Delta Flight Delay Compensation. How to claim?

How much can you claim as compensation for your flight?

The compensation amount you are entitled to primarily depends on the distance of your Delta Air Lines flight.

If your flight was shorter than 1500 km you could claim €250 for your disruption. For a flight between 1500 km and 3500 km, your compensation rises to €400. If the distance exceeds 3500 km you could receive up to €600.

There is an exception that applies to flights longer than 3500 km. When you have a long-haul flight that arrives at its final destination with a delay between 3 to 4 hours, the airline has the right to reduce your compensation by half.

Claim your compensation from Delta Air Lines

EU Regulation 261/2004 applies to air passengers who are departing from an EU airport, or from a non-EU airport with an EU-registered airline.

It is important to note that flight compensation is subject to specific conditions. With SkyRefund you can easily find out if your flight is eligible for compensation using our compensation calculator.

Is My Flight Eligible?

Delta Flight Delay

For your flight to be eligible for compensation, there are several basic conditions that have to be met:

• You departed from an EU airport
• Your flight was late at its final destination by more than three hours
• Your flight was not delayed due to any extraordinary circumstances

Under EC261, passengers can claim Delta Airlines flight delay compensation, if they reach their final destination with an overall delay of over three hours. The duration of the delay is the difference between the actual and the scheduled time of arrival.

Claim Delay Compensation

EU law applies to flights operated by EU airlines or flights departing from the EU, regardless of the country of registration of the operating carrier. As Delta Air Lines is registered in Atlanta, Georgia, US, passengers would be entitled to compensation for delayed flights only if they depart from an EU airport. 

But what about extraordinary circumstances? Extraordinary circumstances are events that cause flight delays or flight cancellations. Often referred to as “force-majeure” events, extraordinary circumstances are beyond Delta Air Lines’s capability to prevent or mitigate. 

Some common examples of such events include:

• Bad weather (including snowstorms, hailstorms, strong crosswinds, low visibility)
• Bird strikes
• Airport personnel strikes
• Air Traffic Control restrictions (e.g. runway closures of airport shutdowns)
• Hidden manufacturing defects
• Medical emergencies

All of the above-mentioned scenarios are seen as “force-majeure” events and in these instances, passengers on delayed Delta flights would not be entitled to compensation. 

Please note that some situations are not considered exceptional and you can still get compensated for flight delays in case of:

• Problems with airline staff
• Technical problems preventing the aircraft from taking off 
• Denied boarding caused by overbooking

SkyRefund can help you with claiming flight delay compensation. We have a simple and intuitive compensation calculator embedded in our website which takes away the burden of filing long compensation forms. All we need is your flight number, date of travel and booking reference number and we will go through the whole process for you.

Delta Air Lines Flight Cancelation

Your Delta Air Lines flight was cancelled? You may be eligible for flight cancellation compensation if the following conditions are met:

• You were notified of the cancellation less than 14 days before the scheduled departure
• Your alternate flight to your final destination arrived more than 4 hours later than its scheduled time of arrival
• Your cancellation was not caused by any extraordinary circumstances

Speaking from experience, most flight cancellations occur 24h prior to departure. Therefore you could be entitled to compensation if your alternate flight arrives more than 2 hours after your original flight.

SkyRefund can help you claim in the event of a cancelled flight. You can check your eligibility and leave the rest to us. We will contact the airline’s customer service and start the claim process on your behalf.

How Much Can I Claim?

Don’t forget that if your Delta Air Lines flight is cancelled, the carrier is obliged to provide its passengers with an alternate flight or a full refund for the total ticket cost regardless of the circumstances. Delta Air Lines should also provide meal vouchers, accommodation, and transport from/to the airport during the wait period.

Denied Boarding

If Delta denies your boarding on the aircraft due to overbooking, you are presented with two options:

1. Get a full ticket refund and a return ticket to your original departure point
2. Get an alternate flight to your final destination - either as soon as possible or at a later date

Additionally, you can submit a compensation claim for your Delta Air Lines overbooked flight. Under EC261, you could be eligible to the same amount as for a delayed or canceled flight - up to €600!

Check Compensation

About Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines was founded in 1924 with its main hub in Atlanta, Georgia, US. Delta is one of the oldest airline companies that is still operating. 

Today the American carrier manages the second largest fleet in the world with a large variety of Airbus and Boeing aircraft, 886 in total. 

Delta Air Lines has a frequent flyer program offering miles, travel benefits, and a SkyMiles AmEx credit card to its members.

The company is one of the four remaining legacy carriers and was ranked No. 69 in the Fortune's 500 list of the largest American corporations by revenue in 2018.

Delta rankings

Skytrax - a leading airline ranking site, has given Delta Air Lines an aggregate score of 4/10, which is based on customer reviews. Seat comfort, food and beverages, onboard service, inflight entertainment, and overall value for money are the criteria used for the ranking. Additionally, Delta is officially ranked as a 3-star airline by the same website.