Airports across the country are facing turbulence, and it’s not the kind that comes from the sky. Following the Trump administration’s announcement of a 10 percent reduction in air traffic at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports, airlines and travelers are now scrambling to adapt.
The Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the reductions began today with a 4 percent cut and will ramp up to 10 percent by next Friday. Airlines were given the freedom to decide which routes to scale back, though international flights remain largely exempt.
Smaller airports, especially those dependent on regional and domestic connections, are expected to be hit the hardest economically. Many airlines are trimming frequent short-haul routes rather than cutting between major hubs.
The move follows weeks of warnings from both travel industry groups and government officials about the growing strain on the aviation system as the shutdown drags on toward Thanksgiving, one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
At a Wednesday news conference, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy defended the cuts as an effort to “alleviate the pressure” on air traffic controllers, who remain on duty without pay. Although widespread chaos has so far been avoided, absences among controllers have surged, with the New York area reporting nearly 80 percent out last Friday.
“You can’t expect people to go into work when they’re not getting a paycheck,” Kelly Matthews of Flat Rock, Michigan, a frequent business traveler who has canceled most of her upcoming trips, told NPR. “I mean it’s not a matter of them not wanting to do the job, but you can’t afford to pay for gas, your day care and everything else.”
Geoff Freeman, president and chief executive of the U.S. Travel Association, cautioned that “while safety is the top priority, the reductions would come at the cost of the traveler experience, in terms of reliability, efficiency, just the smoothness of the system.”
Airlines are already implementing cancellations. American Airlines said it would cancel approximately 220 flights per day from Friday through Monday, while Delta Air Lines has scrapped 170 flights departing on Friday. United Airlines has grounded fewer than 200 flights on both Friday and Saturday, listing affected routes on its website.
If a flight disappears from a passenger’s schedule, the best first step is to check the airline’s website for rebooking or refund options. Economist Hayley Berg from the travel booking company Hopper told USA Today that travelers should keep an eye out for quickly changing updates on their flight plans.
“If you have a flight scheduled or you’re scheduling one, sign up for text message notifications or sign up for alerts from the airline on the app on your phone. A couple of days before your flight, just check in. Make sure that there haven’t been any changes that haven’t been communicated to you yet.”
“There’s going to be extensive disruption across the entire nation’s air transportation system,” Henry Harteveldt, airline industry analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group, told USA Today.
“For an airline to be told by the government they’ve got 36 or so hours to start dismembering their carefully built flight schedules doesn’t give airlines a lot of time.”
Most carriers will rebook automatically or waive change fees. The Department of Transportation says passengers can also reject rebooked flights and request full refunds.
“If you purchased your tickets directly from an airline, you are entitled to an automatic refund when the airline cancels or significantly delays/changes your flight and you don’t accept: 1) the significantly changed flight; 2) a rebooked flight; 3) a travel credit or voucher; or 4) alternative compensation (such as frequent flyer miles).”
If your flight is simply delayed, the DOT recommends arriving on time anyway — security lines will likely be longer than usual, and schedules can shift with little notice. Accepting a new flight, even after a delay, usually means you forfeit eligibility for refunds or compensation.
Major carriers are rolling out policies to cushion the impact. United Airlines is allowing passengers to cancel for a full refund, even for basic economy tickets, regardless of whether the flight was directly affected. The policy includes non-refundable and basic economy tickets, CEO Scott Kirby said in a message to employees.
American Airlines is also waiving change fees and offering penalty-free refunds for trips canceled or voluntarily canceled. Delta is taking a similar stance by waiving fare differences for rebookings and offering refunds to those who prefer not to travel.
JetBlue is automatically rebooking most affected passengers, while those who opt out can claim a full refund. Frontier Airlines is following suit with fee waivers, but notes that passengers must pay any fare difference; those who cancel can receive a travel credit.
Even if your flight isn’t on the chopping block, disruptions may ripple across the network. Almost 70 percent of domestic flights are either to or from one of the 40 affected airports, Katy Nastro, a travel expert for Going, told The New York Times.
Use your airline’s mobile app or website to check where your plane is coming from and whether that flight departed on time. Freeman suggests keeping an eye on your seat map — a suspiciously empty flight could indicate a pending cancellation.
Apps and websites like FlightAware, FlightRadar24, and the National Airspace System Status tracker can help you see whether issues are emerging at specific airports. The MyTSA app, while updated less frequently during the shutdown, can still offer security wait-time estimates.
Freeman warned travelers not to get sucked into misinformation online.
“Don’t believe the commentators on social media that think they have it all figured out. The airlines are making complex decisions right now.”
Meanwhile, Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle advised on LinkedIn that those with critical travel plans should consider purchasing a backup, fully refundable ticket on another airline, essentially as flight insurance for uncertain times.
“Carriers like Frontier will be putting you on the next available flight, but that may not be until after your event due to the scale of this disruption. Make sure you buy a backup that is changeable into a credit or full refund. If you don’t need the insurance, keep the credit for your next flight. Apologies for the disruption. This will be necessary until the government shutdown is ended to ensure safety for all travelers, given reduced staffing levels with ATC.”
Scott Keyes, founder of Going, advises rebooking as quickly as possible via an airline’s mobile app in the event of a flight cancellation. Keyes recommended phoning one of the airline’s international lines if travelers needed to talk to someone on the phone.
“The best thing travelers can do is to be as proactive as possible, switching to a new flight. When a flight gets canceled, all of a sudden, hundreds of passengers need new itineraries. There may only be a handful of seats left on the best flights, and it’s a first-come, first-served endeavor.”
For those wondering if travel insurance will cover the fallout of the cuts, it depends heavily on timing. According to Mark Friedlander of the Insurance Information Institute, if your flight is canceled due to staffing shortages, most policies classify that as a “common carrier issue” that would be covered.
However, policies often exclude “known events” or crises already in progress when you bought coverage. If you purchased travel insurance after the shutdown began, cancellations tied to it are likely not eligible for reimbursement. Policies bought earlier, such as in September, are more likely to cover related cancellations.
Keep in mind: missing your flight due to long security lines won’t be covered, and canceling preemptively because of anticipated chaos usually isn’t, unless you have a “Cancel for Any Reason” plan.
When in doubt, opt for refundable tickets to retain flexibility as the situation evolves.
The FAA has stated that international routes should remain largely unaffected, but overseas travelers may still experience ripple effects at connecting U.S. airports.
Freeman noted that many people traveling to the United States from abroad will still have to connect to domestic flights, and those travelers may cancel their trips instead of risking getting caught in the current chaos of delays and cancellations.
For those still procrastinating on booking Thanksgiving travel, now’s the time to move. With fewer flights available, last-minute prices are likely to spike even more than usual, Nastro said. If you already have tickets, stay informed about airline updates and government shutdown news.
“I can’t imagine that leaders in Congress are going to allow this thing to last until Thanksgiving,” Freeman said. “Even if it were to end tomorrow, it’s going to take days for this thing to pass, and the airlines could use some of that time to begin prepping their networks.”
If your destination is within reach by rail, Amtrak may be the safest bet. The railroad is operating normally and already seeing an uptick in Thanksgiving bookings. “Book now and early,” said Beth Toll, an Amtrak spokeswoman, warning that fares rise sharply in the days before travel.
Bus companies are preparing too. Flix North America, parent of Greyhound and FlixBus, said it is “fully prepared to accommodate travelers impacted by flight delays, cancellations or long airport lines.” Both bus lines expect surging demand as air travel disruptions spread.
In short: whether you’re flying, training, or busing your way home this holiday season, flexibility will be your best travel companion.
Moumita Basuroychowdhury is a Contributing Reporter at The National Digest. After earning an economics degree at Cornell University, she moved to NYC to pursue her MFA in creative writing. She enjoys reporting on science, business and culture news. You can reach her at moumita.b@thenationaldigest.com.
