Winging It

So I call the number they provide in the email and get an agent who apparently does not have his feet on this continent. In the course of the conversation about alternative flights, he says, "Oh! Is Philadelphia in Atlantic City?"
He puts me on hold. Leaves me on hold. Apologizes. Asks if he can call back. I wait. I wait. Meanwhile, I cancel our Atlantic City hotel. I call my husband. I don't call the kids, yet. I start looking on Orbitz and Sidestep - and find that the flights we can get 7 days in advance at the height of spring break will cost $600 to $800.
Mr. Geographically impaired calls me back and tells me I can either get a refund on the tickets - or I can leave a day earlier and come back a day later.
A longer vacation would be nice. Just not possible. And the refund? Would that include the hotel nights I've already booked in Mexico? The compensation for the one week of family vacation we look forward to all year? Spending our daughter's 16th birthday in airports?
Um. No.
I call Delta directly. The supervisor gives me the same options. She says that unfortunately, all the other flights are booked. I ask her why would a flight be cancelled if you have booked all your flights and are now dumping passengers?
She resorts to the "we have our policies" thing, which we both know gets us nowhere. Then I ask if we can fly out of Philadelphia instead of Atlantic City. Fortunately, we can. But honestly, Delta? Is this any way to treat your passengers - in a peak flying period??
And Cheapflights? Spring for an atlas for your phone crew.