Delta Air Lines is entering its fifth day of flight delays and cancelations, leaving millions of customers stranded at airports nationwide and struggling to rebook flights.
Since Friday, the Atlanta-based airline has canceled over 5,000 flights and counting – more than all of 2018 and 2019 combined – and delayed tens of thousands more. Delta's problems started with a worldwide cybersecurity outage late last week that interrupted major airlines and other industries. But while other affected airlines have resumed normal operations, Delta is still struggling to catch up.
While the airline hasn't publicly told customers when it expects flights to resume operating smoothly, airline executives told employees they hope to get back on track by the weekend.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Transportation has launched an investigation into Delta and is ramping up pressure on the airline to comply with federal regulations to issue prompt refunds and fairly compensate passengers for disrupting their travel plans.
If Delta's meltdown has impacted your travel plans, you've got options. But even if you're not flying Delta until later this week, it's best to be prepared for what's likely to be a few more days of delays and cancelations.
Change Your Delta Flight for Free
Delta is offering a free change waiver that could allow you to reschedule an upcoming flight for as far out as next month without paying fees or fare differences. If you've got some flexibility with your travel plans, you'd be wise to take advantage.
This could allow you to shift your Delta flights as far back as Aug. 4 without paying any extra to do so.
As of publication, Delta's current travel waiver applies to flights scheduled through Sunday, July 28. If you're flying Delta sometime in the next few days, you should be able to rebook your flights online or using the Fly Delta app.
Book a Backup Flight with Another Airline
If you need to get somewhere this week and you're booked with Delta, it's time to start looking into alternatives.
While other airlines struggled over the weekend (especially United Airlines), they're all faring far better than Delta. Southwest and Alaska Airlines, in particular, were virtually unaffected by last week's outage and continue flying without interruption. As things currently stand, even low-cost carriers like Sun Country and Frontier are safer options than Delta.
Fire up Google Flights and see what other airlines can get you to your final destination this week. Filter for nonstops if you want to get there as fast as possible.
You can even exclude Delta fares from your results.
Will it cost you an arm and a leg to book a ticket just a few days or even hours before departure? Maybe. Is that worth the peace of mind that you can get where you need to go on time when Delta clearly cannot? Almost certainly.
Thrifty Tip: Got some airline miles or credit card points stashed away? There's no better time to use them than when fares are high!
Read our guide to booking a last-minute flight!
Know Your Rights: Get a Refund
It's one of the few ironclad rights we've got as travelers: If Delta cancels or significantly delays your flight by three or more hours, you're entitled to a full refund. Not just a voucher or Delta eCredit, but your money back.
That could help offset the cost of a last-minute flight with another carrier and get you on your way for (slightly) less.
If Delta hasn't canceled or changed your flight yet, wait and watch. These kinds of schedule changes tend to happen day of – and, in many cases, right around your scheduled departure time … or even after.
Just be warned that once that cancellation notification hits, Delta may try to steer you into accepting a less flexible eCredit – where your money stays tied up with the airline for future travel. You'll need to be careful not to accept this and instead head to Delta.com/refund and submit your request in order to get your money back.
Save Your Receipts & Request Reimbursement
Travelers booked with Delta are staring down some difficult decisions: Do you pay for another few nights in a hotel (and many more meals) before Delta can get you home? Do you book a flight on another airline? Or rent a car and start the long drive home instead?
Whatever you do, make Delta pay for all those extra expenses. Or at least try to, anyway.
Delta is spelling out exactly what it will cover for disrupted passengers – either by proactively offering vouchers for hotels and meals or covering those expenses after the fact via reimbursement. And the airline is spelling out what it won't cover, too: Namely, “prepaid expenses, including but not limited to hotel reservations at the customer’s destination, vacation experiences, lost wages, concerts or other tickets.”
You can use this form on Delta's website to submit requests for reimbursement. At this time, Delta hasn't said when customers will start receiving payments.
Check Your Travel Insurance (Or Credit Card Coverage)
Where Delta falls short, travel insurance can be a lifesaver. And that includes some top travel credit cards that offer excellent built-in coverage.
Every policy is different, both in terms of how much in additional expenses they'll cover as well as whether they'll cover those extra costs at all, like an extra hotel night, if Delta is supposed to be on the hook. You need to go back and read the fine print to figure out exactly how your travel insurance can help you.
Items like additional hotel nights if you're stranded by the airline, costs to replace clothes and toiletries due to lost luggage, and extra meals are typically a given with travel insurance. While it's too late to buy travel insurance to cope with the disruptions you're dealing with today, you may be covered if you booked your trip with the right travel credit card.
Some of best credit cards have built-in travel insurance. Just book your flight with one of these cards (or redeem points from them) and you're set. One important detail: American Express cards often require a roundtrip booking.
Few are better than the *chase sapphire preferred* or the *chase sapphire reserve*, as they have some unbeatable travel insurance coverage on any ticket purchased with the card. On the Preferred Card, for example, you get:
- Up to $500 in reimbursements for expenses like airfare, hotels, meals etc. in the event of a delay of 12 or more hours.
- Up to $100 a day for five days if your checked baggage is delayed more than six hours.
- Unbeatable coverage for rental cars
- And more…
Again, you'll need to read the fine print on your policy to ensure these provisions will actually kick in – and they may not if Delta is on the hook to cover hotels, meals, and other expenses.
Be Patient & Kind
This is hard, we know. But when things go wrong in air travel, we have a mantra:
“It's not the check-in agent's fault. It's not your gate agent's fault. It's not your flight attendant's fault. And it's not the customer support agent on the phone's fault, either.”
As frustrating as delays and cancellations can be, don't take it out on front-line employees. In many cases, they're under just as much stress as you are trying to help hundreds of fellow travelers – not to mention, working long hours trying to keep the airline moving.
Kindness is a superpower in these situations. These employees often have enormous power to help you out … and they're far more likely to do so when you're genuinely nice.
Bottom Line
Delta's meltdown is likely to continue for the next few days. The airline has already canceled more than 5,000 flights in the last four days and delayed tens of thousands more
Now, those customers are seeking refunds and reimbursement from the airline, and travelers with Delta flights scheduled for later this week should be exploring all their options for getting to their final destination.
Executive Editor Kyle Potter contributed to this story