Delta passengers at RDU face travel chaos fifth-straight day

More than 12 Delta Air Lines flights were canceled Tuesday at Raleigh-Durham International Airport on the fifth-straight day of travel issues caused by a widespread IT outage.

The massive global tech outage that hit individuals and companies on Friday is still disrupting global air travels days later.

On Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the U.S. Department of Transportation is investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure that Delta is following the law and following newly-established passenger protections.

The protections mean that if passengers’ flights are canceled, they can get a refund if they choose not to travel. It also means the passengers get a refund if the flight is significantly delayed. Additionally, baggage fees are supposed to be returned if a passenger’s bags are lost.

Buttigieg’s post on X also instructed airline passengers to try and resolve problems directly with the airline first. If that doesn’t work, then file a complaint with the DOT.

The DOT also has a list on its website of what different airlines are committed to do for passengers in case of a problem.

Buttigieg wrote in a statement late Sunday night, “Delta must provide prompt refunds to consumers who choose not to take rebooking, free rebooking for those who do, and timely reimbursements for food and hotel stays to consumers affected by these delays and cancelations.”

Passengers stranded at RDU

Delta has canceled more than 4,000 flights since Friday. Most airlines have recovered from Friday’s outage, but Delta has been especially hard hit, leaving some stranded for days.

Jerry Matthews told WRAL News he was traveling to Tampa with a family of 17 people for vacation when he got stranded at the airport.

“We went online and tried to find a flight to Tampa … nothing’s available,” he said.

Many Delta passengers said they had to book with other airlines to reach their final destinations. On Monday, the airline said it would cover or reimburse for meal vouchers and hotels. It also said all customers who booked flights between July 19 to 23 will be able to change their itineraries once or get a refund.

Delta executives previously said remedying this issue would take days.

For Skip Horne, who has been recovering from back surgery, it’s been a pain – literally.

Horne’s flight on Monday was canceled, and there was not another available flight until Tuesday, leaving him waiting 24 hours inside RDU.

“What choice do I have?” Horne said. “I already checked out of my hotel, I have nowhere to go. This is my home for today.”

Horne, like thousands of passengers nationwide, found himself stranded Monday.

Carolina Castillo’s family has been trying to get home to Florida from Italy.

“We’re so tired,” Castillo said. “It’s been a long day for us. Going hotel by hotel, and we’re trying to get home. But we can’t.”

A stop in Detroit Saturday turned into a two-day layover for the family. They’re now stuck at RDU after yet another cancelation.

“I already tried to look at West Palm Beach, or Miami, or Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, anywhere, but they still say they cannot find anything for like three days,” Castillo said.

Castillo said it’s been a fight trying to get vouchers for food or hotels something the federal government says passengers dealing with flights canceled because of the computer outage are owed.