Delta Air Lines, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Delta 401(k) Retirement Plan for Subsidiaries
Atlanta, GATransportation & Warehousing1,056 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,893Employer $ per active participant
$8,299Employee $ saved per active participant
0.06%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$114.5MNet plan assets, end of year
$83,692Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity44.8 / 5090th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost21.2 / 2585th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving13.8 / 1592th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score83 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Transportation & Warehousing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (392 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 90th |
| Lower admin cost | 85th |
| Employee saving | 92th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 37% |
Red flags from the filing
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Delta Air Lines put in about $3,893 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,070). 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.
- 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 | $4,109,225 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $8,759,312 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,660,185 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $61,291 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $25,583 |
| Benefits paid out | $12,389,942 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $94.8M / $114.5M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,031 / 1,080 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,368 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Bdo USA, P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Financial Engines | $25,478 reported compensation |
| Bdo USA, P.C. | $20,099 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $15,609 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014143803NAL0001517155001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 58-0218548, plan #020, 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 PilotsDDelta 401(k) Retirement Plan for Seasonal Employees
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