Dive Brief:
- Computer systems running on Windows crashed across the globe Friday morning, forcing multiple airlines to delay and cancel flights across the country, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement Friday.
- The problems stemmed from a defective update impacting Windows hosts issued by cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike. A fix was deployed Friday morning, but American Airlines and Delta warned that additional delays and cancellations were expected throughout the day.
- More than 5,300 U.S. flights were delayed and 3,200 canceled as of Friday morning, according to data from FlightAware.
Dive Insight:
While airlines were not the cause of the wave of flight delays and cancellations Friday, it’s up to them to manage customer frustration.
The right message explains what happened and how airlines are working to get operations back on track without additional embellishment, according to David Slotnick, senior airline reporter at The Points Guy.
“[Airlines] can benefit by being clear that the cause was a broader systemic issue, but avoiding a tone that makes it sound like they’re trying to deflect blame, which is something that customers are especially attuned to and find exceptionally objectionable,” Slotnick told CX Dive in an email.
The real work begins as airlines decide what to do next.
Transparency, quick refunds and good faith estimates regarding delays are all best practices for crisis management, according to Slotnick. Though airlines aren’t the source of the problem, customers are still entitled to reimbursement for unused portions of their tickets.
Some of the affected companies are already taking action. Delta will waive any fare differences for travel before July 24, provided customers choose the same cabin. American Airlines notified affected customers that they can rebook without fees, cancel their flights or receive refunds.
Airlines may want to consider going above and beyond with good faith gestures as well, according to Slotnick. Free miles or a drink voucher for a future flight can smooth over frustrations and help customers understand airlines are working to fix the problem.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to detail how the CrowdStrike update impacted Windows hosts.
