SFO travelers frustrated by worldwide computer outage

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT -- Long lines of passengers are feeling the impact of a worldwide computer outage that grounded several airlines for a time, leading to a frustrating Friday at San Francisco International Airport.

One of the many affected was Pat Gustavson, who lives in New Jersey but was supposed to fly to Hawaii on Friday. Instead, her flight was canceled and she will have to wait until Saturday.

"I'm really hopeful that I can make it to the large island of Hawaii, where I've never been and I'm going to meet some friends, actually, and I don't know much about technology beyond what we use at work," Gustavson said.

She's not alone. Thousands of U.S. flights were grounded Friday as a technical disaster plagued government agencies and businesses worldwide, leading to countless stranded passengers, canceled medical procedures and disrupted 911 services.

Not far away, KPIX found an Australian couple, Warren and Claire, who were visiting their daughter in the Bay Area and were ready to return home. They said they'll have to wait until Tuesday to return to Sydney because their flight was canceled.

When asked what they planned to do, Warren replied:  "Well, we're gonna stay at a motel and do some sightseeing."

Meanwhile, Guru, a Bay Area resident from Los Altos, was ready to go to Calgary with his family. Just minutes before boarding, he said the flight was canceled. Their problem now is finding their luggage.

"It took us about an hour and a half to figure out our next flight, which is not leaving Friday but Sunday. And, Sunday, we already had some tours planned so that's all gone and now we have to wait seven to eight hours to get our bags," Guru said.

Airlines say the outage impacted the backend systems they use to send key data such as weight and balance information which is required before planes can be cleared to fly.

SFO public information officer Doug Yakel said there were 102 cancellations and 314 delayed flights, affecting about 9 percent of total flights at SFO and delaying about 27 percent. It's reasonable to expect residual delays and cancellations as airlines work to restore normal operations.

Passengers were left to deal with the chaos and hope for a swift resolution to this unprecedented technical failure. Gustavson hoped that Saturday will be her day.

"I love San Francisco a lot. I doubt I'd be really going out. I think I'm just going to get a good night's sleep and stay still until I get back to the airport," she said.