FAA Outage: What are the US airlines doing for stranded customers?

Thursday, January 12, 2023

Airline passengers across the US have been warned to expect delays on Wednesday, after a technical glitch halted flights nationwide for several hours.

Though planes are now able to take off again, a backlog of flights is expected to disrupt travel throughout the day.

The cause was an issue overnight with the Notice to Air Missions System (NOTAM), which alerts pilots to potential hazards on flight routes.

For those stuck waiting at an airport, or affected by the thousands of delayed or cancelled flights, here’s a rundown on the help you can expect to get from different airlines…

Can you get a refund?

Paul Hudson of FlyersRights told the a reputed news channel if someone is owed a ticket refund if his/her flight is cancelled or excessively delayed more than two hours and they request an involuntary refund and do not take the flight or accept a voucher or later flight.

Change fee waivers or hotel vouchers are up the individual airline’s policies, said Mr Hudson, who is also a member of the FAA Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee.

Why did FAA ground flights across the US?

Delta

Delta announced that they have issued a waiver for customers to rebook travel who are impacted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ground stop related to an earlier technology issue.

As per the company’s current policy on its website, if necessary, they will rebook customers on flights operated by other airlines. If travel plans change, Delta continues to provide full and timely refunds to eligible passengers.

American

American Airlines carries the most passengers annually in North America. The company said it was working with the FAA to minimise customer disruption.

On a social media, the company has been replying to frustrated customers about cancelled flights telling them to directly message their flight information.

In a statement to the a news channel, American Airlines said they were providing customers additional flexibility to rebook travel on Wednesday and Thursday without any additional fee.

United

United Airlines has issued a specific waiver regarding this FAA issue. The carrier will waive any difference in fare for people rescheduling flights departing on or before 16 January, 2023.

Their social media statement read if someone’s flight this morning was delayed due to the FAA-issued ground stop, they have issued a travel waiver to allow you the freedom to change your travel plans.

JetBlue

The company said they are working to safely resume normal operations, but customers may still see some delays. They are encouraging travellers to check their flight status and plan on busier than normal airports.

Southwest

Many Southwest customers had just experienced major cancellations and delays during the December holidays. The airline said it was closely monitoring a data issue with the FAA that may impact the start of operations today Jan 11, 2023.

Air Canada

The foreign carrier with the most flights into the US said it would put in place a “goodwill policy” so affected passengers can change their travel plans.

On Twitter, the company encouraged guests to check their flight status. The news channel has contacted the airlines to clarify what the “goodwill policy” entails, but has not heard back yet.

Virgin Atlantic

For international passengers, Virgin Atlantic told the news channel that flights between the US and UK are operating as normal now.

Only one flight, travelling from New York to London, got delayed by roughly an hour during the FAA issue.

British Airways

British Airways said flights to and from the US are continuing to operate as planned.

The Department of Transportation, too, has a chart on its website telling travellers what each airline policy is for various delay and cancellation circumstances.

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