Last Updated: 07/19/2024 11:33AM ET
On July 19, 2024, a mass technology outage directly impacted major U.S. airlines, grounding thousands of flights across the United States and disrupting the travel plans of passengers around the globe.
United, Delta and American Airlines are among the carriers that have issued global ground stops on all flights amid the outage. The disruption has caused more than 1,300 flight cancellations and 3,200 delays, with numbers expected to rise as the situation continues to unfold.
Some travel insurance providers may categorize the IT outage as “any delay of a common carrier.” Policies sold by these providers can offer coverage to impacted travelers through their Travel Delay and Missed Connection benefits.
To be eligible for coverage, a traveler must meet their travel insurance policy’s minimum delay requirement, which is typically 3-12 hours. In addition, travelers must have purchased their policy prior to the date the outage occurred. In this case, that date is July 19, 2024.
The Global Technology Outage Travel Insurance Information Center includes advice for travelers and answers to our most commonly asked questions about the delays. This information is subject to change. Squaremouth’s experts will continue to update this information as the situation evolves.
Questions? Squaremouth’s travel insurance experts are on hand to answer your questions about coverage relating to the technology outage and subsequent flight delays. We are available from 8am to 10pm ET daily by chat and by phone at 1-800-240-0369.
On the morning of July 19, 2024, a mass technology outage impacted major U.S. airlines, grounding thousands of flights across the United States.
Travelers that experienced flight cancellations or delays may be eligible for coverage through their policy's Travel Delay and Missed Connections benefits if their provider categorizes the outage as "any delay of a common carrier."
If you are traveling and have experienced delays due to the recent IT outage, Squaremouth's experts are available to answer your questions. If you already have a policy, contact your provider's 24-Hour Emergency Assistance for help.