Global IT outage: What we know so far about todays travel disruption – The Points Guy

Editor note: This article has been updated with the latest information.

A global Windows operating system glitch has caused significant disruptions across various industries worldwide, including travel.

The major IT outages has led some airlines to temporarily ground their planes this morning, triggering disruptions that are shaping up to make Friday a travel headache – from airports to rail, hotels and theme parks.

That’s on top of outages affecting plenty of other critical systems ranging from banking to medical facilities.

As of 8:15 a.m. EDT, airlines had canceled more than 1,000 flights in the U.S., according to data from flight-tracking site FlightAware. More than 2,000 flights have been delayed in the U.S. But the disruptions stretch worldwide, with more than 1,800 flights globally canceled.

Here’s a breakdown of what happened, the cause of the issue, who’s affected, and what you should do if your travel plans are impacted.

A United spokesperson told TPG: “A third-party software outage impacted computer systems worldwide, including at United. We are resuming some flights but expect schedule disruptions to continue throughout Friday. We have issued a waiver to make it easier for customers to change their travel plans via United.com or the United app.”

A Delta statement said: “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.”

The airline added that further delays and cancelations should be expected throughout Friday, and that a travel waiver had been issued for all customers with flights booked to departing Jul. 19.

According to Delta: “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.”

European airlines

Across the pond, British Airways has said that they anticipate flight disruption today.

“Due to the widely reported global Microsoft IT outage, some of our flights are likely to experience disruption today,” said a British Airways spokesperson. “This has caused issues across our operational systems, and our teams are working hard to manage and limit the impact on our customers as far as we’re able to.”

Virgin Atlantic, meanwhile, appeared to be fairing a little better with regard to direct impacts from the outage, though it could potentially be affected by the residual impacts.

“This is currently not impacting our flying programme, however, flights may be subject to some delays,” a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said, “We are monitoring the situation closely and working with our airport teams and partners to minimise any disruption.”

At U.K. airports, there are reports that the glitch has affected barcode ticket scanners at London Gatwick Airport (LGW), slowing down security screening processes while checks are performed manually.

A London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) spokesperson told TPG that flights are currently operational and that the airport was “implementing contingency plans to minimise any impact on journeys.” Heathrow advises all passengers traveling today to check with their airline for the latest flight information.

London Stansted Airport (STN) currently appears unaffected with flights operating as normal.

Within Europe, Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) is currently experiencing delays for around 20% of its departing flights according to Flight Aware.

Berlin-Brandenburg (BER) has currently canceled 12% of its flights set for departure today.

Disruptions stretch beyond air travel

Beyond airports and airlines, the outage is also affecting operations on train services, hotels and theme parks.

TPG’s Director of Content, Summer Hull, has reported that Park Hyatt Paris was resorting to pen and paper for bills and receipts due to its computer systems going down. Meanwhile, Disneyland Paris was also using paper printouts to display ride wait times.

Menu screens displaying the dreaded “blue screen of death” were also spotted at restaurants within Disneyland Paris.

Elsewhere, TPG Senior Editor Becky Blaine was unable to check into her NH Essen hotel in Germany, and hotel guests were being let into their rooms by a member of staff with a master key after the key card machine suffered issues due to the outage.

In thje U.S., Senior Aviation Business Reporter David Slotnick was on hand to see a small cluster of delays and cancelations at 5:41 a.m. EDT from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS).

Govia Thameslink Railway, the UK’s busiest train operator, has reported widespread IT problems, leading to potential train cancellations and disruptions in real-time information. Sky News was also forced to temporarily go offline in the U.K. this morning, displaying an error message to viewers.

Eurostar has confirmed with TPG that its services have not been affected by the IT outage, though some of its partners may see disruptions later in the day, they “haven’t seen this yet.”

Start by regularly monitoring your flight status on the airline’s website or app. If you haven’t downloaded your airline’s app, now is a good time to do it because it often has more up-to-date flight departure information than what’s on the departure and arrival boards at the airport.

Sign up for notifications, whether app notifications, text messages or email, so that you can be alerted as quickly as possible about any changes to your travel plans. Here are details on that process with American Airlines and United Airlines.

Monitor your flight ahead of time

We also recommend monitoring where your plane is coming from, which may help to understand the likelihood of your flight departing and when that might be. Your airline’s app may show this, or else we like Flightradar24, which shows the location of every aircraft in the world at the present moment. By searching for your flight number on Flightradar24, you can find the exact aircraft that will operate it (by following the aircraft’s serial number/registration). If the plane operating your flight will operate another sector before yours and it has not yet left that airport despite your flight schedule to board soon, your flight will likely be delayed because the inbound aircraft will be late.

Expect to be put on hold

Calling the operating airline is not advisable as you can expect long wait times and overwhelmed agents who may be unable to provide any additional information beyond what you already know about your flight. This is an ongoing situation that is affecting pretty much all travelers right now.

Stay calm and know your rights

If your flight is canceled, you should be automatically rebooked on another service by your airline, noting that depending on the severity of this outage on your airline, that new flight may be many hours, if not days, after your original departure time.

You can proactively look for other flight options if you have not yet been booked onto a new service or the new flight is unsuitable. This can usually be rebooked through the airline’s app. It’s best to do this as quickly as possible, as other affected passengers scramble to book these alternate services.

If you are flying to or from Europe, delays and cancelations would not be eligible for EU261 compensation as this issue is beyond the airline’s control.

Arrive at the airport on time and be understanding

If your flight is still listed as “on time” when you check the app, leave for the airport according to the original schedule. If possible, allow some extra time for check-in and to pass security, just in case. So, if you normally arrive at the airport two hours before departure, try arriving three hours before departure today.

Finally, be realistic about the situation and be kind to frontline airline and airport staff. Even if this outage is fixed quickly, the flow-on effect could last days during such a busy travel period. Thousands of other passengers are caught up in this situation beyond the airline’s control, and many people will have their travel delayed or canceled. The airline staff will face many unhappy passengers today and through the weekend, so please be patient with them and help them get you on your way as quickly as possible.

Related: Flight canceled or delayed? Here’s what to do next