How to get money back if you were stranded on Delta Air Lines

27.07.2024 - 14:08 / thepointsguy.com

Operations are fully back on track at Delta Air Lines. After a five-day meltdown that saw more than 5,000 flights canceled between Friday and Tuesday, the airline on Wednesday announced it was "fully staffed" and prepared to fly its full schedule.

The Atlanta-based carrier returned to its usual reliability Thursday, with just four cancellations across its entire network (and none so far Friday), per FlightAware.

Compare that cancellation rate — practically 0% — to the 30% or more seen just several days ago, as the airline's operations failed to swiftly bounce back in the wake of a worldwide IT outage. Its issues prompted a U.S. Department of Transportation investigation.

Hundreds of thousands of customers were affected by the meltdown, the DOT estimates. And many of those customers may still be looking for compensation due to the operational snafu.

Here's what to know, whether you're in search of a refund or reimbursement or are planning to fly Delta in the coming days.

Yes. After at least 1,100 daily cancellations between Friday and Tuesday, Delta's operations improved significantly on Wednesday; the carrier has been back to its usual perch among the nation's most reliable (in terms of cancellation rate) since then.

Read more: Flight delayed or canceled? Here's what to do

Under DOT policy, you're entitled to a refund for the unused portion of your ticket — back to the original form of payment — if your flight was canceled or significantly delayed. This only applies if you ultimately choose not to fly and don't accept rebooking.

If your trip was affected by Delta's meltdown, you can file a refund request on Delta's refund page.

Delta has extended its travel advisory triggered by the irregular operations. It runs through Sunday, July 28.

The airline is offering additional flexibility to customers who don't want to fly between now and Sunday; these travelers have the option to preemptively cancel and claim a refund.

This is not normally required under DOT policy, so Delta is going a step further in this case.

Note, though, that operations at the carrier have largely returned to normal.

If you ran into a significant delay or cancellation during Delta's meltdown, you may be entitled to reimbursement for certain incurred expenses.

As shown on the DOT's Airline Customer Service Dashboard, Delta — along with other airlines — has made a variety of commitments to customers for when there's a cancellation or major delay that's "controllable," or the airline's responsibility.

This disruption, the DOT has said, fell under that category, differentiating it from, say, a snowstorm or air traffic control problems.

You can file for reimbursement at Delta's reimbursement page.

Delta notes it does not cover prepaid