A day following a widespread tech outage that disrupted various industries, airlines are in the process of mitigating the aftermath of numerous delayed and canceled flights, leaving passengers stranded and seeking alternative travel arrangements over the weekend.
As Saturday morning arrived, the frequency of delays and cancellations had diminished, with both domestic and international airlines expecting a return to almost normal operations. However, airlines anticipate higher-than-usual cancellation rates persisting throughout the day as they work on repositioning planes and flight crews.
Yesterday’s software outages paralyzed airlines, impacting crucial functions such as calculating aircraft weight, passenger check-ins, and communication with travelers. Long wait times ensued for passengers, with some forced to spend the night at airports. Grace Aldrin, 23, recounted sleeping on the floor near baggage claim at New York’s La Guardia Airport on Friday night after her United flight to Chicago was delayed overnight. She improvised a makeshift bed on top of her clothes after opening her suitcase, surrounded by others in a similar predicament.
“They didn’t provide hotel vouchers—just instructed us to submit our hotel receipts to United Cares for a potential refund,” she said. “I called multiple hotels, but they were fully booked.” At 4 a.m., security personnel woke her, and she made her way back to the terminal, eventually securing a spot on a standby flight.
