Should I Change or Cancel My Flight Due to the Shutdown?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday put into place an unprecedented directive: The agency has mandated a 4 percent reduction in flight operations that took effect Friday, November 7, and that is scheduled to increase to 6 percent by Tuesday, November 11, then to 8 percent by Thursday, November 13, and ultimately to 10 percent by Friday, November 14, should the federal government shutdown continue.

The move, affecting 40 U.S. airports from Atlanta to Chicago, Denver to Los Angeles, New York to Washington, D.C., comes in response to what is now the longest government shutdown in history at 38 days. The shutdown has forced tens of thousands of essential aviation workers—in particular air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents—to continue working largely without pay, resulting in growing fatigue and staffing shortfalls.

“I’m not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we’ve had a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said at a news conference on Wednesday.

As the flight reductions gradually increase, travelers can expect cascading disruptions, including mounting cancellations, delays, shrinking rebooking options, and crowded gates—especially as the start of the Thanksgiving travel period looms.

“This is likely to be one of the biggest disruptions in aviation history,” said Katy Nastro, a travel expert at Going, a flight deals app and newsletter.

How to know which flights are being canceled

If you have an upcoming departure from one of the 40 high-volume airports that will be affected, anticipate possible changes. That being said, as of Friday, all of the major U.S. airlines have determined their flight reductions through the weekend. Here’s the latest.

American Airlines

For its part, American Airlines has issued a change fee waiver for flights to, from, or through 21 airports for travel scheduled to take place through November 14. “We have reduced flight schedules by four percent at 40 airports Friday through Monday, amounting to about 220 flights canceled each day,” American Airlines said in a statement. “To provide additional flexibility during the impacted travel period, customers whose flights are canceled for any reason or who choose not to travel will be able to change their flight or request a refund without any penalty.”

Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines reported on Friday that all of its planned FAA-directed flight cancellations for November 7 through 9 have been completed and has issued a travel rebooking option for flights to, from, or through 39 of the affected airports, for travel that takes place through November 21.

“We are providing additional flexibility to our customers traveling to, from or through the impacted markets to change, cancel or refund their flights, including Delta Main Basic fares, without penalty during this travel period,” the airlines stated, noting that it still expects to operate the vast majority of scheduled flights, including all long-haul international service.

United Airlines

United Airlines has informed travelers that it has put in place its mandatory flight cancellations for Friday, November 7, through Sunday, November 9. “United’s long-haul international flying will not be affected, nor will flights that connect our hub airports: Chicago O’Hare, Denver, Houston Intercontinental, Los Angeles, Newark Liberty International, San Francisco and Washington Dulles,” the airline stated.

You can find the full list of United flights that have been canceled thus far online.

“If you’re traveling during this period and do not wish to fly, you’re eligible for a refund — even if your flight isn’t impacted. That includes non-refundable tickets and Basic Economy tickets,” United stated.

Stay connected to obtain the latest information

It’s important to ensure your phone number and email are up to date in the airline’s system so that the airline can immediately notify you via text or email of any changes or cancellations. Similarly, if you booked with a travel agency, make sure the airline has your contact information, not just your advisor’s. The faster you know your flight has been affected, the better chance you have of rebookings.

Should I pre-emptively cancel my flight?

Brett Snyder, CEO of Cranky Concierge, a company that specializes in urgent air travel assistance, said he wouldn’t recommend that travelers pre-emptively cancel their flights.

“The reality is that in the next couple of weeks, airlines are not overly full,” Snyder explained. “The pre-Thanksgiving period is usually quiet, so when the flight cancellations are pushed out, there should be room to re-accommodate most people on other flights.”

He added that if travelers’ original flights are among the canceled ones, then they can decide whether or not to cancel based on whether the new options work for them.

Snyder warned that “The bigger question is what will happen if the shutdown extends into Thanksgiving, because that’s when flights are very full and there will be more pain. Fortunately, I’ve seen [several airlines] offer anyone the ability to cancel without penalty, regardless of the fare rules. So if people are truly over-stressed and don’t want to deal with this, the option is there.”

Nastro noted that since canceling plans is the only way to completely avoid disruptions, if you can be flexible with your trip, maybe consider pushing it out.

Should I book backup flights?

Travelers who can’t or don’t want to change their travel plans might consider a back-up plan.

“Short-haul, regional flights will likely be on the chopping block for airlines, so those of us with any quick hops may want to consider a flight on another carrier as a backup plan,” Nastro said.

Jesse Neugarten, founder and CEO of Dollar Flight Club, said, “If you live near multiple airports, hedge your bets. For example, in New York, book your main trip out of JFK and hold a backup award ticket out of Newark for miles since you can cancel it for free if everything runs smoothly. That flexibility gives you options if one airport faces staffing or weather issues.”

“And do be sure you’re booking on two different airlines, or else the ‘duplicate bookings’ might get canceled by the carrier,” said Gary Leff, publisher of View from the Wing, a travel blog.

If you book a backup, use your miles

Leff suggested using miles to book a backup.

“There’s no charge to cancel and redeposit the points,” Leff says. “If your first flight takes off, cancel the award ticket before the flight’s departure time. If that first flight cancels or is significantly delayed, you should be able to get a refund and just use the award [travel].”

What if I haven’t purchased my ticket yet?

If you haven’t yet booked your tickets, Tiffany Funk, a travel expert and cofounder of point.me, said “your best bets are to add some padding (plan to travel at least a day or two before you actually need to be there) and to book a flight earlier in the morning or later at night, when fewer flights are scheduled to begin with.”

What rights do I have if my flight is canceled?

All of the major U.S. airlines are waiving change and cancellation fees, even for basic economy, during this period.

If your flight is canceled or materially delayed (more than three hours) because of this capacity cut, you are eligible for:

• A rebooking on the same carrier (or partner airline) for no extra charge.
• A full refund in the original form of payment if the airline cannot offer a comparable alternative. It’s worth noting that you do not need to accept a voucher (unless, for some reason, you want to, such as it’s worth more than the original fare)—airlines are required to refund you. This also applies to nonrefundable and basic economy tickets.
• Possibly accommodation, meals, or extra compensation if the delay is extensive (although, considering that these delays aren’t the airlines’ fault, they are less likely to offer this additional assistance, as they are not required to do so).