instead of holding the bag, they assume it’s a missing person, and had it labeled to be trucked.
I spotted the bag just about to leave the terminal, and stopped it.

I don’t care what future flight is needed, never again will it be Delta.
They should of de-solved five years ago, but Northwest went with the lowest denominator of an airline worse than Continental, another one that won’t be used.

Even if Delta offered a free international flight anywhere, I’d say Fk You!

Now my story, I worked as a travel agent for 5 years before I took over a travel coordinator position for a company that sends 20+ coaches all across the US and Canada to train large groups and classes. There has not been a 2 month stretch where one of my travelers has had some issue with an airline, whether Delta, United or Continental (don’t use AA or US air much). These issues can be as simple as a missing bag, or as big as a changed flight while they are standing at the airport. I cannot tell you the number of times I have pulled flights in GDS Apollo as my traveler is standing there being told there are no options for their flights that day or they are being offered outrageous options no right-minded business traveler would take. I have helped travelers through storms and mechanical cancellations. I even had a couple of travelers working in Alaska, stranded during the volcano last year. I WILL NEVER go to booking flights directly online at the websites, unless they go to an option like Alaska Air’s display. The airlines job is to be profitable and make the most money. Displaying all optional flights obviously doesn’t mesh with Delta’s ability to do this for sure on their website. I have actually had times where I can pull a flight talking to a res agent that they can’t even see.

The airlines are now not even sending over accurate information related to schedule changes. And their favorite thing to do is lie and tell you it’s the agents fault that booked the reservation. I have caught different airlines in some of the worst lies. United two years ago stranded a whole plane told them to wait in the lobby (no hotel vouchers, no food credits, nothing) because there was weather delays, when their website showed the flight had been canceled due to a mechanical issue. They have since canceled adding information on why flights are delayed possibly becuase they were caught.

Mark my words, things are only going to get worse. Continental and United are now merging and their first goal is to increase revenue by 900 million. They are hoping to accomplish this with business travelers flights. READ increase fares and force elite travelers to pay for services they used to get. They are also reducing employment in Houston and Chicago. So unlike the NW requirement for merging with Delta, United’s outsourced reservation agents will only increase. Want a customer service agent that will help you? Don’t expect it in a couple of years. Flying is just going to get uglier.