(NEXSTAR) – A major technology outage caused delays and stranded travelers around the world on Friday, and the outage has yet to be resolved.
The incident was caused by an update released by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. Although only Microsoft Windows customers were affected, it caused widespread disruption for the world’s most popular PC operating system. Businesses and governments around the world experienced hours of confusion as computer monitors lit up blue with error messages and struggled to cope with the fallout.
Thousands of flights were canceled and tens of thousands were delayed, causing long lines at airports across the United States, Europe and Asia, and airlines left check-in and reservation services inaccessible at the height of the summer travel season.
Among the major U.S. airlines, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways were not affected by the outage. CNN reported:However, the FAA announced that four airlines – United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Allegiant Air – were grounded for a period of time starting Friday.
Many airlines had recovered from the problems by Friday afternoon, but the knock-on effects of the problems could continue for a week or more, said Anton Radchenko, CEO of airline compensation firm AirAdvisor. The Washington Post.
Can I get compensation if my flight is delayed or cancelled?
New Department of Transportation rules that went into effect this year mean you’re entitled to a full refund if your flight is canceled, regardless of the reason. You can also accept a different flight, travel credit, or alternative transportation offered by the airline if you want to rebook to your destination.
The new rules also require airlines to offer refunds if a flight itinerary is “significantly changed,” meaning that departure or arrival times are changed by more than three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international flights.
As with canceled flights, passengers are only entitled to a refund if they “do not accept the alternative transportation or travel credit offered,” according to the Department of Transport.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg offered guidance to travelers affected by Friday’s outages. Flight Rights To find out more about their rights.
What do airlines offer?
The Transportation Department confirmed to The Washington Post that Friday’s crowdstrike outages were considered “controllable” delays or cancellations. Airlines offer various promises to passengers in such cases, including meal vouchers, hotel accommodations and transportation to and from their hotels.
DOT chart ( Read the full story here) shows service offered by Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and United Airlines.
delta, United and AmericanAirlines announced travel waivers Friday, waiving change fees for passengers who want to rebook their flights.
If you are flying with another airline, please contact customer service directly to discuss refund or date change options.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
