Delta Air Lines intends to ensure that your air travel experience will encompass, to the best of our abilities, the most comprehensive customer service possible. We have outlined our responsibilities and how we will fulfill them in 12-key points, known as our Customer Commitment.
Note: The Delta Air Lines Customer Commitment applies to our covered flights operating to, from, or within the U.S., and includes:
1. Offering the lowest fare available
We will disclose on our website, at the ticket counter, or when you call our reservation center to inquire about a fare or make a reservation, that the lowest fare offered by Delta to the general public for the itinerary you have requested may be available elsewhere, if that is the case.
Please note our commitment is to help match you with the best fare product that meets your specific travel needs, which may not always be the lowest fare available. At your request, our Reservation Specialists will quote you the lowest published fare that we offer for the specific airports and type of itinerary that you request. We do not search for or quote fares for other itineraries. When shopping on delta.com or the Fly Delta app, in some cases you may need to select a flight and cabin before the lowest available published price for that itinerary is displayed for purchase. You may use the Sort by Price function to sort for the lowest priced itinerary, then select a cabin for your flights to review all price options for that itinerary. Although combining separate one-way tickets usually results in a higher total fare than the one we offer for the same connecting itinerary, it is sometimes possible to find two or more one-way fares at a combined cost that is lower than the lowest fare Delta offers for the connecting itinerary. We do not search for or quote these options to you, because this increases the likelihood that you could experience customer service failures such as lost baggage and missed connections.
2. Notifying consumers of known delays, cancellations, and diversions
We will provide full and timely information on the status of known delays, cancellations, and diversions within 30 minutes of Delta becoming aware of the change in the status of the flight:
By making announcements in the boarding gate area and through the use of Gate Information Display screens (GIDS) where available.
Through Flight Information Display screens (FIDS) where available.
Upon request, through our telephone reservation system (800-221-1212).
On delta.com at Flight Status & Updates.
Through flight notification subscription service.
3. Delivering baggage on time
It is our intention to deliver your baggage on time; however, in the event that this does not occur, we will make every reasonable effort to return misplaced baggage within 24 hours. We will compensate you for reasonable expenses that result due to a delay in delivery for domestic flights, and as required by applicable international agreements for international flights. If we cannot locate your bag within 21 days it will be considered lost, and we will reimburse you for any fee charged to transport your bag.
Notify a Delta employee at the airport if you cannot locate your baggage. To check on the progress of your bag search, call 800-325-8224 or go to Delayed, Lost, or Damaged Baggage on delta.com and use the Track Checked Baggage tool.
4. Risk Free Cancellation, allowing reservations to be cancelled without penalty for 24-hours after the reservation is made.
Even if you buy a non-refundable ticket from Delta, we will give you time to compare our fares with those of other airlines. You may cancel and refund your ticket in full until midnight, one day after the reservation is made. For example, a ticket purchased anytime on Monday can be cancelled and refunded until midnight on Tuesday. If the reservation is made on the date of travel, you may cancel and refund your paid ticket in full until midnight that day.
5. Providing ticket eCredits, refunds within 7 business days for credit card purchases, and refunds within 20 days for cash or check purchases.
We will make every effort to process eligible credits and refunds within 7 business days.
Tickets converted to eCredits will appear in your account on delta.com and can also be retrieved using your Ticket Number.
Tickets paid for by cash or a check will be refunded in the form of a check to the person named as the passenger on the ticket, typically within 20 days of Delta’s initial receipt of the credit/refund request.
Eligible tickets paid for by a credit card will be refunded to the original form of payment, typically within 7 business days of Delta's initial receipt of the credit/refund request. Once processed, refunds may take up to two billing cycles to appear on your credit/debit card statement.
Note: If your purchase was made with an international credit card, we generally transmit our credit instructions to the credit card processing company within 7 business days of the date the refund is processed. Please be advised that international bank processing times vary by country depending on the local banking system. Therefore, it can take up to 2 billing cycles for the credit card issuer to show this credit on your statement.
For refund assistance:
Go to Applying for a Refund on delta.com for online refund information.
Requests for refunds may be submitted to any Delta ticketing location or your travel agent.
Refunds for electronic tickets may be requested by calling Reservations Sales at 800-221-1212.
6. Properly accommodating passengers with disabilities and children traveling alone including during tarmac delays
Passengers with Disabilities
Accommodating the needs of passengers with disabilities is a priority for Delta.
Transportation to, from, and between gates, either by wheelchair or, in several locations, electric cart.
Enplaning and deplaning assistance.
Assistance with visual, auditory, cognitive, or mobility needs while in the airport and on the aircraft.
Accommodation for certain medical requirements, such as use of an approved Portable Oxygen Concentrator, or dietary needs, with proper notice, by calling 800-221-1212.
Consideration of your needs during extended tarmac delays.
At your request, our personnel are available to assist you in boarding, deplaning and connecting between flights. Contact us Online via our Accessibility Service Request form in My Trips after you have made your reservation, or by calling us at our accessibility assistance line 404-209-3434 (dial 711 to access the FCC’s Telecommunications Relay Service). This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.
Additional information may be found on delta.com at Accessible Travel Services.
To ensure the high quality of these services and protection of customer rights, we designate Complaint Resolution Officials (CROs) in all airports who are responsible for ensuring services are properly implemented for our customers with disabilities. You may request a CRO by contacting a Delta agent.
Children Traveling Alone
We provide detailed information on delta.com at Children Traveling Alone or by calling 800-221-1212 to parents with children ages 5 through 14 who will be traveling alone. We are also happy to provide this service to children ages 15 through 17 traveling alone. Fees apply for unaccompanied minor service.
Our policies support the safety and well being of children traveling alone, ensuring your child is comfortable during his or her flight and that he or she follows all onboard crew direction, including instructions on safety procedures and behavior. Further, we will not release a minor traveling alone to anyone other than the person you have designated.
7. Meeting customers’ essential needs during lengthy tarmac delays as required by regulation and our contingency plan
We will provide full and timely information regarding the status of a flight if there is a lengthy delay after you have boarded or after the plane has landed. If safety and security conditions allow, we will provide for your essential needs such as food, potable water, operable lavatory facilities, and access to medical attention. For further information, see Delta's Contingency Plan for Lengthy Tarmac Delays on delta.com
8. Handling "bumped" passengers with fairness and consistency in the case of an oversold flight
Because passengers with confirmed reservations on a flight frequently fail to show, we are permitted by federal regulations to sell more tickets for travel than there are seats on the aircraft to reduce the number of empty seats on our flights. In rare cases, this may result in an “oversold flight,” in which we cannot accommodate one or more passengers with confirmed reservations. When this happens, we will comply with all applicable regulations for handling the flight. Our policies and procedures for treating you with fairness and consistency include:
Providing information at airports, including our boarding priority rules, about our policies and procedures for handling situations when all ticketed customers cannot be accommodated on a flight.
Notifying you of required check-in times at Traveling & Check-in and through our reservations phone line on request.
Letting you know, upon your request, if your flight is overbooked through Reservations Sales or our airport customer service representatives.
Requesting volunteers for denied boarding before using any other boarding priority. If there are not enough volunteers, we will deny boarding according to our boarding priority rules.
Offering compensation via the Delta Choice Gift Card Program if you voluntarily give up your seat. There are several gift card options, including leading merchants as well as Delta gift cards that can be used towards future flights. These gift cards are subject to varying expiration dates and are fully transferrable.
Providing notice explaining our obligations and the compensation you will receive if you are involuntarily denied boarding.
Rebooking you on the first available Delta flight to your ticketed destination if you are involuntarily denied boarding.
Provide complimentary hotel accommodations at Delta-contracted facilities, based on availability, as well as complimentary ground transportation to and from the hotel, if you are inconvenienced overnight while away from your home or destination. If a Delta-contracted hotel accommodation is unavailable and you book your own accommodations while inconvenienced overnight away from your home or destination, Delta will reimburse reasonable costs for your hotel room and ground transportation to and from the hotel. If accommodations are unavailable, we will compensate you with a credit commensurate in value with the Delta-contracted hotel rate.
9. Disclosing cancellation policies, loyalty program rules, aircraft configuration, and lavatory availability on delta.com and upon request, by calling Reservation Sales
We will provide you with timely and complete information on delta.com or, upon request, by calling 800-221-1212. Information on delta.com is available by following the links below:
Cancellation Policy
Loyalty Program Details
Aircraft Configuration (and then select aircraft type)
Lavatory Availability (and then select aircraft type)
10. Notifying you in a timely manner of changes in your travel itinerary
We will attempt to contact you, via contact information provided in your reservation, about changes in your travel itinerary when the event is known at least one hour before departure. Additionally, you may sign up for notifications through Flight Status, located at the top navigational bar.
11. Ensuring responsiveness to customer complaints
We will acknowledge receipt of written customer complaints within 30 days of their receipt, and will send a substantive response within 60 days of receiving the complaint. Disability-related complaints will receive a dispositive response within 30 days of receiving the complaint. For information about filing a complaint, go to Contact Us.
12. Identifying the services Delta provides to mitigate passenger inconveniences resulting from delays, cancellations, and misconnects
In order to mitigate inconveniences due to a delay, cancellation, or irregular operation:
We will rebook you on the next available flight on Delta at no additional cost. If a Delta flight is unavailable, we will arrange an alternative flight operated by another airline with which we have a ticketing agreement at no additional cost. We will make every reasonable effort to reroute your checked baggage on the same flight as you.
If you are onboard a Wi-Fi enabled aircraft, you can access delta.com free of charge to check arrival and departure gates, as well as rebooking options, prior to landing.
Upon landing, the flight crew will advise when the use of cell phones is permitted. At that time, you can call 800-221-1212 for connecting-flight status (U.S./Canada originations only) or view connecting flights via the FlyDelta app or delta.com.
You can scan your boarding pass at any available Delta scanner to print your rebooking information and meal or hotel vouchers (when applicable).
Delta representatives are empowered with the flexibility and discretion to issue the following forms of compensation for passenger inconvenience when individual circumstances warrant doing so: cash equivalents (e.g., gift cards), travel credits/vouchers, and/or miles for SkyMiles members.
When a delay, misconnect, or cancellation is within Delta’s control, we will:
Provide complimentary hotel accommodations at Delta-contracted facilities, based on availability, as well as complimentary ground transportation to and from the hotel, if you are inconvenienced overnight while away from your home or destination. If a Delta-contracted hotel accommodation is unavailable and you book your own accommodations while inconvenienced overnight away from your home or destination, Delta will reimburse reasonable costs for your hotel room and ground transportation to and from the hotel. If accommodations are unavailable, we will compensate you with a credit commensurate in value with the Delta-contracted hotel rate.
Provide a meal or meal vouchers, if a cancellation or delay results in waiting 3 or more hours beyond the scheduled departure time.