'Bummer': Trips delayed, canceled at DTW amid global Microsoft outage
Hundreds of travelers packed the Warren Cleage Evans Terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Airport Friday, with passengers waiting in long lines, crammed into seating areas or sitting on the ground indoors and outdoors.
The travel issues are part of a global Microsoft outage caused by a software glitch, disrupting airlines, infrastructure, banks and health care across metro Detroit.
Megan Frazier of Capac, Michigan, left work Friday morning for the hour-and-45-minute drive to the airport, expecting to fly out to meet her daughter in the Tampa area. However, she arrived to the Detroit Metro Airport to find her flight canceled.
"Zero (communication), all they told me was it's canceled, go home," Frazier said. "Cool, what are we supposed to do in the meantime?"
The scene was less chaotic Friday at the Edward H. McNamara Terminal, where smaller groups of travelers waited in lines at baggage claims, in available seating or standing in the airport amid the flight disruptions.
Frazier was left scrambling upon learning of the flight cancelation and lack of communication, she said.
"We don't even get an email, I don't know if we're going to get a refund," Frazier said.
Alicia Stone of Toledo, Ohio, lost a weekend family visit to Nashville, Tennessee, after Spirit Airlines canceled the outgoing flight Friday afternoon.
Stone typically drives to Nashville for the trip but opted for a cheap flight with Spirit Airlines Friday. Stone arrived to the airport early after hearing of travel issues, but the flight got canceled five minutes before boarding.
"I usually drive down to Tennessee probably twice a year," Stone said. "This was the first time flying so I will probably avoid flying there in the future."
Spirit Airlines communication included an early-morning text to check Twitter for updates and no direct announcement of the cancelation, Stone said. Stone was in touch with a Spirit Airlines chat agent Friday afternoon to seek a refund, on hold for at least 20 minutes.
Some computer monitors showed blue screens and error messages at the airport, with flight lists displaying ongoing delays and cancelations, as travelers continued to experience disruptions Friday morning and afternoon.
Frazier typically flies about once a year, often with Spirit Airlines and has never experienced such flight issues with the airline before, she said. She's now urgently looking to book a flight with any available airline to get to her daughter.
Though Stone arranged for a ride home Friday and plans to reschedule the trip for next month, the disruption was a disappointment.
"It's a bummer, I have a stuffed animal I wanted to give my nephew and now I won't be able to," Stone said.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: DTW delays, cancelations wreak havoc amid Microsoft outage
