Delta Meltdown: How to get a refund or a refund

Operations are back to full at Delta Air Lines. After five days of disruption that saw more than 5,000 flights canceled between Friday and Tuesday, the airline on Wednesday announced it was “fully staffed” and ready to fly its full schedule.

The Atlanta-based carrier returned to its usual reliability on Thursday, with just four cancellations across its entire network (and none so far on Friday), according to FlightAware.

Compare that cancellation rate – almost 0% – to the 30% or more seen in the past few days, as airline operations have failed to bounce back quickly after the global IT shutdown. Its problems prompted an investigation by the US Department of Transportation.

Hundreds of thousands of customers were affected by the recession, DOT estimates. And many of those customers may still be seeking compensation for a performance snafu.

Here's what you need to know, whether you're seeking a refund or a refund or planning to fly Delta in the coming days.

Is Delta back on track?

Yes. After at least 1,100 cancellations every day between Friday and Tuesday, Delta's performance improved significantly on Wednesday; the carrier has returned to its usual place among the nation's most reliable (in terms of cancellation rate) since then.

Read more: Flight delayed or cancelled? Here's what you have to do

Getting a refund from Delta

Under DOT policy, you are entitled to a refund of the unused portion of your ticket – back to the original payment method – if your flight is canceled or significantly delayed. This only applies if you ultimately choose not to fly and do not accept a rebooking.

How to get a flight refund

If your trip was affected by a Delta meltdown, you can apply for a refund on Delta's refund page.

What if you don't want to fly Delta in the coming days?

Delta has extended its travel advisories due to unusual operations. It continues on Sunday, July 28.

The airline offers more flexibility for customers who don't want to fly between now and Sunday; these travelers have the option to cancel in advance and demand a refund.

This not it is generally required under DOT policy, so Delta is moving forward on this.

Note, however, that carrier operations are back to normal.

Getting a refund if you're stranded

If you have experienced major delays or cancellations during Delta's downturn, you may be entitled to a refund of certain expenses incurred.

As shown on the DOT's Airline Customer Service Dashboard, Delta — and other airlines — have made various commitments to customers when there is a cancellation or major delay that is “manageable,” or the airline's responsibility.

This disruption, the DOT said, fell under that category, separating, say, a blizzard or air traffic control problems.

You can file for a refund on Delta's refund page.

What is not included?

Delta notes that it does not include prepaid expenses at the destination, such as vacation activities, concert tickets, sporting events and the like.

In some cases, you may be able to reimburse those costs with travel insurance or credit card travel insurance. However, assuming the policy was in effect prior to the collapse, coverage will depend entirely on your specific policy.

What if you booked a flight on another airline?

On Wednesday, Delta admitted a large number of travelers, who, during the fall, made other travel arrangements – either by flying other airlines, renting a car or booking a train.

The airline has relaxed its refund policy during its travel ban (July 19 to 28) and is allowing customers to send in reimbursement for those costs. This includes flights booked on another carrier, in some cases.

Here's how to decide:

• Travel between July 19 and 28.
• Travelers who experience cancellations or delays of at least three hours are eligible.
• You can transfer the fare paid to purchase another flight ticket in the same class of service minus the value of the unused portion of your Delta ticket.
• You can also post other travel expenses such as rental cars, ride shares, trains or buses used to get to your destination — subtract the value of the unused portion of your ticket.

Also, you can file for a refund on Delta's refund page.

In the event of a dispute

The DOT generally advises customers to first try to settle these charges and reimbursements with the airline itself.

If you don't hear back from the airline in time or think the request was unfairly denied, you can read more here about filing a complaint with the agency.

It is also important to know

Delta also noted this week that it offers SkyMiles and travel vouchers to customers as a reward, although the actual mileage rates we've heard reported from TPG readers vary — significantly, in some cases.

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