Q. Our group was flying from Akron to Los Angeles, with a connection in Detroit on Delta. We received a call that the Akron flight was delayed over an hour and 45 minutes, which would cause us to miss the connecting flight to L.A. Our group decided to rent a van and rapidly drive to Detroit to make the connection. (Yes, we had approval to get on the second leg without flying the first leg). Needless to say, this was an inconvenience, but how do we get compensated for our van rental and the financial loss of the first leg of the trip? What can we expect from Delta?

A. If the airfare from Akron to L.A. was more expensive than Detroit to L.A., then Delta should reimburse you for the fare difference, at the very least, since you didn’t fly Akron to Detroit. I doubt that Delta will reimburse you, however, for your van rental. They might give you a voucher good for future travel (say, $100 or $200), but that’s all I would expect from them. Write to customer service, tell them how much you love their airline and how much you look forward to your next trip, and see what happens.