Los Angeles International Airport cautioned that though the computer reservation system was fully restored Tuesday afternoon, passengers should still check flight statuses online before arriving at LAX -- California’s busiest airport that only got busier after American Airlines’ delays.
The lines for the ticketing counter ran longer than a football field Tuesday afternoon after the computer reservation system crashed in the morning, preventing agents from printing tickets for travelers.
The self-serve kiosks were still functioning throughout the system failure, but were no match for the barrage of passengers.
Hundreds of American Airlines flights were grounded nationwide until 1:40 p.m. when the problem was fixed.
Though the issue has been resolved, travelers are advised to check their flight status online, said Nancy Castle, a spokeswoman for LAX.
American Airlines notified customers that agents would rebook flights that had been canceled due to the glitch.
American Airlines also offered full refunds to customers via Twitter and Facebook:
“If a customer chooses not to travel today, there will be no charge for reservation changes or a full refund will be provided," American Airlines said on Facebook.
Some flights are expected to be canceled Wednesday, according to American Airlines' Twitter account.
Earlier in the day, passengers took to social media to express frustration with the delays, calling LAX a “madhouse.”
"Stuck at LAX . American Airlines computer system crashed and there are no flights departing. My flight has been canceled," wrote Lori Cardona on Facebook.
The unexpected delays and cancellations came as runners from the group LA Leggers attempted to make their way home from the Boston Marathon Monday, where two explosions killed three people and injured hundreds.
Phil Kent, a resident who ran in the marathon Monday, flew into LAX via American Airlines on Tuesday, and recalled how close he came to being injured.
“We were 20 yards away from the finish line,” Kent said. “We were raising hands to get pictures and just at that moment the explosion occurred.”
Passengers told NBC4 that the delays made them “nervous” in the wake of the Boston Marathon explosions, putting security on high alert.
LAX employed more security after the explosions, according to airport officials.
American Airlines made it clear that the delays and cancellations experienced Tuesday were not at all affiliated with the Boston Marathon explosions.
"It is important to note we see no evidence that today’s technical outage is related to the tragic events in Boston," American Airlines wrote on its Facebook page.
NBC4's Angie Crouch and Lolita Lopez contributed to this report.