Delta Flight 30 from JFK to SVO -- Aug 30. Flight pushes back, taxies for 2 hours, returns to gate because of mechanical problem, mechanical problem fixed, pushes back, taxies for another two hours, returns to gate with another mechanical problem. Everybody told to get off plane and take all belongings. Flight scheduled for 4.5 hours hence (am waiting for flight now). Flight is basically scheduled to depart 8.5 hours after original schedule. 4 hours spent on tarmac with a break at the gate in the middle; 4.5 hours (and counting) in terminal. Everybody in same boat. cause is equipment failure and failure to have spare plane at JFK. Am not experienced in cases like this. Am curious if Delta owes any compensation here.

By law they do not OWE you anything except for taking care of you if the delay causes you to miss your connection (assuming purchased on the same ticket) and maybe food and hotel room if the flight cancels and you stay there over night.

HOWEVER...Delta will most certainly give you SOMETHING (either worthless skymiles or an electronic voucher good for future Delta purchases) to make up for all the problems. However to get those you need to complain to delta through the "complaints" or "contact us" link on their homepage.

BTW if you are actually still there waiting for the plane at the VERY least you should ask for a food voucher...if anything is still open that will sell you food.

Yes contact Delta! That is bad.

https://www.delta.com/emailus/servlet/EmailUs?cmd=go

They knew the return flight DL 31 was going to be substantially delayed, but didn't bother posting or sending out an email until 3 hours before flight was set to depart -- which is how far in advance they tell you that you need to be at SVO. So, many passengers were at airport this morning 180 minutes before flight when they were told the flight would be delayed 8 hours.

That is inexcusable. They knew way before people would have to leave the city for the airport that the flight would be at least 3 hours late if not more (which it ended up being).

Agreed that it was totally inexcusable. I was irate when I got the the airport, as they also wouldn't let us check our bags since it was now more than three hours before the flight, which meant you couldn't go through security. Fortunately, I was able to reroute through @deltaassist and fly through atlanta and Newark. Less than ideal, but because I was coming to town for a wedding, I took the more sure option rather than take chances that the flight be delayed even more than the 8 hours that it was.

This is the second time in the past months that I've had major service problems on Delta flights servicing SVO. Mid August we had to divert to Shannon from ATL to fix the toilets when all 6 went down only 4 hrs into the flight bc they were full.

Wish there were more direct options to the States . . .now will be even less since Delta is discontinuing ATL--SVO for winter.