Update 5:25 P.M. (EST): News outlets are now reporting that United flights are back on schedule after delays due to flights being grounded and cancelled earlier today.
According to the website FlightAware an estimated 260 flights were delayed and 7 flights were canceled due to a computer glitch that occurred this morning.
United told reporters it would re-book flights for affected passengers without charge.
Those who booked a flight for today through United should contact United Airlines to see if there are still any delays and check their site for updates before heading to the airport
The Federal Aviation Administration had announced earlier that United Airlines had grounded all flights nationwide in the U.S. due to a glitch in their computer booking and reservation system.
United, in a statement released soon afterwards confirmed this, saying: “”We experienced a network connectivity issue this morning [and] We are working to resolve this and apologize to our customers for any inconvenience.”
At the time NBC News was reporting that anyone without a hard copy of their boarding pass was unable to check in.
It seems many passes were being checked- in by hand when the problem occurred (see pic below from Twitter).
Travelers in New York, Florida, Washington, D.C., Albuquerque, New Mexico and Connecticut fliers were complaining about long lines and wait times when the news broke.
United’s regional flights were briefly affected by this grounding- they are now back up and running.
This story is still unfolding so check back with Consumer Press, as we will update as details become available.