Detroit Metro Airport passengers deal with fallout from global tech outage
(CBS DETROIT) – Passengers at Detroit Metro Airport dealt with flight delays and cancellations following the global tech outage on Friday.
While the lines improved throughout the day, that wasn't much consolation to the hundreds of passengers facing travel changes.
"I wanted some clam chowder," joked Richard Reif, who was trying to get to Boston. "Traffic jams coming down 23 were a nightmare. And then we get here to find out our flight's canceled. It wasn't canceled when we left, but it's canceled now. You can't get a hold of anyone on Delta on the phone, just waiting in a line that's two hours long to get a flight."
He said the earliest flight out was on Saturday, and he was considering driving as it would be a shorter trip.
"Eleven hours and 39 minutes, and $30 in tolls," he said about the drive.
He and other travelers said they couldn't rebook online or through their airline apps. One woman said the wait time to talk to someone on the phone was nearly 10 hours.
"It ruins the trip before you even get there," said Reif.
Others in line to rebook are trying to stay positive.
"There's always something. So what? Have fun. It's an adventure," said Debra Kehren.
Kehren is also trying to get to Boston, where she will be boarding a cruise. She built in time for travel delays but is still nervous they may miss the boat. She is also surprised by how widespread the impacts of the outage are.
"One company? The whole world?" she asked. "One company, isn't that odd? That's kind of scary."
Monika Khanna was trying to get to New York for a vacation with her family. When she learned about the travel delays, they all repacked their luggage.
"Our plan was to actually check in the luggage. But this morning, at the last minute, we changed everything. And now we are doing carry-on, as you can see. Because we did not want to check in, and I'm so glad because look at those lines. We would have been here forever," she said.
Khanna said the outage shows just how much we rely on technology.
"It works all the time, but when it doesn't work, it creates a mess. Which we are in right now."
As passengers inch their way through the lines, she said she hopes they remain as calm as possible.
"I feel for the staff today — the airline crew, everybody working. Because it's a mess. People get anxious, people get angry. Pack some patience today," said Khanna.
Many airlines have resumed flights but will continue to have disruptions throughout Friday.
