CrowdStrike outage: Delta to issue 10K SkyMiles to stranded customers

Delta Airlines CEO has issued an update to passengers about the CrowdStrike outage, promising impacted customers SkyMiles and travel vouchers.

CEO Ed Bastian issued a statement Wednesday, saying the company “has been working around the clock to restore the reliable, on-time operation” of the airline.

Bastian called the first steps taken to bring the company’s systems back online “difficult and frustratingly slow and complex,” adding that Delta has made “good progress” and that “the worst impacts of the CrowdStrike-caused outage are cleary behind us.”

Bastian said he expects the company’s flights to be back to normal by Thursday. He thanked customers for their patience and apologized for the issues.

“We understand how important travel is in your lives, and we remain committed to taking care of those whose flights may still be impacted, with meals, hotel accommodations and ground transportation offered through vouchers and reimbursements. We’re also providing impacted customers with Delta SkyMiles and travel vouchers as a further gesture of apology.”

ABC News reported that passengers will receive 10,000 SkyMiles, according to messages customers received. That’s about 1.2 cents for each mile, according to Nerdwallet. Ten thousand SkyMiles would be worth about $120.

The company will also reimburse for “reasonable expenses.” Delta told customers that “prepaid expenses, including but not limited to hotel reservations at your destination, vacation experiences, lost wages, concerts, or other tickets” are not covered, ABC News reported.

The company is required by the Department of Transportation to rebook passengers at no additional cost, and to provide hotels, meals and ground transportation vouchers for travelers when there are “controllable” disruptions to trips, USA Today reported. The meltdown caused by the CrowdStrike outage is considered controllable by the DOT.

“I have made clear to Delta that we expect the airline to provide prompt refunds to consumers who choose not to be rebooked, and free rebooking and timely reimbursements for food and overnight hotel stays to consumers affected by the delays and cancellations, as well as adequate customer service assistance to all of their passengers,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, according to the newspaper. “No one should be stranded at an airport overnight or stuck on hold for hours waiting to talk to a customer service agent. I will ensure that our department supports Delta passengers by enforcing all applicable passenger protections.”

Customers need to fill out an expense reimbursement form online.

As of 11 a.m. ET Wednesday, Delta had canceled 47 flights and delayed 369 more, according to FlightAware data. At that time, it was the fifth-most canceled airline. Tuesday, the company had the highest number of cancellations, with 511 flights that didn’t take off and 1,679 delayed throughout the day.

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