Posted on 06/17/2011 10:04:23 PM PDT by tarpit
Throngs of passengers stranded in the United Airlines terminal at O'Hare International Airport on Friday night were told to go home or get a hotel after a "nationwide computer malfunction" took out the airline's reservations systems.
The systems went down shortly after 7 p.m., a United Airlines spokeswoman said. After roughly three hours, passengers were told that there would be no more flights. Local travelers were told to go home and some travelers from out of town were given discount vouchers to nearby hotels.
Passengers said they were frustrated they were kept in line waiting for about two hours before any announcements came from the airline.
"I'm a little cheesed, and I've been spending the entire time looking up who the new CEO of United Airlines is so I can compose a vitriol-filled note to him," said Kasey Madden, who was trying to fly to Minneapolis. advertisement
"I was only going home for 38 hours, so it's kind of cutting into that," said Sean Doyle, who was trying to board a 10:15 p.m. flight from Chicago to Denver. Multimedia Long-Lost Celebrity Twins PHOTOS Long-Lost Celebrity Twins Weird News Photos PHOTOS Weird News Photos More Multimedia
Official word on the outage first came from the Federal Aviation Administration and then an airline spokeswoman.
"UA experiencing computer outage interrupting departures, airport processing and reservations... working to resolve the issue," the airline said on Twitter at about 9:30 p.m..
At Los Angeles International Airport, United Airlines operations said there was a "nationwide computer malfunction." Employees were checking in passengers manually, said LAX spokeswoman Nancy Castles.
Castles said there were no reports of grounded flights or delays in Los Angeles.
An NBC News producer at LAX reported that passengers were unable to check in unless they'd printed out their boarding pass prior to traveling to the airport.
"Our technology team is working to resolve the issue as soon as possible," said United spokesman Charles Hobart.
Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/traffic/transit/ohare-united-airlines-flights-124114134.html#ixzz1PbGYtM1e
Link that with an EMP from Venezuela using Nork / Iran technology, and we're in for a real swell time.
NO cheers, unfortunately.
Yah....EMP...thanks for reminding me/s....nightmare to come
Take a moment for sympathy to the airline staff at the counters. Hours helplessly adsorbing all the frustration from thousands of stranded passengers, for something they were not in any way at fault.
Oh yeah, we know this. Cot in the airport. No rooms in Minneapolis.
I am so glad I quit flying in 2002.
They just showed the coverage here locally at LAX..people waiting in line for hours..sucks for those people who can’t catch their flights tonight and have to wait for hours in line
I flew back in 2005 and it was bad enough, and before the porn and grope Napolitano Gestapo ran the show. It was bad enough back then. Never again for me.
I saw it coming back in 2002. I used to take chips and a couple of pepsi’s on the plane when I flew so I would have something to eat while waiting.
Now you can’t even do that. Read my tagline, its where we’re headed and fast!
never again for me unless I absolutely have too...of course, I’d like to travel someday...
Same problem happened to US Airways last week.
Interesting.
Last night I tried to get on the company computer system (I’m working today) and . . . nothing. They would have been unable to print out all the necessary paperwork for pilots (flight plan, maintenance records, weather etc.)
Wonder how air lines worked before they had computers?.
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