Delta meltdown: Airline expects cancelations to be 'minimal' days after CrowdStrike outage

ATLANTA - Delta Air Lines continues working to restore flight operations five days after the global CrowdStrike outage.

Delta and its Delta Connection partners canceled more than 500 flights Tuesday. That was down by more than half from Monday but still accounted for nearly two-thirds of all canceled flights in the United States, according to tracking platform FlightAware.

Many airlines were affected when cybersecurity company CrowdStrike sent a faulty update to more than 8 million Microsoft computers around the world late last week. Most of them reduced cancelations to roughly normal levels by the end of the weekend.

In an update to Delta customers on Wednesday, CEO Ed Bastian acknowledged that the Atlanta-based airline's efforts to stabilize its operations were "frustratingly slow and complex," but said the company has made "good progress."

"The worst impacts of the CrowdStrike-caused outage are clearly behind us," Bastian wrote.  

He said that they expected cancelations on Wednesday to be "minimal" and normal operations to be fully recovered on Thursday.

"I’ve received emails from many of you who are understandably frustrated with the pace of progress and the difficulty in getting the service you deserve. I’ve also received many notes of encouragement and support commenting on the heroic efforts of our people, who are working under trying and stressful conditions," Bastian wrote. "Thank you for your feedback, as well as your patience and understanding. 

Feds investigating Delta's outage response

Bastian's announcement comes a day after Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced an investigation into Delta’s response to the outage, which he said has affected more than half a million of the airline’s passengers.

At a news conference, Buttigieg said the Transportation Department will also examine Delta’s customer service, including "unacceptable" lines for customer service and reports that unaccompanied minors were stranded at airports. He said the department has received more than 3,000 complaints about the airline’s breakdown.

"All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly, and I will make sure that right is upheld, Buttigieg wrote on X.

Delta said it was cooperating with the investigation.

As part of the investigation, the agency is asking passengers who believe Delta has not complied with travel protections to submit a complaint here.

Delta's response to canceled, delayed flights

On Tuesday, Delta Air Lines told FOX 5 they are implementing the following to reconcile with passengers experiencing delays, cancellations or other inconveniences:

Baggage:

• As Delta continues our operational recovery, we’re working reunite bags with customers.
• We have set up an internal Baggage Command Center in Atlanta, where we are seeing the highest number of displaced baggage, in an effort to expedite the process of reuniting customers with their belongings.
• Customers have three options for support with displaced luggage:Visit their local Baggage Service Office and file a claim.Visit Delta.com, search Online Baggage Claim Form and submit a claimCall 1-800-325-8224 to make a baggage claim.
• Visit their local Baggage Service Office and file a claim.
• Visit Delta.com, search Online Baggage Claim Form and submit a claim
• Call 1-800-325-8224 to make a baggage claim.
• We are also leveraging all of our delivery partners to assist in making final mile delivery of bags needing to be returned to customers at their homes or their final travel destinations.
• Delta continues to leverage as many solutions as possible to ensure customers’ bags are returned to them as soon as possible.

Operation:

• As industry tracking sites like FlightAware show, Delta’s cancellations today are lower than previous days. As of 3:30pm, Delta (including Delta Connection flights operated by regional carriers) has ~500 cancels out of 5,059 flights scheduled for Tuesday.
• More: Delta people working 24/7 to restore operation, support customers, get crews to right place at right time | Delta News Hub

Action Delta is taking for customers:

• Delta extended a travel waiver for all customers with travel booked from July 19-28. 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 Aug. 4, 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 via Delta.com.
• 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, email and text message, and offering rebooking options that can be managed online.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.