Dianne and Steven Raubenheimer had planned to spend the past week scuba diving in the Caribbean. Instead, they were stuck in Johnston County, their plans thwarted by an airline mix-up.
Now, the Raubenheimers want Delta Air Lines to make up for their lost vacation.
For years, the couple had been planning the eight-day trip to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary on Dec. 22 and renew their wedding vows. Avid scuba divers, they wanted to swim with the fish in the waters of Bonaire in the southern Caribbean.
They paid about $1,700 in August for two Delta plane tickets. The flight was scheduled to leave RDU Sunday the morning, stop in Atlanta and then go on to the island. The Raubenheimers got an e-mail confirmation of their purchase.
But Dianne Raubenheimer became worried when she tried to print out their boarding passes the night before the trip. She got an electronic message telling her to call the airline's reservations office. When she tried, she repeatedly heard a busy signal, she said.
Reluctantly, the Raubenheimers went to bed that night and arrived at RDU at 4:30 the next morning. When they got to the front of the line 90 minutes later, they said, a Delta worker had a grim message:
"He said these flights don't exist," Dianne Raubenheimer said.
They showed the worker the e-mail confirmation and told him they pre-paid for the flight. But as it turns out, the flight had been canceled.
Devastated and not knowing what to do next, the Raubenheimers said they accepted a refund for the tickets and $200 in Delta credit. A worker told them Delta could get them to Bonaire by Christmas Day, but the couple wasn't sure their accommodations would be available for another week.
They had paid a nonrefundable $700 deposit for a cottage on the beach. "We've lost our money," Dianne Raubenheimer said.
The Raubenheimers returned to their Clayton home and spoke with other Delta workers by phone. They also called The News & Observer.
Troubleshooter contacted Delta, and the company then called the Raubenheimers. The airline is trying to work with the family to make things right, said spokeswoman Susan Elliott.
Usually, Delta contacts customers via phone or e-mail when flights are canceled, Elliott said.
"They weren't notified, and it was an anomaly," she said of the Raubenheimers. "We should have called them and let them know."
Dianne Raubenheimer said Delta knew how to get in touch with her.
"I'm a frequent flier," she said. "They have my cell phone, my address, my home phone."
When mix-ups happen, Elliott said, Delta can give passengers a refund or set up a flight with another airline. The latter wasn't an immediate option in the Raubenheimers' case, she said.
"There was no way to get them to their destination" on that date, she said.
As for the deposit the Raubenheimers paid for their cottage, Elliott said she didn't know what steps Delta would take. The couple also paid to board their three cats and three dogs.
Dianne Raubenheimer said a Delta worker told her the company would contact the couple next week with more information.
Work with the airline
The U.S. Department of Transportation has an aviation consumer protection division that accepts complaints about airlines. But in a recorded message, the office recommends that airline customers try to resolve their issues with the airline, because most don't violate federal rules.
The Federal Aviation Administration doesn't handle complaints from airline passengers, said spokesman Jim Peters.
"The airline has to develop its own policy on how to address that sort of [issue]," he said.
An alternate plan
Instead of spending their anniversary on the island, the Raubenheimers had a more low-key celebration: They saw "The Nutcracker" ballet in Raleigh.
"Basically, they destroyed our holiday," Dianne Raubenheimer said. "So what can we do?"
Sarah Nagem is filling in for Troubleshooter Leah Friedman, who is on maternity leave.
