Computer Failure Delays United Flights Nationwide

 

Passengers were stranded at airports across the country Friday night after a failure in United Airlines’ computer system, the airline said.

The disruption set off widespread delays at airports in San Francisco, Chicago and Washington, with many passengers left sitting in terminals or stuck on planes that were grounded.

United said in a statement that the problems began at 8:15 p.m. New York time, when the computer failure knocked out its flight departures, airport processing and reservations systems. The statement did not address the nationwide delays, and a spokesman did not return a phone call seeking comment.

It was not clear what had set off the computer failure, but United said in its statement that it had a technology team in place that was struggling to restore the system.

“We apologize for the disruption being caused to travelers at affected airports, and we are seeking to resume operations as quickly as possible,” the airline said.

Just before 2:00 a.m. New York time, United updated its Twitter feed to say it had started to resolve the problem.

"Our systems are up. We are in the process of resuming ops for UA," the Twitter message said.

Passengers at San Francisco International Airport reported a chaotic scene at the United terminal, while others waiting for flights at various airports around the country took to Twitter as they sat in limbo.

“Sitting on the plane in Chicago wanting to go home so badly but the whole computer system at United Airlines has shut down,” wrote @RonRhoads. “Delayed!”

Another stranded passenger, @mettlinger, posted from Dulles International Airport, or IAD: “Latest announcement at IAD: ‘Every computer system United Airlines has is down ... Our computers are paperweights.’?”

View the original article here

Delta Will Offer Buyouts As It Cuts Flights and Staff

Delta has been planning to cut its schedule by 4 percent starting in September. In a hotline message to employees on Friday, Richard Anderson, the chief executive, said Delta needed to reduce the costs that went with those flights, too.

“In order for our business to thrive we must think of the current high fuel prices as a permanent reality of our business,” Mr. Anderson said.

He said Delta workers whose age plus 10 years of service equaled 55 would be eligible for early retirement. Buyouts will be available for workers who don’t meet the requirements for early retirement but have at least five years with Delta. Both are voluntary.

In October, Delta said it would add 1,000 flight attendants, including recalling 425 who had been on a voluntary furlough. A Delta spokeswoman, Keyra Johnson, said that hiring was mostly finished and was not affected by the new voluntary offers.

Airlines have been raising fares to cope with higher fuel prices, and many have been scrapping growth plans they had for this year. Delta is adding flights during the first half of the year. Airlines generally reduce flights in the fall because leisure travel drops off. Delta’s reduction beginning after Labor Day will be 4 percent below its service levels at the same time last year. Delta said last month it would park 140 planes over the next year and a half, 20 more than it originally planned. The planes coming out of its fleet will include some of its largest jets, used for international flights.

Stock in Delta, which is based in Atlanta, fell a penny, to $11.21 a share.

View the original article here