INDIANAPOLIS — Canceled.
Delayed.
See agent.
Those were some of the messages greeting people at Indianapolis International Airport - and airports worldwide - when they checked the status of their flights Friday.
Hundreds of people in Indianapolis waited in line at one counter to find out their fate after a widespread technology outage that began early Friday.
Melinea Rubiano was trying to get home to Fort Lauderdale. Agents rebooked her on a flight heading to Miami. It's not home, but it was close. She waited in line for three hours.
"Surprisingly, people are very patient. I didn't have a whole lot of angry people around me, cursing people out or acting foolish. It seemed like people were handling it the best they could," said Rubiano.
Lisa Kelley also waited in line for three hours. She was flying to South Africa for a missions trip. Because of the delays, her group will now arrive on Monday night. She left hoping the rest of their trip will go according to plan.
"Agents were very kind. They're doing everything they can. It was a pleasant experience for the lines we have here," she said.
Travel agent Victoria Fricke owns Vic's Vacations. She's been busy helping clients in locations all over the world, calling it a day of "chaos and pivoting."
"We are used to significant delays when weather happens, but not having the opportunity for any options is not something that happens all the time. We are rolling with the punches and hoping the airlines will pick up the slack and add some extra routes where they can to help everyone out," Fricke said.
She said the goal is to eliminate an unwanted overnight in another city.
She added it was a good reminder for travelers to always be prepared for the unexpected, suggesting buying travelers insurance and always packing essentials in your carry-on.
"Packing appropriately make sure you have a change of clothes with you and any medicine. On days like today, there will be a lot of people stuck places they didn't intend to be, and they need those things with them to make tomorrow more comfortable," said Fricke.
And remember the only thing you can control is you.
"I think we can take away the fact that we are all in this together," Rubiano said. "This is a community. You can see behind us everyone is going through the same thing, and to understand it wasn't Delta's fault and the misguided anger is not going to get us home any faster."