What Delta passengers are entitled to in terms of compensation

By Marnie Hunter, CNN

(CNN) — Delta Air Lines reported “a significant return to operational reliability” on Wednesday after five days of widespread disruptions stemming from a global tech outage.

And Thursday was expected to be a “normal day,” according to an update from Delta CEO Ed Bastian.

While most airlines affected by a CrowdStrike software update that crashed Windows systems had largely resumed normal operations by the end of the weekend, Delta was still struggling with the crew tracking system needed to staff its flights well into the following week.

Thousands of bags were separated from passengers who couldn’t make the same journeys upon which their luggage embarked. And some weary, frustrated passengers were still trying to reconstruct travel plans or abandon them for compensation. Passengers over the weekend reported wait times of six hours or more on customer service phone lines before they gave up without reaching agents.

The Department of Transportation has opened an investigation into Delta’s service meltdown. Delta said it is cooperating with the DOT and remains “entirely focused on restoring our operation.”

“Across our operation, Delta teams are working tirelessly to care for and make it right for customers impacted by delays and cancellations as we work to restore the reliable, on-time service they have come to expect from Delta,” the airline said in a statement.

Here’s what we know about what they’re entitled to and how passengers can make claims with the airline.

What are Delta passengers entitled to?

A refund

The Department of Transportation has been adamant that airlines offer money-back refunds to passengers affected by cancellations or “significant” delays, rather than e-credits for future travel. Travelers may choose e-credits, but portions of their trips not flown are refundable. Delta listed a “right to a refund upon request” in a Monday afternoon update on what it’s doing to serve affected customers. Delta refunds can be requested here.

Delta said in a Wednesday update that it will also allow any passengers with travel booked from July 19-28 who no longer wish to travel to cancel and request a refund “regardless of whether their flight has been canceled or significantly delayed.”

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg hammered the refund requirement on X over the weekend.

“I am hearing reports of some airlines only offering flight credits to passengers for cancelled flights. Let me be clear – you are entitled to get your money back promptly if your flight is cancelled and you don’t take a rebooking,” Buttigieg posted Saturday.

While there was some question in the early hours of the outage on Friday whether the situation was within the airlines’ control, the DOT soon put that question to rest for US carriers, deeming the fallout from the system outage “controllable.”

“A ‘controllable’ flight cancellation or delay is one that is attributable to the airline,” the DOT said in a statement Friday, which put commitments airlines have made to their customers in such events applicable. Those are detailed on this DOT dashboard.

Coverage of eligible expenses

Delta outlined that it is responsible for covering expenses “resulting from this flight disruption, including providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations where available and ground transportation.”

Lines stretched down concourses on Saturday evening at Delta’s hometown airport, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International. Some passengers reported six-hour waits, and many affected passengers had trouble securing food and lodging over the weekend.

Buttigieg addressed mounting complaints from passengers on Sunday: “Delta must provide prompt refunds to consumers who choose not to take rebooking, free rebooking for those who do, and timely reimbursements for food and hotel stays to consumers affected by these delays and cancellations, as well as adequate customer service assistance,” he posted on X.

Reimbursement of eligible expenses

Travelers who made their own arrangements during the disruption can be reimbursed for expenses such as hotels, meals and ground transportation. (Among the expenses that are not eligible for reimbursement: hotel reservations at the traveler’s destination, vacation experiences, lost wages, tickets to concerts or other events).

In an update on Wednesday, Delta said: “We know many customers have incurred unplanned travel expenses, including purchasing tickets on other airlines, rental cars, train tickets and more. Delta will cover reasonable costs for additional categories of expenses incurred during the duration of the travel waiver (which currently applies for flights between July 19 and July 28).”

Impacted passengers can submit reimbursement requests here.

Additional compensation

The airline has also said it would issue Delta SkyMiles or a travel voucher “in an amount based on the customer’s affected travels.”

How can passengers file complaints?

Complaints can be filed online with Delta. Online complaints generate a case number that can be used to track them. An auto-response to one passenger complaint filed on Monday said most inquiries receive a response “within 7 days,” adding “however, due to the complexity of certain situations, additional time may be required to respond.”

The Department of Transportation also fields air travel service complaints.

“While you should first try to resolve issues directly with the airline, we want to hear from passengers who believe that Delta has not complied with USDOT-enforced passenger protection requirements during the recent travel disruptions. We will follow up,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg posted Tuesday on X.

The DOT says on its website that contacting airlines directly may result in the fastest resolution of many service complaints, but the agency does require airlines to acknowledge consumer complaints filed with the DOT.  The agency also collects complaints in a database to help it spot trends in the industry that may inform future rulemaking.

How can passengers retrieve luggage?

The operational meltdown has separated thousands of passengers from their luggage, which in many cases made it to destinations the passengers could not reach.

Claims for delayed, lost or damaged luggage can be submitted online. However, the form requires a file reference number that can only be obtained through a Delta agent. “Your file reference number is 8 or 10-digit alphanumeric code located on the front of baggage information folder given to you by the Delta agent with whom you first reported your baggage delay,” Delta’s online form says.

In Atlanta on Monday morning, passengers waited in two-hour plus lines to speak with Delta agents at the Baggage Service Office to get those reference numbers and file claims. Claims can be filed at any Baggage Service Office.

Customers can also call 1-800-325-8224 to make a baggage claim.

“We have set up an internal Baggage Command Center in Atlanta, where we are seeing the highest number of displaced baggage, in an effort to expedite the process of reuniting customers with their belongings,” Delta said on Tuesday.

Delta has extended its travel waiver for travel through July 28. Details are available here.

CNN’s Chris Isidore, Isabel Rosales and Amanda Musa contributed to this report.

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