While other U.S. carriers’ operations are more or less back to normal, Delta posted more than 400 cancellations by 9 a.m. ET Tuesday. Since Friday, the airline has canceled more than 5,500 flights overall, with thousands more delayed, according to FlightAware. That’s more than half the number of flights the airline canceled in all of 2023, according to DOT statistics.
The DOT said it is investigating the airline “following continued widespread flight disruptions and reports of concerning customer service failures.”Passengers have taken to social media saying they airline hasn’t honored its commitments to provide hotel and meal vouchers, or offer rebooking options on other airlines. In some cases, passengers have also said the airline refused to provide cash refunds, instead offering only credits for future flights.We have made clear to Delta that they must take care of their passengers and honor their customer service commitments. This is not just the right thing to do, it’s the law, and our department will leverage the full extent of our investigative and enforcement power to ensure the rights of Delta’s passengers are upheld,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.
The statement also said the DOT’s investigation will continue to evolve as it learns more and processes all the passenger complaints that have come in.
Delta did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.What are Delta customers entitled to if their flights are delayed or canceled?
All passengers are always entitled to a full refund to their method of payment if an airline cancels their flight for any reason, even if they booked a nonrefundable ticket.
In addition, Delta’s customer service policy guarantees:Because of the high volume of flight disruptions, Delta may not be able to organize accommodation for all affected passengers itself, so those reimbursements mean it will cover reasonable expenses for travelers who make their own arrangements instead.
Delta said it will not cover “prepaid expenses, including but not limited to hotel reservations at the customer’s destination, vacation experiences, lost wages, concerts or other tickets.”
The airline is also issuing SkyMiles or travel vouchers as a goodwill gesture to affected passengers. Delta said the value of this compensation will be “an amount based on the customer’s affected travels.”Will Delta rebook passengers on other airlines?
Delta’s customer commitment does offer rebooking on other airlines for passengers whose flights are significantly delayed or canceled, but that guarantee is not always so straightforward.
Summer is peak travel season, and even when Delta has agreements in place with competitors that allow its agents to make external bookings, it doesn’t magically mean seats will be available.Flights routinely run at 90% capacity or more – every traveler has heard the announcement that their flight is completely full and no overhead bin space remains – so there’s not a lot of slack in the system to pick up passengers stranded by Delta’s disruptions.
Cruising Altitude:Flight delayed or canceled? How to get ahead of it.
Airlines can also be limited in their rebooking capabilities for various reasons, even if people are willing to use different airports than the ones they originally booked from. This adds a layer of complication to agents’ ability to search for alternative flights.Delta’s ‘widespread flight disruptions’ prompt Department of Transportation investigation