Yaatri

Delta flies to U.S. non stop (SNN-JFK). Maybe you meant SNN-LAX. Your travel insurance should cover any damage to your luggage too, but you should still examine your car seat when you retrieve it and file a claim if there is damage.

QueenOfCoach

Just last week, a German friend of mine who lives in DUS (Düsseldorf) had tickets from DUS to ATL. He got to DUS, sat on the aircraft for four hours in DUS, then they got everyone off the plane. There was a mechanical problem that could not be fixed that day.

He was rebooked for the same flight the next day.

All he got for his trouble was a taxi voucher to get back to his apartment in DUS. No other compensation, no miles, nothing.

Edited to add: The airline was Delta code sharing with Air France.

Yaatri

I think, by EU rules he was entitled to monetary compensation. People living in the EU will correct me if I am wrong. He could have asked for a hotel and meal vouchers too. I think it's a choice between taxi to your place or alternative accommodation and meals.

jammin

Thanks everyone for the excellent information and advice.

Just on this..

My understanding is that as the airline was departing the EU and as the delay was for 24 hours, your friend was entitled to receive accommodation, meals, transportation costs as necessary and two phone calls.

Regarding my son's car seat, I had intended on wrapping it in cling film in order to keep it clean and dry and also to stop the straps dangling. On the other hand, I could take it on board and have my son sit in it during the flight as was suggested. I'm honestly not sure whether he's be more comfortable sitting / sleeping in the car seat or in the actual aeroplane seat. Oh, thinking about it, would a car seat fit in the overhead locker on a 757? Maybe we could take the car seat on board and just place it in the overhead locker if preferred.

Thinking of the 757, I had noticed it's a smaller aircraft than the 747 which we normally fly on when we fly long haul to Asia. 747s are 3-4-3 seating, whereas 757s appear to be 3-3 seating only. Does this mean that 757s are tiny?

Yaatri

Boeing 757's are not tiny, but they are, indeed, smaller than 747's, 777s, Airbus 330's 340's or 380's. I doubt that the car seat will fit in overhead bin of any aircraft let alone that of a 757.

BearX220

How old is your son? Carseat use may be required in cabin if he's small. Caution: carseat must be "FAA approved" for flight use. Some FAs have been known to make up their own rules about car seats on the spot, which is an annoyance. Seat may be permitted only in a window seat. No way will the seat fit in an overhead bin; suggest you take it on board and try to use it, then permit crew to gate-check it into the hold if it doesn't work out and it can't be stowed elsewhere in the cabin.

No. It's a single-aisle aircraft with the same fuselage diameter of the 707, 727, and 737. People survived transatlantic crossings in the 707 for 25 years. This latter-day squeamishness about crossing the Atlantic in a single-aisle airplane is silly. You'll be fine, and besides, SNN-JFK is a relatively short transatlantic crossing, barely longer than your JFK-LAX leg.

cordelli

Delta outlines their meal choices for flights on this page
http://www.delta.com/traveling_check....../dining.jsp

with a link to the menu of stuff they will be more than happy to sell you on the flight if you get hungry

As to your tickets, you don't mention if the flights are on one ticket or not. If it's two different tickets (LA to JFK on one ticket, and JFK to SNN on a different ticket) they may treat you differently than if it is all on one ticket and you are late.

emma69

With your travel insurance, check their small print. With my policy, which I consider good, I am only covered if my flight is due to arrive 2 hours or more before the next flight departs, so on the 1hr 48m situation, my insurance wouldn't cover me.

Delta is ok, not quite as good IMO as BA/AF/KLM. As others have said domesticly you pay for food, wine etc. I don't know on each route, but certainly some you pay to access their movies and TV shows etc.

Loren Pechtel

One ticket, you're protected. Two tickets, you're not protected.