What to do if your flight at Indianapolis Airport is affected by Friday's tech outage

A worldwide technology outage Friday that is disrupting banks, hospitals and public transportation across the globe is also playing havoc with airlines, including those at the Indianapolis International Airport.

Dozens of airlines have forced a ground stop, meaning flights were unable to take off safely, officials with the airport said in a social media post issued Friday morning. A representative with the airport urged travelers planning to depart from Indianapolis to check with their airline for updates before arriving at the terminal.

According to global flight tracker FlightAware, a global flight tracker, there were 44 delays and 27 cancellations reported at Indianapolis International as of 11:28 a.m.

Flight statuses at the Indianapolis International Airport as of 11:30 a.m. showed multiple cancellations and delays from Delta, United and Southwest Airlines.

While this is a rough day to be flying anywhere, airlines appear to be doing what they can by issuing waivers to those affected by Friday's outage.

Here's what you need to know if flying out of Indianapolis.

Airlines issuing waivers because of CrowdStrike Microsoft Windows outage

• American issued a waiver for affected travelers covering all of its U.S. hubs.
• Delta: Delta resumed operations just before 8 a.m. ET, but said it expects disruptions to continue throughout the day. The airline issued a waiver allowing all passengers traveling Friday to rebook their flights.
• United: In a statement, United said it was resuming flight operations as of 6:20 a.m. ET, but expects delays and cancellations throughout the day. The airline issued a travel waiver for select airports so passengers can make changes if their flights are affected, though a United spokesperson told USA TODAY that nearly all of the airline's flights depart or arrive in one of the airports covered by the waiver.
• Spirit: The airline issued a waiver allowing customers who are booked to fly Friday or Saturday through any airport in its network to change their flights at no additional charge.
• Frontier: A statement from Frontier said travelers whose flights were delayed by more than 180 minutes or cancelled would be eligible for to have their tickets rebooked, receive a full credit for the amount paid or be issued a refund.

Southwest Airlines, meanwhile, appears to be weathering Friday's travel problems. The technology outage "did not directly affect" its operations, a Southwest representative told IndyStar. The airline encouraged travelers to check Southwest's flight status throughout the day while the overall aviation system continue to recover.

Other airlines at Indianapolis International Airport had systems that appeared to be down Friday morning, such as Allegiant and Sun Country Airlines, who issued the following travel advisory:

"For (Sun Country Airlines) customers at the airport experiencing cancellations, we cannot rebook you at this time at the ticket counter, via phone, or online while our systems continue to be down. Once the third-party systems come back online we can assist you."

What airlines fly in and out of IND?:What to know about Indianapolis International Airport

What happens if my flight is canceled?

Department of Transportation rules require all airlines to offer customers a refund if their flights are canceled for any reason, but customers may be entitled to additional compensation if a cancellation is within the airline's control.

It is unclear whether an IT outage affecting all airlines would qualify within their control.

Controllable vs uncontrollable delays

The DOT draws a distinction between operational issues that are in an airline’s control versus those that aren’t. 

“A controllable flight cancellation or delay is essentially a delay or cancellation caused by the airline. Examples include: maintenance or crew problems; cabin cleaning; baggage loading; and fueling,” a DOT document says.

What should I do if my flight is delayed?

If your flight is experiencing a long delay, the Transportation Department suggests asking airline staff if they will pay for meals or a hotel room.

The DOT dashboard reflects airlines' official policies, but many carriers handle compensation for delays on a case-by-case basis and may provide vouchers or other benefits in some situations that are not formally covered.

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John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at JTuftsReports.