Delta creates special rapid city flight for Belgian tourists

Delta recently created a special flight to help a group of Belgian tourists reach their South Dakota vacation after experiencing travel delays. The tourists boarded a flight from Amsterdam on May 31 as part of a reward trip for coffee roasters using creamer by Dutch dairy cooperative FrieslandCampina. But inclement weather delayed the initial flight's takeoff to Minneapolis, where travellers met further delays because of short staffing at the US Customs and Border Patrol checkpoint. The delays forced the tourists to miss their flight to Rapid City, South Dakota, said a cooperative representative. A Delta spokeswoman said the two options were accommodating the passengers in hotels that night, followed by an eight-hour bus ride to Rapid City, or something quicker. Airline officials soon identified a 160-passenger jumbo jet and crew available to take the roughly 20 tourists to their Black Hills destination. "It may not be the most cost effective option, but it's the right thing to do," the spokeswoman said.<br/>