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Delta Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation Expert's Guide
For 2023, Delta Air Lines ranked #1 in OAG’s Top 20 Largest Global Airlines report with punctuality score of 83.21% out of 1,635,526 flights. Cirium also ranked Delta as the most on-time carrier with 89.27% OTP for its North American category in February.
Air Transport World awarded Delta the 2024 ATW Airline of the Year and the Wall Street Journal gave them the Top U.S. Airline of 2023 award. And if that isn’t enough, Delta has ranked #1 in the Business Travel News Airline Survey for 13 consecutive years. So with a track record like this, do Delta passengers ever experience flight disruptions? They do, and when it happens, knowing your compensation rights can make a world difference in your overall travel experience. So, read on to understand rights, compensation, and entitlements for Delta delays, cancellations, and denied boarding.
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Your Air Passenger Rights
If you happen to be traveling to the European Union, the United Kingdom or Canada on a Delta flight, then you can enjoy the air passenger rights offered in these areas.
EU and UK Air Passenger Rights Regulations
For Delta delays, cancellations, or denied boarding on flights scheduled to depart from a EU or UK airport, your passenger rights are covered by the regulations in each region. Specifically, UK261 in the UK and the EU’s EU261/2004 both set out to protect you when you experience flight disruptions. Under these nearly identical sets of regulations, Delta must provide its passengers with financial compensation, care and assistance, rebooked flights, and refunds determined by your specific situation.
Canada
The Canadian Transportation Agency offers similar regulations to protect air passenger rights. If you have a disrupted Delta flight departing from, arriving in, or traveling within Canada, you will be entitled to cash compensation, refunds, rebooked flights, and care and assistance depending on your delay, cancellation, or denied boarding situation.
United States
For Delta domestic flights, your rights are governed by the United States Department of Transportation. Many passengers are surprised to learn that airlines in the United States are not required to compensate passengers for flight disruptions as they are in Europe and other regions. Fortunately, Delta will do its best to help passengers get to their final destination as quickly as possible.
The table below will give you a better understanding of what each region offers for air passenger protection compensation.
Air Passenger Entitlements by Region | ||
Flight Delays | Flight Cancellations | Denied Boarding |
EU and UK | ||
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Canada | ||
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United States | ||
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Delta Air Lines Flight Delay Compensation
For 2023, the US Department of Transportation says that Delta had 167,263 delays out of 984,986 departures for the year or 16.98%. The airline has been ranked #1 for reliability in several high profile rankings as well as in our own where they ranked #1 for the best US airline.
However, if you’ve had a delayed flight with Delta, this section will help you understand what you can expect from the carrier in compensation depending upon your region of travel.
Delta Flight Delays in the EU and UK
For Delta flights departing from the UK or an EU airport, passengers are entitled to:
- Between $270/€250 and $650/€600 in cash compensation
- Care and Assistance (meals, communication)
- Refunds
What you end up receiving depends on the length of your Delta delay. The amount of financial compensation you get depends on this and also the distance of your flight, but more on this later. This table might be helpful.
EU and UK Delay Compensation | |
Length of Delay | Compensation |
2 hours or more |
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3 hours or more |
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5 hours or more |
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Delta Flight Delays in Canada
If you have a Delta flight delay from, to, or within Canada then you are entitled to:
- Complementary meals and refreshments
- Access to communication
- Hotel accommodation and transport there and back
- Ticket refund
- Rebooked flight
Again, what you receive from Delta will depend on the length of your delay and whether or not the airline was able to control the circumstances that led to your flight disruption. Here’s a table to help you see what you may be entitled to.
Canada Delay Compensation | |
Length of Delay | Compensation |
2 hours or more |
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3-6 hours |
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6-9 hours |
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9 hours |
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Delta Flight Delays in the US
Delta isn’t federally mandated by the United States to offer compensation to passengers experiencing flight delays. Nonetheless, they do provide the following in the case of delays as stated in their contract of carriage provided the delay wasn’t due to extraordinary circumstances.
If you’re delayed for longer than 4 hours:
- Hotel accommodation for one night if your delay happens between 10pm and 6am. Delta has hotel partners, so check with an airline agent before booking your own accommodation.
- Transport to the hotel
- A voucher (up to $100 USD) that you can use for future travel
Delta Air Lines Canceled Flight Compensation
In the US Department of Transportation’s report for flights statistics in 2023, Delta canceled 10,016 flights out of 984,986 (1.02%) scheduled departures.
During the summer of 2022, Delta passengers experienced a wave of flight disruptions uncharacteristic of the airline. But CEO Ed Bastian said the following in an article with the NY Post that illustrates the carrier’s commitment to on-time performance standards.
“If you’ve encountered delays and cancellations recently, I apologize. We’ve spent years establishing Delta Air Lines as the industry leader in reliability, and though the majority of our flights continue to operate on time, this level of disruption and uncertainty is unacceptable.”
Delta takes great care to avoid flight cancellations, but if you know your air passenger right, you’ll have a much easier time navigating the situation if you do encounter it. Let’s take a closer look.
Delta Flight Cancellations in the EU and UK
Delta passengers who have a flight cancellation in the EU and UK can expect the following as required under EU/UK 261:
- Cash compensation up to $650/€600 if Delta cancels your flight with less than 2 weeks notice and Delta was responsible for the cause of cancellation.
- A rescheduled flight or a full ticket refund.
- Free meals, refreshments, and access to communication for delays that last 2 or more hours.
- Complimentary hotel accommodation (for one night) if your flight leaves the next morning.
- Transport to and from the accommodation
Cash compensation amounts are calculated based on the distance of your flight and the length of your delay. The following table will give you a better idea.
Delta Compensation in the EU & UK | |||
Delay Time | Flight Distance | ||
Flights under 1,500km | Flights between 1,500-3,500km | Flights over 3,500km | |
Over 3 hours | $270 USD (€250) | $433 USD (€400) | $650 USD (€600)* |
Under 3 hours | €0 | ||
* Delta might try to reduce this amount by as much as 50%, but AirAdvisor always works to get the full amount.
Delta Flight Cancellations in Canada
For Delta flights canceled in Canada, you can expect the following from the airline. Cash compensation is decided based on the number of hours you’re delayed at your final destination past your originally scheduled arrival time.
- Cash compensation up to $738 USD: This amount is issued when you are given less than 14 days notice of the canceled flight and if Delta is at fault.
- An alternate flight or a full ticket refund
- Complementary overnight hotel stay when your rebooked flight leaves the next day.
- Taxi service to and from the hotel
- Access to communication
- Complementary meals and refreshments
Delta Compensation in Canada | |
Duration of Delay | Compensation Amount |
3 to 6 hours | $295 USD / $400 CAD |
6 to 9 hours | $517 USD/ $700 CAD |
9 or more hours | $738 USD/ $1,000 CAD |
Delta Flight Cancellations in the United States
For canceled US domestic flights, Delta will rebook you on the next available flight and try to arrange for you to have the same seating class as you originally purchased. If your seat is downgraded, then Delta will reimburse you for the difference in price, but if you’re upgraded, you will not have to pay the difference.
Delta will also arrange a hotel stay with transportation there and back if your cancellation causes you to wait at least 4 hours and you experience this between 10pm and 6am. Lastly, if you choose not to continue your journey, then you are also entitled to a full ticket refund, as required by US law.
Curious about how much compensation you could claim for a canceled Delta flight? You can find out by entering your flight details below.Check Your Flight
Denied Boarding
Passengers can be denied boarding for any number of reasons, but in this section we’re going to focus on instances of denied boarding caused when Delta oversells a flight. The good news is that between October and December of 2023, the Department of Transportation found that Delta didn’t have one instance of involuntary denied boarding. So, as a Delta passenger you can breathe a little easier. Still, if you do encounter this situation, here’s what you can expect from the airline in compensation.
Your Entitlements for Denied Boarding with Delta
Denied Boarding in the EU and UK
EU and UK regulations state that Delta must provide you with an alternative flight to your final destination or give you the option of a full ticket refund. In addition to this, Delta must give you complimentary meals and refreshments if you are left waiting at the airport for 2 or more hours. Lastly, you can receive financial compensation up to $650 USD determined by the flight distance and delay time.
Delta Denied Boarding in Canada
Similarly, Canadian regulations require the following of Delta if you are denied boarding caused by an overbooked flight.
- A rebooking to your final destination at no additional charge, or
- A full ticket refund, and
- Care and assistance in the form of food and drink, and
- Up to $1,773 USD in monetary compensation based on the amount of time you are delayed at your final destination.
Compensation for Denied Boarding in Canada | |
Duration of Delay | Amount of Compensation |
Up to 6 hours | $665 USD / $900 CAD |
Between 6 and 9 hours | $1,330 USD/ $1,800 CAD |
More than 9 hours | $1,773 USD / $2,400 CAD |
* Payment must be made to passengers as soon as they are denied boarding or within 48 hours of their flight
Delta Denied Boarding in the United States
For Delta flights within the United States, the airline is required by US law to provide you with an alternate booking on the next available flight at no extra charge. Plus, you are also entitled to as much as $1,550 USD compensation in situations where you are delayed by more than an hour at your final stop. The price of your ticket and the duration of your delay will determine the actual amount of compensation you receive from Delta. Finally, you must be given this amount within 24 hours of your flight.
Compensation for Denied Boarding in the United States (Domestic Flights) | |
Delay Duration | Compensation Amount |
Less than an hour | None |
Between 1 and 2 hours | Up to $775 USD (or 200% of the one-way fare, whichever is less) |
More than 2 hours | Up to $1,550 USD (or 400% of the one-way fare, whichever is less) |
Missed Connections
If a Delta flight disruption results in you missing a connection, then you can expect to receive the same compensation as outlined in earlier sections. More specifically, if you miss your connecting flight, the amount of compensation you receive will be the same as for delays in the region where you’re traveling.
In the EU and UK, if your missed connection was due to something within Delta’s control, then you will receive compensation based on the length of time you’re delayed at your final stop. This is also true for missed connections in Canada.
You can also expect to be rebooked on the next available flight in the EU, UK, Canada, and the US, but Delta will not provide cash compensation if your missed connection happened on a flight in the States.
What are Extraordinary Circumstances?
Extraordinary circumstances are situations that are outside the airline’s control. If you have a Delta flight disruption that was caused by uncontrollable circumstances, then the airline is not liable for compensation. Some of the most common extraordinary circumstances are:
- Air traffic control restrictions
- Dangerous weather conditions
- Strikes or other airport disruptions
- Bird strikes
- Hidden manufacturing defects
As you might imagine, finding what caused your delay or cancellation is sometimes easier said than done. One way to determine this is by simply asking airline staff. Then, try looking online to see if severe weather or other situations may be affecting the airport.
Another option that can make your claims process easier, is to let the experts at AIrAdvisor take care of the compensation claim for you. We can do all the hard work, including finding the cause of the delay or cancellation, and then doing all the leg work including taking the airline to court if it comes to that.
Why You Can Trust AirAdvisor
- Our legal team operates on a no-win, no-fee basis. We only get paid if you get paid.
- More than 230,000 passengers have turned to AirAdvisor to get them the compensation they deserve
- We have an outstanding 98% win rate as well as 7 years of experience protecting air passengers’ rights.
You don’t have to fight airlines alone. Let AirAdvisor protect your rights and get you up to $650/€600 in airline compensation.Check Your Flight
People Also Ask
Is there a deadline for filing a compensation claim with Delta?
The deadline for compensation claims, or statute of limitations, is different in each country. In Canada it is one year, but in the UK it is 6 years. Some countries have as much as 10 years to file, but most seem to set the time limit at around 3 years.
If Delta offers you a flight voucher, should you accept it?
You should only accept vouchers if you fully understand and agree to their terms. In many cases, vouchers come with blackout dates and other restrictions, but most importantly, accepting one can eliminate your chances of getting compensation if you wanted to file later.
If Delta cancels your flight, what happens to your checked baggage?
If you have a canceled flight, Delta will send your checked baggage to your final destination or send it back to you via the baggage carousel. You can also claim Delta compensation for delayed, lost, or damaged baggage.
Flight Delay Compensation Calculator:
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Recent Comments
Flight cancelled D195 from Bcn to Atl On 8/29 due to mechanical door issue. Stayed overnight extra day for 9AM reschedule flight on 8/30 which was cancelled due to same mechanical issue and moved to 11:25 then delayed to 3:25. Ended up rebooking direct flight from Bcn to JFK at 2:35
We were told the plane was damaged (Catering hit the plane causing issues with air concealing and thus couldn't take off).
I arrived at JFK 21 hours after I was supposed to. I was originally scheduled to arrive in New York on 8/25 at 8pm, but did not arrive until 8/26 at approx 5pm. They did not cancel my flight until over an hour after we were supposed to be boarding. Therefore my travel experience was approx 36 hours. I suffer from anxiety and this caused a great deal of distress for me as I was traveling alone in a country where I do not speak the language.