Delta and United flight cancellations rise a day after widespread global power outage
Flight cancellations continue to rise this weekend following Friday’s power outage has caused havoc across the globe — affecting everything from air travel to banking and critical infrastructure.
While airlines successfully got planes back in the air on Friday after some carriers grounded early in the morning, the remaining disruptions made Saturday another chaotic day at airports.
By late Saturday morning, airlines had canceled more than 1,100 flights in the United States, according to data from flight tracking website FlightAware. That comes just a day after airlines canceled another 3,400 flights — and delayed another 12,895 — on Friday. In total, more than 4,500 flights have been canceled in the United States and another 16,000 delayed since the IT outage began affecting flights.
Want more aviation news? Sign up for TPG’s free bi-weekly Aviation newsletter.
Which airlines are affected?
Among US airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines appear to be suffering the worst operational impacts this weekend, with hundreds of flights canceled between the two carriers.
Delta Airlines
Delta reported that more than 600 Delta Connection mainline and regional flights scheduled for Saturday were canceled, noting that most of those flights were in the morning and early afternoon.
“More flight cancellations are expected as some Delta technology is still recovering from a supplier-caused outage Friday morning,” the Atlanta-based airline said in a statement.
Delta has also suspended all flights for unaccompanied minors through Sunday, affecting all children under 18 planning to fly alone.
United Airlines
For its part, United said late Friday that most of its systems had recovered from the outage, but warned its operations “may continue to experience some disruptions.”
Daily News
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers to get the latest news, in-depth guides, and exclusive offers from TPG experts
As of late Saturday morning, United had canceled more than 275 flights, or about 9% of its operations.
The airline, like Delta and other U.S. carriers, has issued a travel advisory that allows even passengers traveling on restricted tickets to change their itinerary — and not pay the fare difference.
How much does the airline owe you after a flight is canceled?
The U.S. Department of Transportation is treating these disruptions as “manageable” flight cancellations and delays, an agency spokesperson told TPG on Friday.
That means the DOT considers these flight problems the airline’s responsibility — and is calling on airlines to deliver on the promises they made above. Airline Customer Service Dashboardfound at FlightRights.govto cover expenses such as meals, hotels and ground transportation for stranded passengers.
“Our department has reminded airlines of their responsibility to passengers,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wrote on social media Friday. “As with any mechanical or technical issue, in this case, airlines are required to take care of passengers who experience extended delays or cancellations.
Delta has made it clear that it has provided those benefits to affected passengers.
Read more: 8 Best Credit Cards with Travel Insurance July 2024
Can you get a refund for a cancelled flight?
Remember, per DOT policy, if your flight is canceled or significantly delayed, You are entitled to a refund. revert to your original form of payment if you ultimately decide not to travel.
You don’t have to accept coupons or frequent flyer miles.
However, if you accept the airline’s offer to change your flight, you will not be eligible for a refund.
A messy few days for the plane trip
An IT outage on Friday at Austin-based cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike occurred during a system update and Microsoft customers affected all around the world.
The outage disrupted critical digital infrastructure at many airlines, contributing to thousands of flight cancellations globally on Friday. Airlines canceled more than 3,400 flights in the United States alone on Friday.
With Delta and United leading the disruptions that stretched into Saturday, the airlines’ major hubs were among the hardest hit.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) — Delta’s home base — had by far the most canceled flights in the United States on Saturday, according to FlightAware. It was followed by Delta’s two other hubs: New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport (MSP).
You may also experience disruptions at major United hubs like Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Denver International Airport (DEN), among others.
American Airlines, which canceled more than 400 flights on Friday, has largely seen its operations recover, with just 28 canceled flights on Saturday — less than 1% of its operations, according to FlightAware. Several other airlines have also reported low cancellation rates, from Alaska Airlines to JetBlue and Southwest.
Here’s more you can do if your flight is cancelled or delayed.
Read more related:
