US DOT announces investigation into Delta Air Lines as delays, cancellations continue Tuesday
It has been five days since a global technology outage impacted flights around the country, and issues with Delta Airlines are continuing—which is creating big problems at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP).
The domino effect from Friday’s outage is still hitting some airlines and travelers hard, with many travelers trying to figure out their next move after a cancellation.
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After receiving criticism from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) over the weekend, Delta has said passengers can request a refund instead of a flight waiver for canceled or significant flight delays. Early Tuesday morning, U.S. DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the agency has opened an investigation into Delta Air Lines to make sure the company is following the law and taking care of its passengers during the disruptions.
Buttigieg added the DOT wants to hear from passengers who believe the company hasn’t followed the DOT’s enforced passenger protection requirements. You can file a complaint by CLICKING HERE.
More than 300 flights were canceled at MSP alone on Monday, and by Tuesday morning, 65 flights had been canceled. As for flights leaving Minneapolis, most—if not all—are Delta flights.
A lot of workers are being called to the floor to help with customer service, and many in blue vests could be found at MSP on Tuesday.
On Monday, Delta accounted for 80% of the canceled flights across the country and said in a statement that about half of its systems worldwide were impacted by the outage. Those systems included a tool Delta uses to track crews, which the airline says left them unable to process the number of changes triggered by the outage.
That has caused a lot of frustration and headaches for travelers going and leaving MSP.
“Computers suck,” said Dave Royer, whose flight was canceled on Sunday. “Delta has the easiest flights for me out of Cleveland for me to get to here from Missoula, but every time I take this flight, something like this happens. I know your airport really well now.”
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Many people have tried to figure out new ways to get to their destinations or push work back.
“We’re doing this for business too, we’re thinking about all the money the business has spent to get us to the conference. Now we’re going to miss our first two days and we’re pushing our hotel back, we’re pushing the conference back, and we’re just frustrated,” said Zach Ruch, whose flight was among those canceled.
MSP is the second-largest Delta hub in the country.
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