Delta Promises Checked Bags Will Be on the Carousel in 20 Minutes – or Else!

Delta Air Lines announced it will either reunite passengers with their checked bags within 20 minutes or pay the passenger a penalty in SkyMiles.

Starting Thursday, regardless of the destination within the United States and Puerto Rico, the Atlanta-based airline will offer the 20-minute guarantee, telling passengers they can “bag a bonus” if the airline slips up.

“We’re committed to providing you with reliable and on-time baggage service every time you fly,” the airline said in a statement on its website.

The airline said it will measure the time to baggage claim using its baggage tracking system.

The guarantee is good through March 31, 2015.  The offer is good on all Delta, Delta Connection, and codeshare flights as long as the final leg of the journey is marketed and operated by Delta.  Claimants must be SkyMiles members at the time of travel.

The offer has some fine print including the exclusion of lost, mishandled, and damaged bags, as well as oversize, overweight, and what Delta calls “special” items, the latter including fragile items and media bags.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)