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

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.

Is Delta back on track?

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

Getting a refund from Delta

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.

How to get a refund for a flight

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

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What if you don’t want to fly Delta in the coming days?

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.

Getting reimbursement if you were stranded

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.

What’s not covered?

Delta notes it does not cover prepaid expenses at your destination, such as vacation activities, concert tickets, sporting events and the like.

In some cases, you might be able to recoup those expenses with a travel insurance policy or the travel insurance you have through a credit card. However, assuming the policy was active before the meltdown, coverage will be entirely dependent on your specific policy.

What if you booked a flight on another airline?

On Wednesday, Delta acknowledged the large number of travelers who, during the meltdown, made other arrangements to travel — whether by flying other airlines, renting a car or booking a train.

The airline loosened its reimbursement policy for the period of its travel waiver (July 19 to 28) and is allowing customers to submit for reimbursement of those expenses. This includes flights booked on another carrier, in some cases.

Here are the criteria:

• Travel between July 19 and 28.
• Travelers who experienced a cancellation or delay of at least three hours are eligible.
• You can submit the fare paid to purchase another airline ticket in the same class of service minus the value of the unused portion of your Delta ticket.
• You can also submit alternative transportation costs such as rental cars, rideshares, trains or buses used to reach your destination — minus the value of the unused portion of your ticket.

Again, you can file for reimbursement at Delta's reimbursement page.

In the event of a dispute

The DOT typically advises customers to start by trying to settle up on these costs and refunds with the airline itself.

If you don’t hear back from the airline in a timely manner or think a request was unfairly denied, you can read more here about filing a complaint with the agency.

Also important to know

Delta also noted this week it's giving SkyMiles and travel vouchers to customers as a gesture, although the actual mileage amounts we've heard reported from TPG readers have varied — significantly, in some cases.

Related reading:

• Key travel tips you need to know — whether you're a beginner or an expert traveler
• The best travel credit cards
• Where to go in 2024: The 16 best places to travel
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
• 13 must-have items the TPG team can't travel without