Delta Air Lines, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Delta 401(k) Retirement Plan
Atlanta, GATransportation & Warehousing89,914 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$6,736Employer $ per active participant
$7,887Employee $ saved per active participant
0.07%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$19.0BNet plan assets, end of year
$176,180Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity43.3 / 5087th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost15.1 / 2560th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving14.0 / 1593th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-10 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score72 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Transportation & Warehousing plans with 10,000+ active participants (46 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 87th |
| Lower admin cost | 60th |
| Employee saving | 93th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 30% |
Red flags from the filing
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($25,775 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Delta Air Lines put in about $6,736 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,415). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Fund expense ratios aren't in the filing. Look them up in your 404(a)(5) fee disclosure and favor low-cost index or target-date funds.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- The plan reported late deposits of employee contributions. Compare your pay stubs with your account statements, and contact the plan administrator if money shows up late.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $605,694,243 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $709,174,452 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $37,487,846 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $11,662,993 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $9,337,689 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,123,268,117 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $16.2B / $19.0B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 89,836 / 89,993 |
| Participants with account balances | 107,760 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Bdo USA, P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Financial Engines | $8,690,989 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $2,305,205 reported compensation |
| Allworth Financial | $324,936 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014143425NAL0004243664001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 58-0218548, plan #004, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.
Other 401(k) plans filed under this employer's EIN
ADelta 401(k) Retirement Plan for PilotsADelta 401(k) Retirement Plan for SubsidiariesDDelta 401(k) Retirement Plan for Seasonal Employees
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