What to do if your flight was affected by CrowdStrike outage
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Stranded travelers wait at BWI Marshall Airport in Baltimore early Friday, July 19, 2024, after a worldwide technology outage impacted airlines, banks and other businesses. Photo: Jerry Jackson/The Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Thousands of travelers across the U.S. and around the world were grappling with flight cancelations and delays Friday stemming from a massive IT outage that grounded flights.
Why it matters: Travelers are entitled to refunds from airlines for canceled flights "regardless of the reason" for cancelation, according to the Department of Transportation.
- Flights with significant changes are also eligible for refunds, per DOT.
- The Department of Transportation considers the delays and cancellations caused by Friday's IT outage to be "controllable" by the airlines it confirmed, USA Today reported.
Catch up quick: American, Delta, United and Allegiant Airlines grounded flights early Friday morning due to communications issues, per an FAA alert.
- CrowdStrike, a major cybersecurity company whose customers include some of the biggest companies in the world, said a faulty software update is behind the widespread outages.
The latest: As of 5pm ET Friday, more than 2,600 U.S. flights had been canceled and nearly 9,200 flights delayed, according to FlightAware.
- Globally, 38,163 flights were delayed and 4,253 flights canceled.
What they're saying: "We're continuing to address effects on transportation systems from today's widespread tech outage," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg posted on X.
- "Many flights are impacted as systems recover — passengers should check with their airline for updates and visit our website for more on passenger protections."
How to get a flight refund for canceled flight
Travelers should contact their airline or a ticketing agent for refunds.
- Major airlines are issuing travel waivers to give travelers flexibility if affected by the outage.
Delta, American, United and Spirit airline waivers
Here are travel waiver plans that airlines have announced:
- American Airlines lists the details on its travel alerts page. It notes changes must be booked by July 19, 2024 and travel must be completed within "1 year of original ticket date."
- Delta issued a travel waiver to all customers with flights departing Friday and said fare differences would be waived for passengers rebooking on or before July 24.
- Spirit Airlines outlines its "current flexible travel policies" in a travel advisory Friday.
- United Airlines' travel waiver lists affected airlines and says travelers with affected flights who reschedule will have change fees and fare differences waived for new flights departing between July 18-25.
Compensation for flight delays can include food and hotel reimbursement
Zoom in: The DOT's Airline Customer Service Dashboard explains what travelers are entitled to based on "controllable" delays or cancelations.
- In some cases, such as a disruption leading to wait times of three or more hours, travelers may be entitled to a meal voucher or meal cash, according to the DOT.
- Buttigieg said in a video posted on X that the department has reminded airlines of their responsibility to take care of passengers.
Check flight status
State of play: Passengers flying Friday are recommended to check with airlines for their flight status for possible delays and cancelations.
Starbucks mobile order down with CrowdStrike outage
Between the lines: Starbucks app has also been affected by the outage and the app says its "mobile ordering is currently unavailable" as of late Friday afternoon, which includes locations in airports.
- "Stores may be unable to process transactions and some stores may be closed," the Starbucks Care account said on X in reply to a customer's question.
- The coffee chain has a $3 drink deal for Starbucks Rewards members until 6pm local time Friday, which the company said on Facebook is still available for orders placed in stores and at the drive-thru.
What they're saying: "We continue to welcome and serve customers in the vast majority of our stores and drive-thrus and are doing everything we can to bring all systems online as quickly as possible," Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson said in a statement to NBC News.
Get free Krispy Kreme doughnut for outage
Krispy Kreme is offering a freebie for two hours Friday because of the outage at participating doughnut shops across the country.
How it works: Get a free glazed doughnut between 5-7pm local time Friday, the chain said on its social media pages.
- No purchase is necessary and limit one per customer.
Editor's note: This story was updated with information on canceled and delayed flights and Starbucks' mobile ordering being down with the CrowdStrike outage.
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