The Department of Transportation is opening an investigation into Delta Air Lines’s handling of numerous delays over the last week in large part due to a bug that knocked the internet down globally.
Delta has been the slowest airline to restore normal operations after it canceled more than 1,000 flights each day from Friday to Monday and barred children under 18 from traveling without a guardian.
“[The DOT] has opened an investigation into Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is following the law and taking care of its passengers during continued widespread disruptions,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg posted on X. “All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly, and I will make sure that right is upheld.”
There have been rumors that Delta isn’t offering the required full compensation to customers for canceled flights, among other issues. The DOT passed a rule this year requiring that airlines “promptly provide passengers with automatic cash refunds when owed.”
“While you should first try to resolve issues directly with the airline, we want to hear from passengers who believe that Delta has not complied with USDOT-enforced passenger protection requirements during the recent travel disruptions,” Buttigieg continued.
“We will follow up,” he said, including a link to a DOT air travel complaint form.
Other airlines have dealt with similar problems, but Delta has been among the most prominent because of its widespread cancellations. Many customers complained they could not reach Delta customer service because wait times were too long or that they had to wait hours before talking to someone. The airline’s policy of not booking new flights for children has left many stranded without their parents.
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Buttigieg is a candidate to be Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate in her quest to unite the Democratic Party behind her after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. He’s the only notable candidate to be within the Biden administration.
Buttigieg rose to prominence during the 2020 Democratic primaries and has been in the public eye since. His appointment as transportation secretary in the Biden administration cemented his status with the Democratic Party, and he’s seen as a rising figure.