Delta Air Lines, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Delta 401(k) Retirement Plan for Pilots
Atlanta, GATransportation & Warehousing14,727 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$50,058Employer $ per active participant
$22,643Employee $ saved per active participant
0.04%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$15.9BNet plan assets, end of year
$908,787Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity50.0 / 50100th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost18.7 / 2575th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving15.0 / 15100th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-10 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score84 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Transportation & Warehousing plans with 10,000+ active participants (46 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 100th |
| Lower admin cost | 75th |
| Employee saving | 100th |
| 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 ($7,062 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 $50,058 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 | $737,206,700 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $333,461,538 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $51,547,760 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $6,621,405 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $6,549,537 |
| Other admin expenses | $10,072 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,266,403,878 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $13.7B / $15.9B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 14,473 / 14,981 |
| Participants with account balances | 17,527 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Bdo USA, P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Financial Engines | $2,528,894 reported compensation |
| Allworth Financial | $2,193,582 reported compensation |
| American Financial Advisors | $441,835 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014143617NAL0003173265001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 58-0218548, plan #014, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.
Other 401(k) plans filed under this employer's EIN
BDelta 401(k) Retirement PlanADelta 401(k) Retirement Plan for SubsidiariesDDelta 401(k) Retirement Plan for Seasonal Employees
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