If you’re flying Delta Air Lines in the coming days, at least you don’t have to worry about checked bags (because goodness knows there’s enough else to worry about).
In this post:
Delta passengers can check up to three bags for free
As reported by @xJonNYC, Delta is temporarily waiving its checked bag fees. Between Wednesday, July 24, and Sunday, July 28, passengers can bring up to three free checked bags at no cost. The waived fees even apply for oversize and heavy items.
This change applies across all fares, and you should see this reflected through the Delta app when checking in, or at any airport kiosks or check-in desks. The only exception is that for departures out of Amsterdam (AMS) checked bag fees still apply, as those are handled by KLM.
It’s also possible that the airline may be willing to refund bag fees going as far back as Friday, July 19, 2024, and that request can be made at this link.
Why is Delta waiving checked bag fees?
Delta’s operation has been in full meltdown mode since last Friday, as the airline has canceled well over 5,000 flights. While Delta’s performance is starting to improve, the airline still isn’t living up to its typical “on-time machine” mantra.
Presumably Delta waiving checked bag fees reflects that in the coming days, many of Delta’s passengers are those who have been rebooked and inconvenienced, and they may have already paid checked bag fees before getting stranded. So rather than making the process of refunding checked bag fees easier, the airline is just waiving them for the coming days.
Of course even those who are on flights that operate as scheduled can take advantage of this opportunity as well. Just keep in mind that it ends on July 28, so if you’re on the outbound portion of your trip, you may be stuck paying those fees after July 28 for your return.
So yeah, if you’re flying Delta in the coming days, let your bags enjoy that legendary, premium service!
Bottom line
Between July 24 and July 28, 2024, Delta is waiving checked bag fees. This applies for up to three bags on all fares, except out of Amsterdam. Presumably this just reflects the general mess that Delta is in, and that many people checking bags may already have paid for checked bags on a previously canceled or seriously delayed flight.
I am not sure that this really matters. How many checked bags do most people have? By the time the incident happened most people were prepared or at the airport... I think it will not affect many.
Just a heads up, if you are thinking of checking your bags, for free, on Delta. My stepson returned from JoBurg last Thursday and still has not seen his luggage. The funny thing is both he and Delta know where his bags are, in ATL, but for some reason Delta can’t figure out how to get the bags to Texas.
Will Delta give out free Skymiles for the fiasco it has caused? Oh wait, you can't use those, unless you want to spend 10,000 of them to move your seat from an aisle to a window. It is refreshing to see this company knocked down a few pegs and back to reality of being a trunk carrier that transports passengers and freight and not the Eithad of North America, as it would lead you to believe.
see, the fraudulent user names are at it once again and Ben does nothing to stop it even though his real non-airline employee readers say they don't want to see it.
DL's operational meltdown is over. AA has more cancelled flights to start the day than DL.
DL's cancellation rate year to date is still lower than any other legacy carrier, they got their system back on track faster than UA did following its...
see, the fraudulent user names are at it once again and Ben does nothing to stop it even though his real non-airline employee readers say they don't want to see it.
DL's operational meltdown is over. AA has more cancelled flights to start the day than DL.
DL's cancellation rate year to date is still lower than any other legacy carrier, they got their system back on track faster than UA did following its EWR overscheduling originated system meltdown in June 2023 or WN's Christmas 2022 meltdown, and DL will dig out of the mess and sort out the finances.
The difference is already that CrowdStrike and ultimately Microsoft are in the crosshairs for how the former passed along bad code that will take other industries including health care more time to clean up than DL and why MS's architecture allows bad vendor code to irrecoverably shut down MS systems, requiring manual intervention.
There will be class action lawsuits against CRWD at least.
and there will be future operational meltdown throughout the industry because that is just what happens with systems that are as complex as airlines are including operating in airspace which the government controls and which is subject to weather which grounds other activities.
Tim is a unique case that should be studied. People say he’s on the spectrum because he has an unusual obsession with DL, and I along with many others agree. But he frequently makes factually incorrect claims on even the most remedial datasets. Based on his ratings on seekingalpha, his success rate and returns are graded well below average for aviation with massive blunders such as going long on WN before their infamous meltdown. I’ve...
Tim is a unique case that should be studied. People say he’s on the spectrum because he has an unusual obsession with DL, and I along with many others agree. But he frequently makes factually incorrect claims on even the most remedial datasets. Based on his ratings on seekingalpha, his success rate and returns are graded well below average for aviation with massive blunders such as going long on WN before their infamous meltdown. I’ve never seen so much obsession followed by such an absence of talent as expressed in Tim.
The mental health cases are those that are fixated with someone so much that they bring them up in articles before the real person ever participates, use a multitude of user names, and act like they speak for others.
IN other words, YOU are the one that should be studied.
And YOU are the kind of people that Ben should ban.
You do realize that a.net which so many are so quick to talk about...
The mental health cases are those that are fixated with someone so much that they bring them up in articles before the real person ever participates, use a multitude of user names, and act like they speak for others.
IN other words, YOU are the one that should be studied.
And YOU are the kind of people that Ben should ban.
You do realize that a.net which so many are so quick to talk about never allows this kind of behavior.
Neither do most other sites.
OMAAT has become the toilet talk corner of aviation internet and yet I participate in multiple sites.
It should be obvious where the problem lies but only people like you who are incapable of looking in the mirror are the ones hurling insults.
"The mental health cases are those that are fixated with someone so much that they bring them up in articles before the real person ever participates"
You do realize those are a reaction to you constantly posting your biased shilling for Delta, right?
If enough people are telling you that you're dead, maybe it's time to lie down.
Ben would be better off banning you. I’d read more if you were gone. And as the comment from Community Note points out - you regularly misinterpret data (I say purposely) and your reviews on SeekingAlpha show you aren’t a trusted source. So be gone.
Some of us find the fraudulent user name comments funny. Almost as funny as knowing an alarm must go of at your home alerting you to anytime Lucky posts an article about Delta.
There are a few blatant misrepresentations again:
1) United's June 2023 meltdown lasted 6 days – they cancelled ~3k flights (+500 for Republic) during a period when there were 8k cancellations, i.e., ~40% of the industry total – the last couple days you can blame United, but this was not United-specific (Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/29/business/united-airlines-flight-delays-cancellations/index.html)
2) Delta's current meltdown has seen them cancel ~5.6k flights (+~1k for Endeavor) over 5 days - they've accounted for ~75% of...
There are a few blatant misrepresentations again:
1) United's June 2023 meltdown lasted 6 days – they cancelled ~3k flights (+500 for Republic) during a period when there were 8k cancellations, i.e., ~40% of the industry total – the last couple days you can blame United, but this was not United-specific (Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/29/business/united-airlines-flight-delays-cancellations/index.html)
2) Delta's current meltdown has seen them cancel ~5.6k flights (+~1k for Endeavor) over 5 days - they've accounted for ~75% of cancellations in the US since Saturday (similar to United’s recovery) BUT their meltdown has seen 2X the cancellations in 1 LESS DAY
3) You said “Legacy” carriers b/c WN is now FAR AHEAD of Delta in cancellation rate YTD – Delta is also MARGINALLY ahead of American now YTD
Crowdstrike will see some liability but their payment will be capped as per most IT agreements and Delta will pay a handsome fine and is under investigation
Personally I think Ben encourages this crap by repeating phrases like “so much for premium!” Etc.
Yes, this is a crappy situation and Delta needs to take some accountability and deal with things a bit more proactively.
HOWEVER, Delta does still provide overall superior service to American Airlines (and has been doing so for quite some time). An IT meltdown does not change that.
And @Julia I assure you most of us...
Personally I think Ben encourages this crap by repeating phrases like “so much for premium!” Etc.
Yes, this is a crappy situation and Delta needs to take some accountability and deal with things a bit more proactively.
HOWEVER, Delta does still provide overall superior service to American Airlines (and has been doing so for quite some time). An IT meltdown does not change that.
And @Julia I assure you most of us find mocking TD usernames childish and pathetic, not amusing.
Who is most of us? It seems like just as many enjoy them as find them annoying.
@Julia, keep in mind that the vast majority of people reading these comments do not post themselves, and it's likely partly due to the silly stuff like mocking usernames. I was in this position myself until just a few months ago as these comment sections often end up becoming a Hey Let's Bash Tim cesspit rather than actually discussing the topic at hand.
I'm not saying this applies to everyone -- there are plenty of...
@Julia, keep in mind that the vast majority of people reading these comments do not post themselves, and it's likely partly due to the silly stuff like mocking usernames. I was in this position myself until just a few months ago as these comment sections often end up becoming a Hey Let's Bash Tim cesspit rather than actually discussing the topic at hand.
I'm not saying this applies to everyone -- there are plenty of users here who do a great job replying to Tim's comments with valid, compelling counterarguments, but for every one of those there are sadly five or six "lol Timmy" posts. Ad hominem isn't amusing once you've graduated high school... it's just annoying and distracting.
Delta is the best at meltdowns, period!
Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Southwest!
How incredibly generous of them /s
Too bad I'm out of lead!
Thanks but no thanks! I want assurances that my luggage is on the plane I am on not one 3 days from now.
lol. So “premium” of them to do this. Now will the bags actually be there when passengers land or jumble up with all other luggage that are now stranded at various airports? Enquiring minds want to know….
Smart PR move, with the side effect of saving much-needed time for both check-in agents and gate agents…
So basically another free 2500 miles since they won’t be delivered on time.