Most Delta passengers are not owed compensation for a delay, and it is better to know that before spending an evening on a claim. The exception is a flight that takes off from Europe. There the amounts are high, because every Delta route out of Europe is long-haul.
Which rules cover a Delta flight
Delta is not an EU or UK airline, so the European rules reach it in one direction only.
| Your Delta flight | Rules | Compensation for delay or cancellation |
|---|---|---|
| Departs from an EU or EEA airport | EU261 (Art. 3(1)(a)) | Yes |
| Departs from a UK airport | UK261 | Yes |
| Flies into Europe from the US | US rules | No |
| US domestic, or US to another country | US DOT rules | No, but refunds and bumping pay |
Tip
Check who operated the flight. Delta sells seats on Air France, KLM and Virgin Atlantic aircraft.
If one of them flew you into Europe, EU261 or UK261 applies after all, and the claim goes to that airline, not to Delta (Art. 3(5), Regulation 261/2004). Delta’s page says the same for flights it did not operate.
Flights leaving the EU or the UK
You can claim when you arrive 3 or more hours late (CJEU, Sturgeon, C-402/07), when the flight is cancelled less than 14 days before departure (Art. 5(1)(c)), or when you are denied boarding against your will (Art. 4).
Delta’s notices list all three bands, but transatlantic flights are over 3,500 km:
| Situation | EU departure | UK departure |
|---|---|---|
| Full amount, flights over 3,500 km | €600 | £520 |
| Rerouted and arrived less than 4 hours after the original time | €300 | £260 |
On a connecting itinerary under one booking, the delay is counted at the final destination. See missed connection.
Good to know
Delta’s notice says this compensation cannot be paid at the airport, so you must claim afterwards.
It offers Transportation Credit Vouchers or cash. Delta does not pay if it proves extraordinary circumstances (Art. 5(3)).
Other Delta flights
Federal law gives you less, but not nothing:
- Refund. If Delta cancels or significantly changes the flight and you do not accept the alternative or other compensation offered, you are owed a refund to the original form of payment (14 CFR Part 260).
- Bumping. Involuntary denied boarding on an oversold flight is compensated at 200% of the one-way fare up to $1,075, or 400% up to $2,150, depending on how late you arrive (14 CFR 250.5).
- Delay. No compensation is required. What Delta provides in meals or hotels during a delay it controls is set by its own customer commitments, not by regulation.
Where to file
For a flight that left the EU or the UK, start at Delta’s Exit EU compensation request page. It leads to the Comment/Complaint form, where Delta tells you to select “Submit Feedback”.
Its UK notice gives the full path: Need Help, Comment/Complaint, Submit Feedback, File a Complaint, then “Delayed, Canceled, Rebooked flights”.
Have ready:
- Confirmation number or ticket number.
- Flight number, date and route.
- The names of the passengers.
- Receipts for meals, hotel or transport.
Two things Delta states on that page:
- it processes eligible refund requests within 7 business days of receipt;
- if you bought the ticket from a travel agent, ask the agent first, and contact Delta if that fails.
Tip
Say in the first line that you are claiming under Regulation 261/2004, with the article and the amount. Our claim letter has the wording.
If Delta refuses
- UK departures. Delta’s UK notice names AviationADR, approved by the Civil Aviation Authority. Refer the complaint within 12 months of Delta’s final response.
- EU departures. Complain to the enforcement body of the country you departed from. Delta publishes a rights notice for each European country it flies from.
- US flights. File a complaint with the Department of Transportation. It forwards the complaint to the airline.
- Court. In the UK, the time limit is six years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and five in Scotland.
The rights calculator tells you in a minute whether your Delta flight is one of the covered ones.