Flights at John Wayne Canceled Due to Computer Problems

American Airlines passengers ran into long lines at John Wayne Airport and other locations across the country Tuesday, thanks to a downed computerized reservation system.

American Airlines announced the problem on its Twitter page shortly after 9 a.m., saying, "Our reservation & booking tool Sabre is offline. We're working to resolve as quickly as we can. We apologize for any inconvenience."

Four departing flights and one arrival flight for American Airlines at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana were canceled, according to airport spokeswoman Jenny Wedge. Passengers were able to check in, but it was not immediately clear when they would be able to board flights, Wedge said.

American Airlines hoped to have the problem fixed by 2 p.m., Wedge said.

Terminal 4 at Los Angeles International Airport was packed with frustrated passengers trying to check in for their flights. One passenger posted a photo of the mob scene on Facebook and Twitter, calling the situation a "madhouse."

It was not immediately clear how many American flights had been affected by the computer problem. According to the LAX flight-tracking website, a handful of morning American flights from the airport were listed as delayed.

 - City News Service