Even though most airlines were impacted, Delta Airlines had a particularly painful recovery, with days of delays and thousands of cancellations.
It prompted the Department of Transportation secretary to announce a federal investigation against the airline.
On Wednesday at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, it looked much different than Friday. Many people were preparing to fly out, while others were flying in with only about a handful of delays. But passengers like Karla Rivera are still affected by the tech outage.
Rivera booked with Delta; she was flying back home to Charlotte from Minneapolis after a weekend out of town. On Monday, She and her family had a direct flight, but after it was canceled, they rerouted her trip, adding two more stops. The first was Cleveland; two days later, she had yet to find a flight home.
Like many across the nation, she's just sat at the Cleveland airport hoping for a flight home every day, but every time, her flights are delayed and ultimately canceled. She said the airline has told her they can't find the staff and have given her no clear timeline for when she'll get home.
"They're not guaranteeing anything. That's what's stressing us out. They're just keep delaying it or canceling it," said Rivera.
Flights aren't the only things impacted; in baggage claim, the lines of people grow waiting for their luggage, and so do the lost and found.
"I am overwhelmed. I am extremely overwhelmed," said Amanda Krieger
Krieger was flying to Cleveland for her best friend's wedding. Her travel day began around 5 a.m. Tuesday; once she got to her layover in Chicago, the problems started.
"I got into Chicago at 11:30 and it got delayed seven times and my gate got changed 10 times," said Krieger.
A day later she finally made it, but her luggage didn't
"Now, I don't have my suitcase, I don't have my dress, I don't have any of her stuff, I don't have any of my stuff, I have this bag and my purse," said Krieger.
Most airlines are back to regular operations, including American, Frontier and Spirit. They are also offering refunds and credits. FlightAware shows Delta Airlines as the worst impacted, canceling more than 1,000 fights on Monday and 500 on Tuesday. Writing in a statement Wednesday, they hope Thursday will be a typical day.
Passengers like Amanda and Karla want the problem fixed and the assurance that their flights will take off.
"I'm a mom of four, I was supposed to be enjoying this, I would rather been home with my children and my husband," said Krieger.
"I just want to get home, that's it, I want my home, I want my bed," said Rivera.
