Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - "It's affected many local travelers," said Elizabeth Carey with the AAA of Western and Central New York, five days after the global IT meltdown that caused chaos and frustration for passengers at Delta Air Lines.
Since Friday, Delta has canceled more than 6,000 flights. The airline is now the subject of a federal investigation.
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"We've been pulling a list everyday to see who's affected. We're trying to reach out to be pro active to see what we can do to help people," said Carey
with WBEN on Wednesday. "But on top of the delays and cancellations, it's been a busy travel season and a lot of flights are booked."
She added that there are not a lot of options.
"If you're on a Delta flight that has been canceled, there are not a lot of seats on other planes. So a lot of people have been stranded," Carey noted.
Delta was allowing travelers booked on flights between Friday and Tuesday to change their flights once without cost, and was offering meal vouchers, hotel accommodation, and transportation where available. The airline was also providing impacted customers with Delta SkyMiles and travel vouchers.
What is Delta's responsibility?
Carey said they're obligated to get you where you're going.
"First, they're going to offer you a waiver or credit. But you should get a cash refund," she said. "Also, this is not going to happen while you're standing in line at the airport. It could take a while to get those refunds back to passengers."
Is this making some travelers re-think the idea of travel insurance?
"This is a perfect example. You're going to get different coverage based on what happens. For example, if a flight is delayed between three and 12 hours, a certain level of insurance kicks in. If it's more than 12 hours, another level kicks in. If the entire trip is canceled, another level of insurance kicks in.
This is when it's really important to have that," Carey said.
In addition to travel insurance, Carey said there are travel credit cards that include coverage for certain things. So if you paid for a trip with a certain card check into that as well.
The Department of Transportation has launched an investigation into Delta. It reminds Carey of a similar investigation into Southwest Airlines for a holiday meltdown in 2022. The airline was fined a record $140 million. In that case, 17,000 flights were canceled.
Carey also emphasized that it's important for travelers to advocate for themselves.
Click HERE To request a refund or reimbursement due to disruption from Delta Air Lines.
Click HERE to file a formal complaint against Delta Air Lines.