American Airlines highlighted its effective recovery from the CrowdStrike outage before Saturday. A spokesperson stated, "We devised some creative solutions early on at the IOC and worked closely with the FAA to find workarounds to get our flights dispatched. We also had some experts onsite there within 30 minutes of the issues popping up. So probably a bit more than luck!"
Delta Air Lines, typically known for outperforming peers, has struggled significantly with recovery efforts. Joe Brancatelli noted in his newsletter that Delta's crews and aircraft are largely out of position, making it difficult for the airline to reset operations. The airline has requested extra shifts from pilots and flight attendants to return to normalcy.
The disruption has led to long lines at airports and difficulties reaching customer service. Ethan M. Cortazzo tweeted about his experience at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport: "Due to the global IT outage by @CrowdStrike on 7/19, my flight with @Delta at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has been canceled twice (7/19 and 7/20). The airport is a ZOO, long lines at the lost baggage & customer service."
Passengers have reported extensive wait times for assistance through Delta's app. Liz Skalka shared her frustration on Twitter: "I live at the airport now. Thanks, @Delta!" Others reported even longer wait times.
The situation has also taken a toll on Delta's frontline employees who are dealing with immense stress without additional rewards for their efforts during this crisis. James Bramble tweeted about witnessing a Delta gate employee break down in tears due to the pressure.
Since 10 a.m. Saturday, Delta has remained silent except for stating they were "continuing their recovery." The current crisis highlights that despite Delta's reputation as a premium airline, it can still underperform dramatically compared to its peers.
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