By now, I’m sure you’re aware of the system crash that caused ripple effects on travel infrastructure across the world, particularly the airlines and specifically for Delta. While all the domestic airlines have been affected to some degree by the Crowdstrike system outage affecting many Microsoft-based systems.

Thankfully, I’m not traveling between June and September this year. It wasn’t necessarily planned, it just worked out that way. My wife does have a flight tonight to start a business trip, but so far it looks on time.

What do you do if you are starting a trip or worse, in the middle of a trip, and something like this happens? There are a few things that can give you some hope even with these cancellations and delays.

1. Travel Insurance. Yes, airlines are required to provide hotel and food vouchers if your delay stretches over a certain time limit according to the DOT, but do you want to wait in a four hour line for a $12 voucher or a free night at the Motel 6? Instead, know what coverage you have on the credit card you used to book the flight and even better, get yourself an annual travel policy with a company like Allianz where you can submit your receipts for any travel-related delay and get reimbursed.
2. Lounge Access. If your airline status or (more likely) credit card gets you lounge access, use it! This is especially true if you have access to an airline’s own lounge as there will be customer service reps in the lounge who can help you rearrange your trip and get you on a different flight/routing if needed. Obviously, credit card lounges (Amex/CapOne/Chase) and Priority Pass lounges (The Club, etc.) will not have this benefit, but you will at least get some free food and drinks and a (somewhat) comfortable place to recharge your devices.
3. Phone/App Support. Instead of waiting in line for the one overworked customer service rep working at midnight, get on your phone and either contact the airline via phone(especially if you have status and access to a special phone number) or better yet, use the app to find alternative flights for you and your traveling party. You can often even use miles to book a last minute ticket at a saver rate even when tickets are priced through the roof.
4. Patience. This one will help you if you do have to deal with customer service staff at the airport. Remember that they are not responsible for the delays and do not have always have all the answers at their fingertips. Patience and a smile can often go a long way if they only have a few seats left on that last flight you need to your destination.
5. Alternate Transportation Methods. Sometimes, it’s impossible to get from A to B without flying (east coast to west coast for example). Other times, you may be able to just get a refund on your plane ticket and drive. For example, if I had planned a trip to Fort Lauderdale to see my mom and got stuck in the mess on Friday, I probably would have just got in my car and driven to see her. It’s about 10 hours door to door, but that beats hoping to get on a flight when Delta is canceling 40% each day. In some cases, Amtrak might work or even a Greyhound or other bus service (OK, that last one is probably not for most people reading this, but if you really have to be somewhere…).

While traveling during peak summer time always comes with red flags such as storms, crowds and lots of families who travel once a year, this recent systems outage is something different. Use all the tools at your disposal if you get stuck or delayed and hopefully, you’ll get where you’re going.

If you have questions about this post, let me know in the comments or send me an email at emptynestermiles@gmail.com. If you are thinking about opening a new credit card, please use one of my links.