Thousands of flights have been canceled, delayed, or rescheduled since Friday, July 19, 2024 when a software update by CrowdStrike caused an information technology outage worldwide — but system operations at Delta Air Lines still have not recovered since then, as today, Tuesday, July 23, 2024 is Day 5 of The Great Delta Air Lines Meltdown of 2024; and an official investigation has been launched by the Department of Transportation of the United States.
Day 5 of The Great Delta Air Lines Meltdown of 2024: Official Investigation Launched
The meltdown has caused thousands of travelers to be stranded for as many as four days; left on hold on telephones for greater than ten hours; be without their luggage and other personal belongings; and left to fend for themselves in terms of financing food, beverages, lodging, and alternative transportation to their destinations as they miss meetings and major events.
The number of flights that have been canceled by Delta Air Lines since Friday is approaching 6,000.
While most airlines and many companies which had been affected by the aforementioned information technology outage have generally recovered for the most part, Delta Air Lines has been struggling to return to normal operations. The Department of Transportation has launched an official investigation of Delta Air Lines earlier today, Tuesday, July 23, 2024 “to ensure the airline is following the law and taking care of its passengers during continued widespread disruptions”, according to Pete Buttigieg, who is the current secretary of transportation of the United States:
.@USDOT has opened an investigation into Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is following the law and taking care of its passengers during continued widespread disruptions.
All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly, and I will make sure that right is upheld.
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) July 23, 2024
The following text was duplicated in its entirety from Delta News Hub, which is an official Internet web site of Delta Air Lines:
Delta people working 24/7 to restore operation, support customers, get crews to right place at right time
Delta people worked Monday to get the airline’s complex global operation back on track after cybersecurity vendor CrowdStrike’s faulty Windows update rendered IT systems of companies across the globe inoperable.
“We’ve got everyone around the company working around the clock to get this operation where it needs to be,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a video message to employees on Monday. “Keep taking great care of our customers and each other in the coming days.”
Upward of half of Delta’s IT systems worldwide are Windows based. The CrowdStrike error required Delta’s IT teams to manually repair and reboot each of the affected systems, with additional time then needed for applications to synchronize and start communicating with each other.
Delta’s crews are fully staffed and ready to serve our customers, but one of Delta’s most critical systems – which ensures all flights have a full crew in the right place at the right time – is deeply complex and is requiring the most time and manual support to synchronize.
Across the operation, Delta teams are working tirelessly to care for customers impacted by delays and cancellations as the airline works to put flight crews and aircraft back in position following the disruption.
We’re also working to make it right for our customers, starting with these steps:
Extending a travel waiver. Delta extended a travel waiver for all customers with travel booked from July 19-23. The waiver offers customers the ability to make a one-time change to their itinerary. The fare difference for customers will be waived when rebooked travel occurs on or before July 28, in the same cabin of service as originally booked. Customers are encouraged to manage changes to their travel via delta.com or the Fly Delta app.
Right to a Refund Upon Request. Customers whose travel has been disrupted due to a canceled or significantly delayed flight may choose to cancel their travel and receive an eCredit for the unflown portion of the trip, or may instead request a refund for the unflown portion of the trip at delta.com/refund.
Issuing SkyMiles Program miles or a travel voucher in an amount based on the customer’s affected travels.
Covering eligible expenses resulting from this flight disruption, including providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations where available and ground transportation.
Reimbursement of eligible expenses. Customers who have incurred hotel, meal or ground transportation expenses while in transit during this operational disruption may submit eligible expenses for reimbursement.*
Reaching out to customers about cancellations and rebooking options. Delta is notifying customers about delays and cancellations in their itinerary via the Fly Delta app and text message, and offering rebooking options that can be managed online.
While customers can monitor and manage their itineraries on Delta.com or on the Fly Delta app, these online tools have been inundated with traffic, causing intermittent performance challenges. Delta teams are working to stabilize those tools. Also note that our ability to respond to service messages on social media platforms such as X are limited.
*Delta does not reimburse prepaid expenses, including but not limited to hotel reservations at the customer’s destination, vacation experiences, lost wages, concerts or other tickets.
This is not the first time that Delta Air Lines has experienced a systemwide operational meltdown. As two examples, the airline has had its operations significantly disrupted in the summer of 2016; and an electrical power outage at the international airport which serves the greater Atlanta metropolitan area on Sunday, December 17, 2017 caused hundreds of flights that were operated by Delta Air Lines to be canceled.
The airline was criticized both times for its perceived poor recovery and response to customers — but this current meltdown promises to be historic once it will have finally been resolved.
Outrage on Social Media
The stories and experiences that members of Twitter — er…X — have shared are no less than remarkable. The following messages are only a small sampling of the outrage that is being expressed by passengers of Delta Air Lines on Day 5 of The Great Delta Air Lines Meltdown of 2024:
Atlanta airport is jam-packed. Mothers w/ small children on the floor in the terminal. Line for customer service is 1/2 mile long. No rental cars. Few hotel options. People’ve been stuck here 3 days.
If there weren’t bigger national news- @Delta CEO would be dragged to testify. pic.twitter.com/tGSRGyxYG5
— Cole T. Lyle (@ctlyle1) July 22, 2024
Delta baggage claim in Seattle pic.twitter.com/D5UZO59FFC
— Rae Isla ✨ (@rae_isla) July 22, 2024
@Delta only having 2/6 desks going during this fiasco is crazy pic.twitter.com/oit8l8PV7F
— Zack Olson (@zolsxn) July 22, 2024
After 15+ hour waits, Delta has stopped estimating how long it takes to get an agent via chat.
They will, however, repeatedly remind you that a “vendor technology issue that has impacted several airlines.” Nevermind that no other airline has canceled 1/10 the flights as Delta pic.twitter.com/d63o9OCkqK
— Kyle Potter (@kpottermn) July 23, 2024
For the last decade I’ve flown first class @Delta for every single flight.
Never again.
Y’all just lost a customer for life.
Horrible customer service. Cancelled flights with no reimbursement. No answers from anyone.
RIP, @Delta, you’re dead to me. pic.twitter.com/ln7AJAr0j1
— Jason Helmes (@anymanfitness) July 22, 2024
I’ve been on hold for over 10 hours and this is after waiting for 5 hours at the airport after an 11 hour delay and eventual cancellation. @delta this is now YOUR problem. FIGURE IT OUT AND COMPENSATE US!!!!! pic.twitter.com/mxb9JorAJm
— P90Drex (@P90Drex) July 22, 2024
Hey @Delta – You cancelled my 9th flight since Saturday. People are literally sleeping on the floor in Orlando and your CEO is telling the media that everyone is getting a hotel room.
Total BS. Get your act together!
— MNConservative⭐️ (@RealJMPeterman) July 22, 2024
Hey @Delta your agent at @RDUAirport, Richard, who mockingly asked my distraught wife if “she wanted to fly on the wing or in the toilet”, at 4:30am on 7/21/24, should be fired immediately. Luckily I wasn’t in line with her. I was tending to our vomiting 5 yr old.
— Jacob Arthur (@jacobarthurNC) July 22, 2024
What a fragile world we have built.
As I’m facing my 5th delay on my Odyssey home to Idaho from Charleston via @Delta Airlines, all due to a tiny string of errant code that wreaked havoc on airlines and hospitals for days, I’m reminded that we rely on fragile systems.
Lesson:… pic.twitter.com/AiAuKNCsls
— Daniel Foucachon (@foucachon) July 22, 2024
Our 4th flight was canceled.
I am beyond livid!! We can’t even leave because our bags will be sent to Las Vegas and we have been told there is nothing we can do to stop it.
We are now in line for the help desk. Probably 150 people in front of us. @Delta @USDOT
— Abbey (@_abbeydear) July 23, 2024
funniest personal crowdstrike effect I’ve seen: @Delta emailed me about a flight i took five years ago that might be disrupted due to last weekend. Delta feel free to hit me up for details.
— LordFloofen (@LordFloofen) July 22, 2024
We have received reports of continued disruptions and unacceptable customer service conditions at Delta Air Lines, including hundreds of complaints filed with @USDOT.
I have made clear to Delta that we will hold them to all applicable passenger protections.
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) July 22, 2024
Final Boarding Call
Delta Air Lines was poorly prepared for what happened this past Friday. That needs to be addressed as much as how a software update can wreak havoc on so many companies in a number of industries worldwide, which is quite concerning.
Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines has extended the issuance of its travel alerts for all tickets that were issued on or before Friday, July 19, 2024 through today, Tuesday, July 23, 2024; and Sunday, July 28, 2024 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin — but do not be surprised if this travel alert is extended yet again. Avoid the airline in the meantime until its systemwide operations are functioning normally once again — whenever that happens.
As the corporate communications department of Delta Air Lines is typically loathe to post any bad news or negative experiences at Delta News Hub, it also has a precedent of quietly deleting any rare text that casts the airline in a negative light — so below are the texts from this latest meltdown as copied verbatim and recorded in this article below for posterity on Day 5 of The Great Delta Air Lines Meltdown of 2024.
All photographs ©2016, ©2023, and ©2024 by Brian Cohen.
As CEO of Delta Air Lines, Ed Bastian leads 100,000 global professionals who are building the world’s premier international airline, powered by a people-driven, customer-focused culture and spirit of innovation.
Like many companies worldwide, Delta was impacted on Friday morning by an outside vendor technology issue, which prompted us to pause flying while our systems were offline.
The pause in our operation resulted in more than 3,500 Delta and Delta Connection flights cancelled through Saturday. Cancellations continue on Sunday as Delta’s teams work to recover our systems and restore our operation. Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly.
The technology issue occurred on the busiest travel weekend of the summer, with our booked loads exceeding 90%, limiting our reaccommodation capabilities. I want to apologize to every one of you who have been impacted by these events. Delta is in the business of connecting the world, and we understand how difficult it can be when your travels are disrupted.
Please know that Delta’s entire team of the best professionals in the business have been working around the clock to safely get you where you need to go, and restore the reliable, on-time experience you’ve come to expect when you fly with us.
Specifically, the issue impacted the Microsoft Windows operating system. Delta has a significant number of applications that use that system, and in particular one of our crew tracking-related tools was affected and unable to effectively process the unprecedented number of changes triggered by the system shutdown. Our teams have been working around the clock to recover and restore full functionality.
We have issued a travel waiver to enable you to make a change to your itinerary at no charge. I encourage you to take advantage of that flexibility if possible. In addition, for those whose flights have been impacted, we continue to offer meal vouchers, hotel accommodations and transportation where available. And as a gesture of apology, we’re also providing impacted customers with Delta SkyMiles and travel vouchers. We will continue to keep you informed via delta.com and the Fly Delta app for the latest information on your itinerary.
I want to thank Delta’s employees, who have been working tirelessly across our system to restore our best-in-class operation and take care of you during a very challenging situation.
Thank you for your patience as we work through these issues, restore our operation and return to the reliability you expect from Delta.
Delta continued its operational recovery Sunday following an outside vendor technology issue that prompted the airline and many others to pause flying for several hours on Friday.
Delta is communicating directly with significantly impacted customers via email Sunday offering an acknowledgement of the disruption, an apology and the issuance of SkyMiles Program miles or a travel voucher. Guidance for submitting eligible unexpected expenses due to the disruption for reimbursement was included in that email.
Across the operation, Delta teams in airports, on board flights, on phones and in messaging channels were working tirelessly to care for customers as the airline worked to put flight crews and aircraft back in position following the disruption.
We’re sorry for this inconvenience – canceling a flight is always our last resort and isn’t taken lightly. Delta takes seriously the trust placed in us to deliver the reliability and experiences customers have come to know and expect from us. That’s why we’re working to make it right for our customers, starting with these steps:
- Extending a travel waiver. Delta extended a travel waiver for all customers with travel booked from July 19-21. The waiver offers customers the ability to make a one-time change to their itinerary. The fare difference for customers will be waived when rebooked travel occurs on or before July 26, in the same cabin of service as originally booked. Customers are encouraged to manage changes to their travel via delta.com or the Fly Delta app.
- Reaching out to customers about cancellations and re-booking options. Delta is notifying customers about delays and cancellations in their itinerary via the Fly Delta app and text message, and offering re-booking options that can be managed online.While customers can monitor and manage their itineraries on Delta.com or on the Fly Delta app, these online tools have been inundated with traffic, causing intermittent performance challenges. Delta teams are working to stabilize those tools. Also note that our ability to respond to service messages on social media platforms such as X are limited.
- Issuing SkyMiles Program miles or a travel voucher in an amount based on the customer’s affected travels.
- Covering eligible expenses resulting from to this flight disruption, including providing:
- Meal vouchers, hotel accommodations where available and ground transportation are being provided to impacted customers.
- Reimbursement of eligible expenses. Customers who have incurred hotel, meal or ground transportation expenses while in transit during this operational disruption may submit eligible expenses for reimbursement.*
- Right to Request a Refund. Customers whose travel has been disrupted due to a canceled or significantly delayed flight may choose to cancel their travel and receive an eCredit for the unflown portion of the trip, or may instead request a refund at delta.com/refund.
*Delta does not reimburse prepaid expenses, including but not limited to hotel reservations at the customer’s destination, vacation experiences, lost wages, concerts or other tickets.
LATEST UPDATES | July 19-21, 2024 operation
Delta is continuing its operational recovery Saturday following an outside vendor technology issue that prompted the airline and many others to pause flying for several hours on Friday.
Across the operation, Delta teams in airports, on board flights, on the phones and in messaging are working tirelessly to care for customers as the airline works to put flight crews and aircraft back in position following the disruption.
As of 10 a.m. EDT, more than 600 Delta and Delta Connection flights were canceled Saturday — mostly in the morning and early afternoon. Additional cancelations are expected as some of Delta’s technology continues to recover from Friday morning’s vendor-caused issue.
Delta is notifying customers about delays and cancelations in their itinerary via the Fly Delta app and text message, and offering re-booking options that can be managed online. Customers are encouraged to check delta.com or the Fly Delta app for the latest information about their itinerary.
A travel waiver, which offers customers the ability to make a one-time change to their itinerary, is still in effect for those with travel booked on Saturday, July 20. The fare difference for customers will be waived when rebooked travel occurs on or before July 25, in the same cabin of service as originally booked. Customers are encouraged to manage changes to their travel via delta.com or the Fly Delta app.
We apologize to those customers who have had their travel plans disrupted as a result of this technology issue. Canceling a flight is always our last resort. That’s why Delta people are working around the clock to get customers where they need to be. Unexpected disruptions like these are difficult and do not reflect the operational reliability and experiences customers have come to know and expect from us.
We will continue to offer meal vouchers and hotel accommodations where available for customers whose flights are significantly delayed or canceled Saturday.
LATEST UPDATES | July 19-20, 2024 operation
More than 1,200 Delta mainline and Delta Connection flights have been canceled Friday due to a vendor technology issue impacting airlines and companies around the world.
Additional delays and cancellations are expected Friday and potentially through the weekend.
We’re sorry for this inconvenience – canceling a flight is always our last resort and isn’t taken lightly. Delta takes seriously the trust placed in us to deliver the reliability and experiences customers have come to know and expect from us. That’s why we’re working to make it right for our customers, starting with these steps:
Issuing a travel waiver: Delta extended its waiver for all customers who have booked flights departing Friday, July 19. 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 25, in the same cabin of service as originally booked.
Reaching out to customers about cancellations and re-booking options: Delta is notifying customers about delays and cancellations in their itinerary via the Fly Delta app and text message, and offering re-booking options that can be managed online.
While customers can monitor and manage their itineraries on Delta.com or on the Fly Delta app, these online tools have been inundated with traffic, causing intermittent performance challenges. Delta teams are working to stabilize those tools. Also note that our ability to respond to service messages on social media platforms such as X are limited.
Covering meals and accommodations: Meal vouchers and hotel accommodations where available are being provided to impacted customers.
LATEST UPDATES | July 19, 2024 operation
Delta has resumed some flight departures after a vendor technology issue impacted several airlines and businesses around the world. That issue necessitated a pause in Delta’s global flight schedule this morning while it was addressed.
Additional delays and cancellations are expected Friday.
Delta has issued a travel waiver for all customers who have booked flights departing Friday, July 19. 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.
LATEST UPDATES | July 19, 2024 operation
Delta has paused its global flight schedule this morning due to a vendor technology issue that is impacting several airlines and businesses around the world. We are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible to resume operations.
Customers with flights scheduled for Friday should continue checking their flight status via the Fly Delta app and Delta.com.
We are also working to issue a travel waiver this morning that will allow customers scheduled to travel Friday, July 19, to manage changes to their itinerary via Delta.com or the Fly Delta app.
We apologize for the inconvenience as our teams continue work to resolve the issue.
LATEST UPDATES | July 19, 2024 operation
All Delta flights are paused as we work through a vendor technology issue.
Any customers whose flights are impacted will be notified by Delta via the Fly Delta app and text message. Customers should use the Fly Delta app for updates.
We apologize for the inconvenience as our teams work through this issue.
Reports indicated that other airlines may also be impacted.
LATEST UPDATES | July 19, 2024 operation
