Airlines everywhere were impacted by a global technology outage Friday. Many stated they have been doing their best to rebuild their schedules and get people where they need to go. 

What You Need To Know

  • The global IT outage is also impacting airlines

  • The major technology outage Friday grounded many flights and tested passengers’ patience 

  • Some had to change their plans altogether

“This is a technology outage that's not the airlines fault,” said Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst at Atmosphere Research Group. “I think it's very important for people to understand that.”

Harteveldt reminds passengers to be patient.

“The airline is going to do its best to try and re-accommodate you,” Harteveldt said. "Obviously, the airline wants you to travel."

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg wrote Friday on X:

If you no longer need to travel, Harteveldt said the airlines do have an obligation to give you a refund no questions asked. 

“When an airline isn't able to operate, and on such a large scale, then it has a responsibility to the customer to do the right thing,” Harteveldt said. “Most airlines, including the three largest—American, Delta and United—have issued waivers that will let people rebook without penalty or will give you the chance to get a refund if that's your preference.”

Right now, no rule mandates airlines to give a refund, but soon there will be. 

This October, there will be federal protections in place for passengers who have had their flights canceled or delayed, among other things. 

This is because in April, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a new rule requiring automatic refunds of airline tickets and other service fees if a flight is canceled or significantly delayed, which they state means more than three hours domestically and six hours internationally

This is if passengers do not accept alternative transportation or travel credits. Harteveldt said the rule takes effect in late October.

“The new rules are really more around what happens if there's a mechanical problem with a flight, or an isolated problem with one airline, perhaps, like bad weather in one city,” Harteveldt said. “In a situation like this where multiple airlines around the world have been affected, airlines aren't quibbling with travelers about giving them refunds.”

Harteveldt said the best resource for travelers is to go straight to the airlines they’re traveling through.

To learn more about what specifically your airline provides currently you can visit here. 

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