Chaos Reigns as Global Outage Breaks Everything from Airlines to Emergency Services

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Passengers queue at Gatwick Airport amid a global IT outage on July 19, 2024 in Crawley, United Kingdom.

Some airports were forced to use whiteboards to handwrite flight information due to the global IT outage

Tech Insider : Travel
A man stands looking at a piece of paper in front of a whiteboard displaying flight information in an airport lounge.
A whiteboard displaying check-in information in Terminal 1 of Singapore's Changi Airport.

Aditi Bharade

Crowdstrike says the global IT outage was not caused by a cyberattack

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George_kurtz CrowdStrike
George Kurtz is CEO of Crowdstrike, the cybersecurity firm linked to a mass IT outage.

CrowdStrike

You'll soon be able to get an automatic refund when your flight is delayed or canceled

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A person holds a suitcase in front of an airport departures board

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United and American Airlines are warning pilots they could struggle to communicate due to massive IT outage

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A United Airlines plane in the sky.
A United Airlines Boeing 777.

Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images

I was on a flight that received a bomb threat. We were treated like suspects, and the police examined everyone's handwriting.

Tech Insider : Travel
A collage of passengers lining up on the runway at Ahmedabad Airport to board an Akasa Air flight, and Molina Singh.
Passengers lined up to board an Akasa Air flight, and Molina Singh.

Courtesy of Molina Singh

Airlines are scrambling to fix the unsustainable crisis caused by too many cheap flights

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A United Airlines plane lands at Newark Airport, with a widebody and narrowbody in the foreground, and the New York skyline in the background.
United Airlines and many of its peers are struggling to keep profits up thanks to an influx of cheap tickets and high costs.

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Spirit passengers are getting fed up of the ultra-low-cost airline's extra fees

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Spirit Airlines jetliners on the tarmac at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport.
Spirit Airlines jets at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

The legendary Pan Am is returning for a 12-day trip tracing the airline's historic routes – but it'll cost you $59,950

Tech Insider : Travel
Pan Am 747-100.
For generations of Americans, Pan Am symbolized the lofty air travel ambitions of the US.

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I flew United's basic economy. The fare is restrictive, but I'd book again if the price were right.

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The United Next cabin with a flight attendant in the aisle serving drinks.
The "United Next" cabin on a Boeing 737 Max 8 in full view.

Taylor Rains/Business Insider

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