A recent letter by Delta CEO Ed Bastian to US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, says the airline has refunded over 11 million tickets totalling US$6 billion (R106,6bn) to customers since the beginning of 2020, 20% of whom were refunded during 2022.
Bastian said the airline had also taken other steps to improve passengers’ experiences when inconvenienced by delays or cancellations, including extra miles and modified schedules.
"When strong travel demand resumed over the summer, we took action, making significant investments to ensure safe, efficient operational reliability and fast recovery when factors like weather and air traffic control disrupt our operation," he said.
Bastian was responding to Buttigieg’s letter sent to airlines last month announcing that the department was creating an interactive dashboard for travellers to find easy-to-read comparative summary information on services or amenities that large US airlines provide when the cause of cancellation or delay was due to circumstances within the airline’s control.
He said Delta had a policy to rebook customers on the next available flight “in the instance of a delay, cancellation, or irregular operation”.
To meet increased demand, the airline has hired over 20 000 new employees since the start of 2021.
