Unfortunately, the airlines pay more to your congressman than they are willing to pay to you. In the EU there are laws the airlines have to follow that start a clock as soon as the airline doesn't deliver on what you purchased with your ticket, a contract. For delayed or cancelled flights there are meal and accommodation rights. Or an obligation to use another carrier. For lost luggage there are real-world replacement rates.

I checked Delta's webpage and it is obvious it was written with lawyers twisting the arm of the webmaster! And thank your lucky stars that your luggage is only delayed, not lost. Your luggage claim (the little piece from the strip that went on your luggage) has the weight of each bag. Delta pays $9.07 per pound, which hardly covers the cost of the bag; forget about the contents! You would have had to buy insurance at $10 per $1,000 in value for the contents. The maximum is $3,000, but that means you were travelling with all the luggage of EVERYONE on your street, AND the airline lost ALL of it.

Did you buy travel insurance? If so, most policies provide for delayed luggage incidentals. I've seen as much as $500 per day up to 4 days.

As far as your situation, there is nothing on the website. I would go to the service counter for the airline and keep asking to "see your supervisor" until you either have the CEO in front of you, or they give you some money. AND BE LOUD. That is advertising the airline doesn't need.

Good Luck, and Oh yeah, write your congressperson to get some real laws on the airlines!!

Edward Ross,
Victoria, BC,
Canada