Some travelers looking to change their flights on Delta Air Lines on Thursday were asked to call back later if their travel was not urgent, as the airline deals with technical problems ticketing and rebooking flights.
Delta's technical problems come as travelers around the world are scrambling to manage the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, and the chaos caused by President Donald Trump's ban on travel from some European countries, which was later clarified by the White House to exempt US citizens and permanent residents.
Customers calling Delta on Thursday afternoon received this message:
"Thank you for calling Delta Air Lines. We are currently experiencing intermittent technical difficulties and extremely high volume. Our current wait times exceed six hours. For those customers who do not have an urgent need to travel within the next 48 hours, please visit delta.com or call back later."
A Delta spokesperson was not immediately available to comment on this specific issue, but said the company is doing everything it can to help travelers dealing with the pandemic.
An earlier message on Thursday told customers:
"Thank you for calling Delta Air Lines, we are currently experiencing intermittent technical difficulties in processing ticket changes and new bookings. Our current wait times exceed four hours. For those customers wishing to book or change a flight, please call back later or visit delta.com. For other questions, you can stay on the line or attempt your call later."
Other airlines were also dealing with a high volume of calls as travelers rushed to book or rebook flights. Customers calling American Airlines were asked to call back later if they're not traveling within the next few days.