The Compass flight from Nashville to Minneapolis started out a little late due to weather issues and then our plane had a mechanical issue. Turns out that the AA batteries to the megaphone / bullhorn needed to be replaced by federal rules require a signed waiver from the aircraft manufacturer and they're in Brazil. So rather than waiting hours for a faxed signature, Compass moved us to a second, identical plane. But that plane had mechanical problems too. The circuit breaker in the smoke detector in one of the bathrooms needed to be replaced. That delayed us two hours so we ended up leaving three hours late.

No one likes departing late but I've had and will have worse. But more than delays what really frustrates travelers is the apparent, ahem, need by some airline crew to be less than candid with their customers and sometimes simply lie. Why they can't be open, honest, and transparent about the problems that occur and which travelers expect is beyond me. The Compass ground and air crew were awesome. They kept us informed. They told us how the rules made no sense but they had to follow them. They made arrangements for free hotels in Nashville or Minneapolis for passengers who would miss their connections. And they were nice. Really nice.

But to top it all off, they gave us vouchers as we boarded that entitled us to $100 towards another Delta flight or 10,000 frequent flyer miles. That voucher was not necessary but sure left a good taste in the mouths of each and every traveler that day. We knew that Compass had done everything that it could to make us happy and we'll re-pay that attitude by flying them again. Kudos!