Delta’s Response to IT Outage

Delta Air Lines has announced significant measures to assist passengers following an IT outage that led to thousands of flight cancellations last week. In their latest update on Wednesday, the airline confirmed that it will reimburse travelers who booked flights on other airlines due to the disruption.

Reimbursement Details and Eligibility

Previously, Delta had committed to covering expenses for rental cars and hotel accommodations. However, the new announcement expands this to include the cost of alternative airline tickets. “We know many customers have incurred unplanned travel expenses, including purchasing tickets on other airlines, rental cars, train tickets and more,” Delta stated. The airline has promised to cover reasonable costs for these additional categories of expenses incurred during the travel waiver period.

Although Delta did not specify what “reasonable” expenses might include, passengers are encouraged to submit a request through the refund page on Delta’s website. Additionally, Delta has extended its rebooking window and travel waiver through August 4. This extension allows travelers who had tickets booked between July 19 and July 28 to make a one-time change to their itinerary, with the fare difference waived if the new booking is in the same cabin of service originally booked.

Guidance from the Department of Transportation

In response to the widespread disruptions, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued reminders to passengers about their rights. Through the flightrights.gov website, the DOT encourages passengers to first contact their airline to resolve any issues before escalating the matter. “Before you contact DOT for help with an air travel problem, you should give the airline a chance to resolve it,” the DOT notes. Airlines typically have customer service representatives at airports who can address many problems on the spot.

If the airline is unable to process a refund or adjust a booking, travelers can file a complaint on the DOT website. This additional layer of support ensures that passengers have multiple avenues for resolving their travel issues promptly.