Delta Air Lines Under Fire: Are Passengers’ Rights Being Violated?

The Department of Transportation is currently investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure that the airline is treating consumers fairly amid ongoing flight cancellations following a global tech outage last week.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg emphasized on social media that “all airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly,” and he aims to uphold that right. His department reported receiving “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s actions in response to the outages.

Delta, based in Atlanta, has faced significant challenges in resuming operations after a problematic software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike on Thursday. This update disrupted Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users with system access issues, including the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”

The incident impacted almost every major industry, with severe repercussions for airlines and airports. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed and an additional 5,171 were canceled, according to FlightAware, with Delta being particularly hard-hit.

Delta reported the cancellation of approximately 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday, followed by more than 2,500 cancellations on Sunday and Monday, along with another 3,441 delays. On Tuesday, 738 flights faced cancellations or delays.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian addressed the situation, stating, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly.” He extended his apologies to those affected and acknowledged that Delta’s primary role is to connect people worldwide, understanding the frustration caused by travel disruptions.

Bastian also mentioned that a significant number of Delta’s applications rely on Microsoft Windows, including tools for crew tracking that were impacted by the system failure. To mitigate the situation, Delta has provided a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights without fees, along with meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation assistance.

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