Delta bans thousands of passengers as airline cancellations reach 5,500 – and US government opens investigation

DELTA Airlines has banned thousands of passengers from traveling as it tries to recover from Microsoft’s latest outage.

The airline has canceled more than 5,500 flights since the Crowdstrike software collapse on Friday morning, which caused general chaos for travelers.

While many airlines slowly but surely recovered over the weekend, Delta is still struggling to recover.

The airline announced that it is temporarily banning travel by unaccompanied minors, effective immediately.

“Due to a previous vendor technology issue, unaccompanied minor travel is suspended until Tuesday, July 23,” the statement said. website he said.

“Those already booked will not be able to travel. Please do not book new travel for unaccompanied minors at this time.”

While others, like American Airlines and United, have more or less recovered from the software bug, Delta remains affected.

The carrier announced more than 400 flight cancellations on Tuesday morning.

Families who spoke to The New York Times said they were not notified of Delta’s travel ban until they arrived at the check-in desk.

The suspension, which was originally supposed to be lifted on Monday, was extended until Tuesday.

Scott Darling, who took his 17-year-old son Asher to the airport, said The New York Times that he purchased a refundable first-class ticket to accompany Asher to the boarding gate.

Darling intended to find an adult on the plane who would accompany Asher during the flight.

Upon arrival, however, the two were rejected by airline staff, who warned them that the adult accompanying them “has to be family”.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced Tuesday that the Department of Transportation has launched an investigation into Delta’s operations.

“The US DOT has opened an investigation into Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is following the law and taking care of its passengers during widespread and ongoing outages,” Buttigieg said.

“All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly and I will ensure that this right is respected.”

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Passengers also took to social media to report that the airline had not honored its commitments to provide hotel and meal vouchers.

Many said the airline refused cash refunds or alternative rebooking options on other airlines, offering only credit for future flights.

In a statement, Delta acknowledged that travelers are entitled to refunds, reimbursement of eligible expenses and travel relief for inconveniences they may experience from July 19-23.

“Across the entire operation, Delta teams are working tirelessly to care for customers impacted by delays and cancellations as the airline works to get crews and aircraft back into position following the disruption,” the statement said. website he said.

“We have made it clear to Delta that they must take care of their passengers and honor their customer service commitments,” Buttigieg said.

“This is not only the right thing to do, it is the law, and our department will leverage the full extent of our investigative and enforcement powers to ensure the rights of Delta passengers are respected.”

Passengers can report problems or complaints related to air transport through a form here.