Claiming compensation from Delta Air Lines

Which of their flights are covered

Any flight departing an airport in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland is covered, whoever operates it. That includes every Delta Air Lines departure from those airports, and it does not matter where the flight is going.

Flights into that zone are covered only when the operating carrier is licensed inside it. Delta Air Lines is licensed in the United States, which is outside it, so a flight from a non-European airport into Europe on Delta Air Lines falls outside EU261. The same journey in the other direction, departing a European airport, is covered in full.

What you are owed

The amount depends on the straight-line distance between where you departed and your final destination, not on what you paid for the ticket: €250 up to 1,500 km, €400 between 1,500 and 3,500 km, and €600 beyond that. Flights with both ends inside Europe are capped at €400 however far they go, which is why Paris to Réunion pays €400 rather than €600.

Compensation starts at three hours late measured on arrival, and it applies equally to cancellations announced less than fourteen days ahead and to being bumped from an overbooked flight.

If they refuse

The most common refusal is a technical fault, and it is the weakest one available to them. A technical problem inherent in normal operation is not an extraordinary circumstance, and the burden of proving otherwise sits with the airline. Our escalation letter cites the ruling.

If Delta Air Lines refuses again or stops replying, complain to the enforcement body for your departure country. It is free.

Check your Delta Air Lines flight and we will write the letter.