♪ ahh ah ah ahh ah ah ♪ [ cheers and applause ] ♪ this is "nightline." >> juju: tonight, travel nightmare. thousands of frustrated passengers stranded at the peak of summer travel. >> i'm been standing in the line since 7:00 to make it to the help desk. we still don't know what's diagnose to happen. >> delta airlines still trying to recover five days after that global tech outage. >> there are people laying in every nook and cranny trying to rest.

it was crazy. >> juju: one man says he was facing a potentially life-threatening situation. >> i was in my chair for 36 hours. i didn't have my wheelchair charger, i didn't have my medication. >> juju: what to do if you're caught in the chaos or traveling soon. plus, confessions of a shopaholic. >> somebody has stolen my credit card and gone on an insane spreading spree around new york. >> juju: sophie kinsella, author of the best-selling series, getting candid with robin roberts about her battle with brain cancer. >> i could see that this was funny even though it was very daunting. >> juju: how she's moving forward, inspiring others, creating new work while undergoing chemotherapy. and "twisters." >> if you feel it, chase it! >> juju: the blockbuster now shaking up some moviegoers. what is fdx? we test it out. when anyone in this house wears white,

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♪ >> juju: thanks for joining us. we begin tonight with travel mayhem. thousands of flights canceled. families stuck in airports. long-planned summer vacations ruined. days after that global tech outage, while other airlines appear to have recovered, delta is still struggling and now

facing a federal investigation. for ian, the travel nightmare began when his sunday night flight was canceled. the harvard law student who's paralyzed from his chest down found himself stranded in salt lake city for 48 hours. >> i was just like, look, if i don't get this wheelchair charger, my chair's going to die. it's 450 pounds. you can't push it, it's a power chair. if i don't get my medication, there could be serious other issues in my medical equipment. then she said, "check your delta app, we'll let you know when the luggage is out of the plane." >> juju: he'd been out west for a celebration, but he didn't know getting back to his job in miami would be nearly impossible. >> and that's just on the wheelchair side of things. i mean, they didn't even have anybody to address any questions about finding a hotel, rebooking a flight. when we were calling the 800 number, people would answer then hang up on us. >> juju: ian's just one story of

frustration and anger unfolding across the country as delta deals with the ongoing fallout of last week's global technology outage. it started early friday morning when a faulty crowdstrike update caused computer glitches affecting hospitals, businesses, and multiple airlines. while other airlines have largely recovered, delta is still struggling to get back on track. since last week, the airline has canceled more than 6,000 flights with thousands of others delayed. >> it's pretty bad. so, we're discussing whether we just cancel our trip completely. because i don't want to do this every day. >> juju: families settling in for another night on terminal floors. >> there are people laying in every nook and cranny, just trying to rest. it was crazy. this is -- i travel a fair amount, and i've never dealt with this before. >> the culprit of the mess at delta is a crew scheduling and tracking software solution. delta is struggling to assign

pilots and flight attendants to flights. they're having to cancel flights. and they're stranding thousands of passengers every day. >> juju: now the department of transportation is stepping in. >> we informed delta today that d.o.t. is launching an investigation into the breakdown of operations and into the customer service situation. >> juju: delta says it will fully cooperate with the investigation, telling abc news in part, "across our operation, delta teams are working tirelessly to care for and make it right for customers impacted by delays and cancelations as we work to restore the reliable, on-time service they have come to expect from delta." over the weekend, delta's ceo ed bastian writing to customers in part, "i want to apologize to every one of you who have been impacted. delta is in the business of connecting the world, and we understand how difficult it can be when your travels are disrupted." >> it is july. we are in the middle of the summer travel season. that is the peak season.

>> juju: the cancelations and delays hitting airports abroad as well, from dubai to madrid to paris where the olympic games are set to get under way in a few days. in india, passengers in new delhi snapping this photo of an airline worker manually writing flight information on a white board after the computer crashed. in amsterdam, family pastor michelle norman found herself unexpectedly stuck with 13 students on their way back to oklahoma. >> we were traveling back from africa. we'd been there on a mission trip with 13 students and seven sponsors. we were sitting on the tarmac, getting ready to take off for atlanta, georgia. on the runway, they came on board and said, "there is a worldwide ip shut down." >> juju: chaos erupting after the group deplaned. >> mass chaos, because this has really never happened before. the airlines didn't really know what to do. we got 20 people, 13 students, 7

adults. basically the clothes on our backs. >> juju: the group decided to make the most of the unexpected layover. >> yesterday and today, we've done some sightseeing. we went to the royal palace. we're hoping to get in a canal boat ride tomorrow before we pack up and get hopefully ready to go home thursday. >> juju: kids stranded in cities across the country, a situation familiar to j.r. reed, whose three kids' trip to disney world was derailed. >> my three children are in three different cities, all in various stages of an unaccompanied minor flight. all trying to get to orlando. then back to atlanta. so as of now, i have one stranded in new york, one stranded in charlotte, and one in orlando. >> juju: reed's 12-year-old and 10-year-old still trying to get flights home after delta suspended its unaccompanied minors program. >> this has been one of the most frustrating experiences i've dealt with in a long time. i've been a frequent flyer on

delta, loyal customer for over 20 years. i've experienced their other tech outages, massive groundings, massive cancelations. this has been by far the worst. >> juju: the u.s. department of transportation says there are certain rights passengers have when flights are canceled. for delta, this includes rebooking passengers at no additional cost. meal or meal vouchers when passengers have to wait more than three hours for a new flight. and a free hotel room when canceled flights cause customers to stay overnight. >> airports are not set up to handle the thousands of people at some of the largest hubs that are stranded, that are waiting for flights. doesn't look good for the airlines. doesn't look good for the airports. and it certainly doesn't make the passengers feel good about any of it. >> all right, here goes nothing, heading to the airport. >> juju: ian found a flight tonight on united that goes through san francisco. >> wish us luck, let's hope we get there. >> juju: days of frustration. ian and his mom on the plane,

ready to get him back to florida where he's a summer associate at a law firm. >> made it on the plane. about to head to san francisco. things are going well so far. hopefully we make to it miami without any hiccups from there. so far, so good. >> juju: after all the chaos, ian has a strong message for the ceo of delta. >> i was in my chair for 36 hours. i didn't have my wheelchair charger. i didn't have my medication. if this happened for a few hours longer, it could have risked my life. it could have risked my health. it could have risked my career. it could have risked my equipment. and that falls on them. giving us all a 1-800 number isn't going to fix that. they need to realize they're dealing with humans, not just numbers, not just money. they need to make this right. coming up, confessions of a shopaholic. sophie kinsella, the best-selling author, shares her

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♪ >> juju: best-selling author sophie kinsella has been delighting fans for years with novels like "confessions of a shopaholic." now sharing wit and business done as she battles aggressive brain tumor. she shares her journey with our robin roberts. >> when did you know you wanted to be a writer? >> oh my goodness, when i was working as a financial journalist. i don't want to write about

facts, i want to kind of make it up and create my own world. and that's when i started. >> reporter: creating worlds of her own, sophie kinsella has reached millions of people, selling more than 45 million books worldwide. the cyst-selling author has delighted readers for over two decades. none foreher laugh out loud "shopaholic" series, her first two novels were adapted into the 2009 film, "confessions of a shopah shopaholic." >> somebody has stolen my credit card and gone on an insane spending spree. >> reporter: "confessions of an alcoholic." how did you come up with the idea? >> i was in a shop. i was thinking about my visa bill, as we all do. so many of us go through the same emotions. the shock, the anger, the denial. and i suddenly thought, wait, we all go through this, this is universal. that inspired me to write my own character who shops perhaps just a little too much. >> rebecca bloomwood.

dress zach posen. bag gucci. >> reporter: what we're reading who is she is? >> each character in each of her books is a little bit of her and a little bit of exaggeration. >> reporter: now her latest chapter still unwritten. how she's navigating life with brain cancer after first being diagnosed in november 2022. can you take us back to that moment? >> the first symptoms that i had was -- in fact, was my legs. i was stumbling. i was tripping. i started getting very severe headaches. i got very confused. but it was really when i started tipping over in my chair that we realized something really was wrong. >> reporter: a brain scan revealed a grade 4 glioblastoma brain tumor tumor, surgery days later. >> it was an eight-hour operation. they found the tumor and got it all out, as much as you can see. you have to take your chance where you can. >> reporter: sophie leading with

that triumphant spirit throughout her difficult rehab and recovery. the surgery impacting both her memory and movement. >> i couldn't do anything. and i had to have rehab in all of these areas. and actually, this being britain, they said, "you have to be able to make a cup of tea." they won't let you go home until you can make a cup of tea. >> reporter: you have to find the humor. >> i could see that this was funny, even though it was actually very daunting. >> reporter: henry, you had to keep repeating things to her? she would forget so quickly? >> yeah, yes. memory loss is a particular side effect. >> we are not over that particular challenge. i just had these gaps in my memory. it's never really got back to normal. >> reporter: glioblastoma is an extremely aggressive brain tumor. there is no cure. and according to the american cancer society, the five-year survival rate can be as low as 6%. sophie completing rounds of radiation and chemotherapy as

doctors recommend the 54-year-old continue weekly chemo pills at home. i know firsthand both sides, having gone through it, and my wife being a caregiver. just talk about the role of your husband. >> he has just been such a hero. he stayed with me in the hospital the whole time. i once said to him, i got very teary at one stage and i said, "oh my god, you didn't sign up for this." do you know what he said? "yes, i did, in sickness and in health." >> reporter: that loved shared with their five children. sophie and henry thoughtfully taking the time to share the news with them and find peace with their new normal. >> we actually went to see a counselor specifically to ask, how shall we do this? took her advice. and we were honest, but not gloomy. we were optimistic, but we were realistic. >> reporter: henry, what would you say to others who are

walking the path that you are walking? >> first of all, i'd say it's a privilege. it's a privilege to be here. but -- you know, keep going. keep going. >> he brings me a cup of tea every morning. he comes to me with a story of hope. i've already lasted more than the average. so, you know, that's helped me get through. we just hope. >> reporter: you know how adored you are by your readers and by those who write. and they wanted to share a very special message for you. may i play it for you? >> oh my word, what is this? >> hi, sophie. jojo here. watching you and your family get through the past year with such courage and such grace has left me with even greater admiration for you than i already had. >> hey, sophie. it's jody picoult.

you have given everyone so many happy endings, it's time for you to get one of your own. >> oh, that's absolutely made my day. oh my goodness. >> reporter: what does all that mean to you? >> oh, it means so much. and i have to say thank you. because they have been such a support to me, my friends. they have kept me going. and we have kept laughing together. we've behaved normally, and i think that's really important. >> reporter: as sophie moves forward, she is living and writing about life on her terms. her latest work a novella titled "what does it feel like?" it's her most intimate one yet. >> it's fiction, but it's about an author with five children who gets brain cancer. so you can detect the inspiration. and i just thought people might be curious to know what it feels like to go through this. it's funny in parts. it's sad in parts. but it's -- i hope it's full of optimism and love, most of all.

>> reporter: you end it by wishing everybody a happy ending. what is your happy ending? >> my happy ending is that whatever happens to me, my family is okay. i think that's -- i think that's my happy ending. because that's what i care about. >> juju: our thanks to robin. up next, "twisters." how the box office smash is letting some moviegoers experience tornado-like effects inside theaters. type 2 diabetes? discover the ozempic® tri-zone. ♪ ♪ i got the power of 3. i lowered my a1c, cv risk, and lost some weight. in studies, the majority of people reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. i'm under 7. ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, or death in adults also with known heart disease.

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>> juju: finally tonight, glen powell in a tight white t-shirt isn't the only reason fans are flocking to see "twisters." abc's trevor ault explains. >> reporter: this morning, "twisters" tearing up the box office. >> if you feel it, chase it! >> reporter: many theatergoers are feeling it, posting on social media their experiences watching in a 4dx theater, which brings the movie to life. >> we want to watch "twisters" in 4dx, it was a wild right. >> reporter: storming tiktok, showing people in seats tossed around in sync with what's happening on screen. >> this is crazy. >> reporter: regal operates about 50 of these 4dx theaters across the country. i had to take a spin at this regal theater in manhattan. this is one of the only theaters you'll see with a water on and off button.

they'll be spraying us during the movie. they have smoke machines. all these chairs are going to be whipping around every time a tornado comes through. every action scene from a car crash to an ef-5 tornado felt like a roller coaster ride. >> everybody okay? >> reporter: i feel like i rode a rodeo bull on and off for two hours or so, but that was a blast. >> wild. never experienced anything like it before. >> it's going to be boring going to a normal theater like this. >> exactly, how are we supposed to see another movie without 4dx? >> reporter: this is not new technology but a new level of popularity. ticket sales for "twisters" opening weekend, 30% higher than the previous record-holder. >> your cinematic universe is about to change forever. >> reporter: the world's most-anticipated superhero sequel "deadpool and wolverine" with regal promising you can "feel every punch and every strike as wolverine clashes with

deadpool." >> for those who want that over-the-top experience, taking that big-screen experience and taking it to the next level, then 4dx is for you. i think "deadpool and wolverine" is the perfect kind of movie for the 4dx experience. >> juju: and of course, you should stay with us for abc news' coverage of the president's oval office address. that's president biden, "the decision" tomorrow night live at 8:00 p.m. eastern right here on abc. that's "nightline" for tonight. watch full episodes on hulu. see you back here same time tomorrow. thanks for staying up with us. good night, america.