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National Airline Crisis Forces Mass Flight Cancellations, U.S. Vacations in Jeopardy

If you are planning on flying anywhere this week, you likely have either already realized or you are about to realize, that not only should you have packed your passport, but your patience as well.

Crowds of visitors gather in front of a fairytale castle under a dramatic cloudy sky, with a red triangle superimposed over the image.
Credit: Inside the Magic

When talking about traveling to Walt Disney World, one of the most commonly used methods of transportation is flying. While some guests may drive, the 50 million+ tourists that arrive at Orlando International Airport each year suggests that many guests choose to fly. Lately, we have seen a lot of travel disruptions when it comes to not only Disney World vacations, but vacations to Disneyland Resort, and other popular locations.

The weekend witnessed a cascading effect of a global tech outage, leaving thousands of air travelers stranded and airlines scrambling to restore normalcy to their operations. This ongoing saga, now in its third day, has highlighted the complex vulnerabilities within the modern travel infrastructure.

As of Sunday evening, FlightAware.com, a flight tracking website, reported over 1,600 flights into, within, or out of the United States being canceled. This number is compounded by the staggering figure of more than 8,500 delayed flights. Delta Air Lines bore the brunt of these cancellations, exceeding 1,000 grounded flights, according to the website.

Fountain at the Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Credit: Ed Aguila

Delta acknowledged the disruption caused by “an outside vendor technology issue” and expressed its ongoing efforts to recover their systems and restore operations. In a move to compensate impacted customers, the airline has offered travel vouchers, waivers, and SkyMiles program miles.

Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta, emphasized the gravity of canceling flights in an update to customers on Sunday afternoon. He stated, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly.”

Looking beyond Delta, major airlines like United Airlines have reported a majority of their systems recovering from the outage, although some delays and cancellations remain a possibility. American Airlines echoed a similar sentiment, claiming to have “safely reestablished” operations and issuing a travel waiver for affected customers.

The impact of the flawed software update extended far beyond airports. Experts informed CNN that businesses, government agencies, healthcare and emergency services, banks, schools, and universities around the world experienced disruptions in their operations. The issue stemmed from a faulty update for Microsoft Windows operating systems issued by the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, affecting an estimated 8.5 million devices according to Microsoft.

Large crowds inside of a terminal at Orlando International Airport.
Credit: Orlando International Airport

Despite CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz’s apology to customers and deployment of a fix, experts warn of a lengthy process in getting systems back in order. The manual rebooting of countless computers at airline gates across the country presents a significant logistical hurdle. David Kennedy, co-founder of cybersecurity company Binary Defense, highlighted this complexity in a statement to CNN on Saturday. He remarked, “There’s just not enough people at those airports, at those locations to go and do it.”

The US Department of Transportation (DoT) weighed in on Friday, deeming the flight delays and cancellations “controllable” and attributable to the airlines. This designation signifies that airlines must adhere to their customer service commitments, prompting Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to remind airlines via social media that passengers are entitled to a full refund for canceled flights if they choose not to rebook.

The situation on the ground at airports paints a grim picture. Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the world’s busiest, has activated its “concessions crisis plan” to ensure food availability for stranded passengers.

However, this doesn’t alleviate the frustration and despair of travelers forced to spend nights on airport floors. Passengers like Anthony Augugliaro recounted their experiences to CNN affiliates, expressing feelings of neglect and a lack of assistance. Images of long lines and scenes of “mayhem, chaos, and frustration” aptly capture the passenger ordeal.

A large passenger jet
Credit: Orlando International Airport

Thousands of people remain stranded across the country, desperately seeking answers and awaiting a resolution. The reported 2,300 passengers in line for Delta’s virtual customer service queue exemplifies the immense task at hand. As airlines continue their recovery efforts, a crucial question remains – how to prevent such cascading outages from disrupting the travel industry in the future?

Cole T. Lyle shared a video of the Atlanta airport, where thousands have been sleeping on the terminal floor for days now.

Nate not at Tokyo Disney Resort took to X to post, “PSA: if you are flying anywhere in the USA on any airline anytime this week- ALL FLIGHTS ARE BOOKED SOLID. You will not be able to get rebooked for 3-4 days out if you miss your flight. Get to the airport early and board your flight!!”

This means that if you are taking any vacation whatsoever this week, it is important to ensure that you arrive on time for your flight. On a recent airport visit, even I heard multiple airlines noting that their flights were not only full but overbooked, offering passengers over $2500 if they would choose to fly on another flight.

However, that flight would not be same day, nor the next, due to how booked up everything has been.

Interestingly enough, airline issues have been persisting in other ways as well, including the heat. Much of the U.S. has been undergoing a heat wave with national warnings being put out. The heat has been so strong that airlines such as Southwest have been reporting exploding cans of soda from the heat pressure. Luckily, these soda explosions have not caused any serious injuries.

Have you been impacted by the ongoing flight delays due to the outage?  

Alessia Dunn

Orlando theme park lover who loves thrills and theming, with a side of entertainment. You can often catch me at Disney or Universal sipping a cocktail, or crying during Happily Ever After or Fantasmic.

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