What to do if your airline was affected by the global IT outage

A worldwide IT meltdown that began Thursday night has grounded flights and stranded passengers across the world.

As of 2 p.m. Eastern time, more than 3,800 flights had been canceled worldwide. More than 2,300 of those were flights operating into, within or out of the United States, according to FlightAware.com, an online flight-tracking website. More than 33,000 flights were delayed worldwide, with delays affecting more than 7,100 flights originating and/or ending in the United States.

Some people complained on social media that they were facing hours on hold to change their flights, or were rebooked on trips that would take several days and include many stops.

Anton Radchenko, CEO of the airline compensation company AirAdvisor, said in a statement that the domino effect on flights could stretch for a week or more.

Here’s what you can do to get your travel plans back on track.

What airlines are offering passengers

United

In a statement to The Washington Post, United said it was restoring its Friday schedule after a “major” software disruption that affected systems used for calculating aircraft weight, check-in services and call support centers.

Customers were encouraged to change their travel plans on the airline website. Per a waiver issued, travelers can reschedule trips with no change fees or fare differences, as long as the ticket is for a United flight between July 18 and July 25 and is booked in the same cabin and between the same cities.

Delta

Delta has issued a travel waiver for all customers who have booked flights departing Friday. It allows customers to manage their own travel changes via delta.com and the Fly Delta app. The fare difference for customers will be waived when rebooked travel occurs on or before July 24, in the same cabin of service as originally booked. If travel is rebooked after July 24, any difference in fare between the original ticket and the new ticket will be collected at the time of booking. Customers can monitor and manage their itineraries on Delta.com or on the Fly Delta app.

American

While American Airlines reestablished their operations by 5 a.m. Friday, per an X post, customers scheduled to fly from or to certain airports, including DCA, can have their change fees waived if they travel between July 18 and 25. For the waiver to apply, tickets must be booked on Friday, and must be in the same fare class and between the same cities originally booked.

Southwest

Southwest told The Post in a statement that the outage “did not directly affect our operations.” Travelers reported delays Friday morning, but there are no travel advisories or notice of waivers on Southwest’s website or app related to the outage.

Frontier

Frontier wrote on X Thursday night: “During this time booking, check-in, access to your boarding pass, and some flights may be impacted.” In a subsequent post, they referred affected customers to the airline’s travel advisory page.

Frontier customers whose flights were delayed over three hours, or canceled, are eligible for rebooking on the next available flight for no extra charge, or cancellations for full airline credit or full refunds to the original form of payment, per the page. Customers affected are not eligible, however, for hotel, ground transportation vouchers, meals or other accommodations, as the airline says online since the “event was beyond Frontier’s control.”

Spirit

In a social media post Friday morning, Spirit said due to the outage, they are “currently unable to rebook Guests whose travel plans have been disrupted.” Travelers whose flights were impacted were told to wait until service was restored for guidance.

JetBlue

In an email statement to The Washington Post, JetBlue said their operations remain normal, without any systemwide cancellations or delays. Still they encouraged customers to monitor their flight status and “build in extra time in the event that this outage has impacted specific airports due to outages at other airlines, airport operators, or government agencies.”

Allegiant

Allegiant told the Post on Friday that the airline started “recovering our systems” as of 2 p.m. The company said its Customer Care team will email affected customers with options to receive a full refund or rebook their flights.

Worst airports for delays and cancellations

According to FlightAware, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was the most affected by the outage. As of 2 p.m., the Delta hub saw more than 500 cancellations across departing and incoming flights, representing about a fifth of its scheduled flights. There were also more than 700 delays.

Next in line were Chicago O’Hare (nearly 200 cancellations), LaGuardia (over 30% of outgoing flights delayed) and Minneapolis-Saint Paul (over 150 cancellations).

Internationally, Amsterdam Schiphol had more than 40% of outgoing and incoming flights delayed, and Berlin-Brandenburg had almost a third of departing flights canceled.

Refunds for cancellations and delays

Fliers who don’t travel due to a significant delay or cancellation are entitled to a prompt refund, but will need to request one on airline websites; a new rule that forces airlines to refund travelers automatically will not go into effect until later this year.

Passengers who are caught up in Friday’s travel woes should also be entitled to meal vouchers or hotel accommodations, depending on how long they’re stuck due to delays or cancellations. The DOT’s customer service dashboard at FlightRights.gov spells out what airlines have promised to do for passengers in case of “controllable” delays. The department confirmed that Friday’s outage-related cancellations and delays are considered controllable.

All major airlines, for example, will rebook passengers on the same airline and provide meals or vouchers if passengers are waiting three hours or more. All but Frontier promise hotel accommodations and transportation to a hotel in case passengers are stranded overnight. Several airlines will rebook passengers on a partner carrier if needed.

Passengers who expect to ask for reimbursement should keep all their boarding passes and receipts to help move claims along, Tomasz Pawliszyn, CEO of air passenger rights company AirHelp, said in a statement.

Best ways to reach customer service

On Friday, airlines affected by delays from the outage recommended travelers keep up to date with delays and change their flights directly on websites or apps. Especially in a time of mass delays, it is a good idea for you to do as much as you can yourself.

If you have more complex needs, travel experts say it’s a good idea to try to get in touch with a real person over the phone. “Especially for the American companies, for the most part, the agents are good. They will help you,” said Eric Hrubant, founder and president of CIRE Travel. Hrubant said that while you will probably be at “the mercy of the callback” - and may have to wait up to an hour or more for help - agents at U.S. airlines often prove very helpful.

Be aware that airline customer service lines can be quickly overburdened. According to Lida Behnam of D.C.-based travel agency Lida Travel, it can be difficult for customers to get in touch with a live representative at any time of the year, but especially during widespread problems like an outage.

If you’re only looking for basic services or answers - like what seat or terminal you have - it can be a good idea to use chatbots or in-app support.

As a traveler, you can also try DMing the airline on social media platforms like X, where it’s more likely you can be connected with a representative faster.

Best tools to monitor flights and planes

If you’re not sure whether your flight is delayed, proactively tracking your plane and route can be a good idea.

Hrubant, of CIRE Travel, said he always starts by Googling his flight number and inputting it into the website FlightAware.

“There,” he said, “you can see where your plane exactly is,” including when it lands, when it’s supposed to leave and where your specific plane is on a map.

You should also be sure to frequently check the app for your specific airline. Experts recommend linking your email and phone number to your reservation so you get updates straight to your phone.

“Airlines are pretty good at sending alerts,” Benham said. “If anything, they send too many.”

It’s important to remember that even if after tracking and checking in on your flight it looks like it’s delayed, that can always change. Getting to the airport on time regardless of apparent delays can be the difference between making or missing a flight.

“Don’t dilly-dally, because believe it or not, flights will get ‘undelayed’ or will move up … and if you’re still at your house, you will be in trouble,” Hrubant said.

Check your travel insurance policy

If you purchased travel insurance for your trip, make sure you understand what the policy covers. According to the travel insurance comparison site InsureMyTrip, protection for travel delays or missed connections could include reimbursement if customers have to shell out for meals or a place to stay, or if flight delays cause them to miss a cruise or a tour.

InsureMyTrip CEO Suzanne Morrow said in a statement that travelers should hold on to receipts and bills for all their expenses, unused travel tickets and proof of payment for those tickets. They should also file a claim right away due to an anticipated high volume of requests using their insurance provider’s online portal.

Radchenko, of AirAdvisor, also said it’s worth checking to see if the credit card passengers used to book their flight comes with a travel insurance policy.

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Lori Aratani contributed to this report.