Flight cancellations continue to rise this weekend in the wake of Friday’s IT disruption that caused havoc worldwide — affecting everything from air travel to banking to critical infrastructure.
While airlines successfully got their planes flying again on Friday following early morning operational pauses by several carriers, residual disruptions made Saturday another challenging day at airports.
According to data from flight tracking site FlightAware, airlines had cancelled more than 1,800 flights in the United States by Saturday evening. More than 7,000 flights in the United States had been delayed by Saturday.
This comes just a day after airlines canceled an additional 3,400 flights (and delayed a staggering 12,895 more) on Friday. In total, more than 5,000 flights have been canceled in the U.S. and another 20,000 delayed since the IT glitch began affecting flights.
Hundreds more cancellations are already planned for Sunday.
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Which airlines are affected?
Among U.S. airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines appear to be experiencing the worst residual operational effects this weekend, with hundreds of cancellations between the two carriers.
Delta Air Lines
According to FlightAware, more than 1,000 Delta flights were cancelled as of Saturday evening, or nearly a third of its operations. More than 40% of Delta flights were delayed on Saturday.
In a social media post, the Atlanta-based airline said the disruptions affected both its mainline and regional Delta Connection operations.
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“Additional cancellations are expected as some of Delta’s technology continues to recover from the vendor-caused issue on Friday morning,” the Atlanta-based airline said in a statement early Saturday.
Delta has also suspended all unaccompanied minor flights through Sunday, affecting all children under 18 who plan to fly alone.
The airline has cancelled more than 100 flights scheduled for Sunday.
united airlines
United said late Friday that most of its systems had recovered from the technology outage, but warned that its operations “may continue to experience some disruption.”
As of Saturday evening, United had canceled more than 430 flights, about 14% of its operations, according to FlightAware.
Sunday also looks a bit risky for United, as FlightAware shows 197 cancellations for the Chicago-based carrier.
United, like Delta and other U.S. airlines, has issued a travel advisory that allows even passengers traveling on restricted tickets to make itinerary changes — and with no difference in fare.
What does the airline owe you after a flight cancellation?
The U.S. Department of Transportation is treating these disruptions as “manageable” cancellations and delays, an agency spokesperson told TPG on Friday.
That means the DOT considers these flight problems to be the responsibility of the airlines and asks them to fulfill the promises made in the Airline Customer Service Panelfound in FlightRights.govfor guarantees such as meals, hotels and ground transportation costs for stranded passengers.
“Our department has reminded airlines of their responsibilities to passengers,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wrote on social media Friday. “As with any mechanical or technical failure, in this case airlines must account for passengers who experience extended delays or cancellations.”
Delta has made it clear that it is already providing those benefits to affected passengers.
Read more: The 8 Best Credit Cards with Travel Insurance for July 2024
Is it possible to get a refund for a cancelled flight?
Please note that per DOT policy, if your flight is canceled or significantly delayed, You are entitled to a refund return to the original payment method if you ultimately decide not to travel.
You do not need to accept a coupon or frequent flyer miles.
However, if you accept the airline’s rebooking offer, you will not be eligible for a refund.
A few complicated days for traveling by plane
Friday’s computer system outage at Austin-based cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike occurred during a system upgrade and Microsoft customers affected all over the world.
The service disruption caused disruptions to key digital infrastructure for numerous airlines, contributing to thousands of flight cancellations around the world on Friday. Airlines canceled more than 3,400 flights in the United States alone on Friday.
With Delta and United leading the way with persistent disruptions on Saturday, key hubs for those airlines are among the hardest hit.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Delta’s home base, had by far the most cancellations of any U.S. airport on Saturday, FlightAware shows.
Other Delta and United hubs are also severely impacted, from Denver International Airport (DEN) to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), among others.
American Airlines, which canceled more than 400 flights on Friday, has largely recovered its operations with only a few dozen cancellations on Saturday, less than 1% of its operation, according to FlightAware.
“That recovery was completed yesterday and our operation — the largest of any major network airline — is off to a strong start today,” American said in a statement to TPG on Saturday.
Several other airlines are also reporting low cancellation rates, from Alaska Airlines to JetBlue and Southwest.
Among budget airlines, Spirit faced the most challenges on Saturday, with 125 cancellations, or about 13% of its network.
Here’s more information on what you can do. If your flight is cancelled or delayed.
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