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Delta Air Lines Customer Commitment

Last Updated: December 29, 2008

In response to the tremendous growth of air travel and the demanding need for excellence in customer service, Delta has joined other U.S. airlines and the Air Transport Association (ATA) in an effort to provide passengers with a clear understanding of our industry's commitment to meet essential performance objectives.

We have outlined our responsibilities and how we will fulfill them below in 12-key points. We intend to ensure that your air travel experience will encompass, to the best of our abilities, the most comprehensive customer service possible. To emphasize the importance of meeting these essential performance objectives, Delta officially adopted the Customer Commitment as part of its Contract of Carriage.

Note: Delta Air Lines Customer Commitment applies to domestic travel only.

Before You Fly

1. We will offer on our telephone reservation system, airport ticket counters, and city ticket offices the lowest published fare for which you are eligible for the date, flight, and class of service requested.

  • Our representatives will identify money-saving alternative itineraries if your travel schedule is flexible.
  • A recording on our telephone reservation line will alert you that lower fares may be available on delta.com.
  • Our representatives will provide, upon request, on-time performance information for any Delta or Delta Connection flight during the reservation process.
2. 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.
  • Once the cancellation period for the ticket has expired, your travel plans will be considered firm.
3. We will issue refunds for eligible domestic tickets within seven business days for credit card purchases and 20 business days for purchases made by cash or check.

For refund assistance:

  • Go to Applying for a Refund 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.
  • Call 800-847-0578 if you need additional assistance with a refund.
4. We will inform you, upon your request, if the flight on which you are ticketed is overbooked. We also will provide information at airports about our policies and procedures for handling situations when all ticketed customers cannot be accommodated on a flight.

Our policies and procedures include:

  • Notifying you of required check-in times through our reservations phone line and at Traveling & Check-in.
  • Letting you know, upon your request, if your flight is overbooked through Reservations Sales or our airport customer service representatives.
  • Offering a transportation credit if you voluntarily give up your seat. These transportation credits can be used toward the purchase of another Delta ticket to the destination of your choice.
  • 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. (If a Delta flight is not available, we will strive to provide comparable accommodations on another airline that we have a ticketing agreement with.)
  • Providing meal allowances and hotel accommodations at Delta-contracted facilities, if you are away from your home or at your destination and are involuntarily bumped from a flight and we are unable to accommodate you on an alternative flight on the same travel day. If hotel accommodations are unavailable, we will compensate you with a voucher commensurate in value with the contracted hotel rate.
5. We will provide you with timely and complete information about policies and procedures that affect your travel, including:

  • Changing aircraft on a flight that has a single flight number.
    • We will inform you of this change before you book your reservation on the telephone or online, and in writing with your ticket receipt.
  • Canceling the remainder of your itinerary, if you cannot fly each segment of your trip.
    • We will provide information on our cancellation policies at Ticket Changes and Refunds, and through our reservation and airport agents.
  • Providing frequent flyer details.
    • We will make all important rules, restrictions, and redemption information available at Membership Guide & Program Rules, in our Securities and Exchange Commission 10K report, in our SkyMiles membership guide and program rules booklet, and in the information kits provided to new SkyMiles members.
  • Providing aircraft configuration, including seat size and pitch.
    • We will provide aircraft configuration and seat width and pitch ranges at Aircraft Types and Layouts, and through our reservation and airport agents.
6. We will ensure our Delta Connection partners commit to providing comparable consumer plans and policies. Our partners are regional airlines that connect small and medium-sized markets with Delta's network. We will provide service differences due to aircraft configuration or operational infrastructure at Flight Partners.

At the Airport

7. We will provide you with information about our policies and procedures for accommodating disabled and special needs customers, and unaccompanied minors.

Disabled and Special Needs Customers

We currently offer:

  • Transportation to and from gates either by wheelchair or, in several locations, electric cart.
  • Boarding assistance.
  • Assistance with vision, hearing, or mobility difficulties while in the airport and on the plane.
  • 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. Additional information may be found at Services for Travelers with Disabilities.

Note: Supplemental oxygen is not available on Delta, Delta Shuttle® or Delta Connection® flights.

In ensuring the high quality of these services, we have:

  • Designated in each airport an employee who is responsible for ensuring disabilities policies and procedures are properly implemented.
  • Enhanced our disabilities training program for employees and expanded it to include contract personnel.
  • Updated our reference materials so that all customer contact employees and contract personnel are familiar with our policies and procedures.

Children Traveling Alone

  • We provide detailed information to parents with children between the ages of 5 and 14 who will be traveling alone, including the child's itinerary and our policies and procedures, at Children Traveling Alone or by calling 800-221-1212.
  • Our policies ensure the safety and well being of children traveling alone including:
    • Taking good care of your child during his or her flight and not releasing a minor traveling alone to anyone other than the person you have designated.
    • Providing unaccompanied passenger service for children ages 5 to 14. We are also happy to provide this service to children ages 15 through 17 traveling alone. (Fees apply for unaccompanied minor service.)
8. We will provide full and timely information on the status of delayed and canceled flights including:

  • Providing, through our gate agents and flight crews, consistent timely updates on the status and causes of delayed flights.
  • Providing real-time flight status information by calling, 800-325-1999, or checking Flight Status & Updates.
  • Posting historical flight on-time performance information at Flight Schedules.
  • Providing meal allowances and hotel accommodations at Delta contracted facilities, based on availability, if you are inconvenienced overnight while away from your home or destination due to a delay or cancellation within Delta's control. If accommodations are unavailable, we will compensate you with a transportation credit commensurate in value with the contracted hotel rate.
  • Contacting you about cancellations when the event is known at least two hours before departure, averting a frustrating trip to the airport.
  • Installing new flight monitoring technology that will improve our capability to track delays and help us relay more complete information.
  • Identifying and resolving issues within Delta’s control that lead to chronically delayed flights or modifying scheduled block times for each such flight, subject to external conditions, in an effort to ensure each flight operates consistently with its schedule.

On-board Delays

9. We will provide full and timely information regarding the status of a flight if there is an extreme delay after you have boarded or after the plane has landed, and we will provide for your essential needs such as food, water, restroom facilities, and access to medical treatment while on board.

We have a comprehensive plan designed to forecast and adjust to operational challenges and minimize lengthy delays while passengers are on board the aircraft. The Operations Control Center (OCC) at our headquarters is responsible for the daily execution of this plan, while keeping in mind the safety and well being of our customers and employees.

  • Each morning the OCC evaluates the potential for any situation that may impact our customers, and coordinates with all appropriate areas to ensure facilities, staffing, and aircraft are available to support the operation.
  • Continuous monitoring of flight operations occurs throughout the day and adjustments to the number of flights scheduled to operate will be made if circumstances exist that may create unsafe operating conditions or excessive on-board delays at a particular location.
  • In the event of on-board delays, the OCC will coordinate closely with flight crews on board the aircraft, local station management, and airport operations personnel to make decisions for the well being of all customers.
  • The plan establishes set timeframes to elevate any flight experiencing lengthy on-board ground delays to senior operational leaders in order to seek expedited resolution – one hour for arriving flights and two hours for departing flights.

However, due to unforeseen circumstances and challenging operational situations, extensive ground delays can still occur. If an on-board ground delay exceeds the anticipated taxi time by more than one hour for an arriving flight or two hours for a departing flight, we will:

  • Make timely announcements regarding the flight status on a consistent basis.
  • Allow customers to use cell phones and laptop computers and move freely about the cabin, in accordance with safety and federal guidelines.
  • Provide snacks and beverages to customers when reasonable and safe to do so.
  • Offer free headsets and activate In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) systems (on aircraft equipped with an IFE system).
  • Make every reasonable effort to ensure the aircraft is properly serviced and appropriately provisioned based on factors such as aircraft type and trip length.
  • Monitor on-board cabin conditions and notify Delta operational officials to accelerate actions when necessary.
Every Delta station has developed clear and consistent procedures to ensure safety and limit inconvenience during extensive on-board delays. This includes gate and ramp sharing with other airlines and making essential services available inside the airport. When necessary and operationally safe to do so, we will deplane customers remotely via stairs and guide them to the terminal. Also, we will review incidents of lengthy on-board delays to identify trends and causes and implement solutions to mitigate future similar events.

After Landing

10. We will strive to return your misplaced baggage within 24 hours, and we will attempt to contact owners of unclaimed baggage when a name and address or telephone number is available.

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, Damaged, or Lost Baggage.

  • We use scanning technology to identify the location of all unclaimed baggage which assists us in quickly reuniting you with your property.
  • Bags unclaimed after five days are sent to our headquarters in Atlanta, where continued efforts are made to locate bag owners.

11. We support the per passenger domestic baggage liability limitation of $3,300. Periodic adjustments for inflation will be made.

12. We will respond to written customer complaints within 60 days per the standard adopted by ATA member airlines.

We have a dedicated, trained Customer Care staff to answer your inquiries. Express your travel comments by:

  • Emailing us.
  • Calling us at 800-221-1212 or your usual SkyMiles Member Services number.
  • Mailing them to Delta Air Lines, P.O. Box 20980, Atlanta, GA 30320-2980.
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