Also posted this in the 2017 compensation thread...then found this thread...and now I am even more angry learning Delta has handed out $200 vouchers like candy! I am GM, should comfortably be PM this year.
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4/5/17 SLC-LAX, LAX-SYD and return. Family of four, 3 tix on miles, one on cash.
Departure date was April 5 (the day with all the chaos). First leg scheduled to leave at 8:39pm, 50 minute connection at LAX. Get a message at 2pm saying SLC-LAX flight delayed 2 hours because no pilots.

I called Delta and said, hey we will miss our SYD flight if this thing is delayed. They said, sorry we have no other flights today with availability. Agent then tried other airlines to get us to LAX and said them same--no seats. I said--I can grab 4 seats right now on AA and agent said go for it. I paid 612 dollars for the four one way SLC-LAX seats.

I called back and told a supervisor that I got the seats. She said if I filed a claim, they'd reimburse it. So I filed a claim, and while in SYD got a response asking for receipts, which I sent straight away.

Claim gets bumped up to Corporate Refunds. The supervisor there says they will refund the difference between Delta fare and AA fare for that leg. I say, that is unsatisfactory--I had a contract with Delta for X, then because Delta couldn't fulfill their end, I had to incur a cost of 612 and that is what should be refunded....not 3,750 miles x 3 and 150 bucks. (So they aren't even paying the difference...they are trying to rebate the advance fare for the Delta leg and sticking me with the last minute one way fare...)

I have some pending Delta Vacations where payment is due, and I even specified at the outset that a Delta credit for 612 was fine. (I also asked for the missed MQMs/Miles on the SLC-LAX leg.) BUT DELTA IS DENYING MY CLAIM!

Am I being unreasonable?

Assuming they did not refund you anything for the unflown DL leg from SLC to LAX, it's totally reasonable to expect the full value of the AA tickets back.
Especially since, if they had actually kept their interline agreement with AA, and just pushed the tickets over to them, you wouldn't have had to pay anything out of pocket.

I did receive my check for almost $1500 about 10 calendar days after finally getting a call. ~25 calendar days from the time of my complaint until I had check in hand. Way too slow.

This is exactly my point and frustration. Multiple people with similar, or in some cases less problems, have called the medallion line and had the auto 20K and offered 20K more or a $200 voucher. I've been flat out told you get the 20K and nothing more.

It's crazy to see such a wide range.

I snail mailed my claim on April 24. Got an acknowledgement email on May 3. Got a call yesterday saying I would be reimbursed for all third-party expenses of substitute travel (rental car, gas, tolls, overnight hotel). We also got the 20k miles each and got refunded the unused portion of our ticket. We're satisfied.

So approximately 24 hours after posting this, I received an email from Delta responding to my initial contact--assuring me all would be taken care of. Will revert back once that is done.

I confess to being lazy. So, I have not read all 51 pages of DL's Coercion of Carriage to see if there is a relevant "Gotcha" clause.

Have the airlines somehow immunized themselves (or convinced the government to immunize them) against consequential damages arising from travel disruptions that should have been under the airline's control?

Say, an IT breakdown that costs a consultant significant income by preventing the consultant from getting to a client. Now, multiply that by hundreds (thousands?) of other business persons similar deprived of income.

Just curious...

In a word, yes. The contract for pretty much any service like this will say that the provider's liability is limited to what you paid for the service. Along vaguely similar lines if your ISP or hosting provider has an extended outage and your e-commerce site can't make any sales, in general you're only covered up to the amount you pay them for the service, not loss of business.

Don't blame you for not wanting to read all 51 pages :D See Rule 240 A/B/C.

To close the loop--Delta reimbursed me for my expense buying other tickets and threw in some bonus miles. I feel the matter is closed.

Check arrived yesterday, just under two weeks after I got the call. I'm content with the resolution.

I was very pleased with Delta's response to my written complaint submitted using their online form. They credited me the 20,000 miles most people received, plus another 10,000 miles and reimbursed me for some miscellaneous expenses (less than $100) incurred due to the cancellations & day-long delay in getting to my destination. It took almost 30 days but I consider the case satisfactorily closed.

Just passed the 30 day mark...nada.
I responded to the original acknowledgment (which says email replies aren't monitored, but it's the same address actual customer service responses come from, so :confused: ) requesting an update , maybe I'll call in a couple of days.

Then it's off to the DOT...

Delta finally responded to the rest of my BF complaint. They are cutting him a small check and gave him 20,000 miles. We think that the small check is the difference between what he paid for a rental car and the refund that they had already processed.

I replied to last reply going over issues again and stating that Aug 2016 was LESS of a problem and I have been offered less currently. I said instead of a check for couple UBERS and my wasted time I'd like a $200 Delta Voucher. I can use that instantly to book from upcoming travel.

I have sent Delta multiple complaints through their online system and submitted surveys after the massive delays and awful customer service for my April 7th flight. I still have received zero compensation.