The madness of Delta Airlines

Long ago, I booked a roundtrip ticket with Delta for a vacation to Germany, leaving on Oct. 6.

Just two weeks ago, out of the blue, I got offered a consultancy with a certain very large international humanitarian agency in Ukraine - and I needed to be in Kyiv on August 3, and cannot leave sooner than Oct. 4, per the terms of this contract.

So I called Delta and tried to work out something so that I wouldn't end up having to fly 24+ hours all the way back from Ukraine on Oct. 3, then turn around less than 48 hours later, and fly to Germany.

Who benefits from me having to do that? No one.

The solution is oh-so-simple: allow me to NOT to use the already-paid-for ticket that brings me from my connection from Ukraine back to the USA on Oct. 3, and allow me NOT to use the already-paid-for ticket from the USA to Germany. Then I am out only the price of a train ticket from Amsterdam to Frankfurt, Germany on Oct. 3.

Delta loses NO money. Delta loses NOTHING but my butt in an already-paid for seat. I get to NOT spend more than 24 hours on planes in three days.

So simple, right?

Wrong.

Delta is refusing. I HAVE to fly on Oct. 4, and I HAVE to fly on Oct. 6. More than 30 hours on planes. Why? Who does it benefit?

No one.

Here's the first explanation Delta gave for requiring me to fly for more than 24 hours on Oct 3 - Oct. 6:

Please allow me to explain that our policies are based on extensive research done by our marketing team. We have a dedicated team of analysts who analyze the features of the policy before they are implemented.

UPDATE: here''s the second explanation Delta gave me:

The ticket you purchased is a discounted fare based on round trip travel. To clarify, your reservation is subject to cancellation if you fail to fly any portion of your itinerary. If a passenger does not use a confirmed seat, or if the Delta flight coupons are not used in the order in which they were issued, then the continuing and return reservations will be automatically canceled.

Yup, there it is. That's why.

What happens if my flight is delayed out of Ukraine, and I then miss my connecting flight back to the USA, and then miss my flight from the USA to Germany? THEY WILL CANCEL MY RESERVATION FOR MY FLIGHT BACK FROM GERMANY. Meaning I will be stuck in Europe unless I can come up with more than $5000 for the return ticket.

Yes, you read that right.

Delta Airlines, you should be ashamed of yourself. Absolutely ashamed. Either allow me not to fly on those dates, or do any or all of the following:

• Upgrade me, at least on the flight back from Europe to the USA on Oct. 3 (the flight on Aug. 2 would also be appropriate). 
• Upgrade me AND MY HUSBAND on our flights to and from Germany
• Give me a generous travel voucher. $500. $1000. 

And most of all: APOLOGIZE.