FAA flight reductions — what travelers can do as hundreds of flights canceled

We are mere weeks from the incredibly busy holiday travel season and the longest U.S. government shutdown in history shows no signs of ending. And now, starting on November 7, the Federal Aviation Administration will cancel 10% of flights at 40 major airports.

The current shutdown started on September 30 and has already beat the last longest shutdown ever that occurred during Trump’s first administration. At that time, pressure over air travel disruptions and elsewhere forced the government to reach a compromise.

What the airlines are doing

(Image credit: Future)

Most airlines have promised that they will attempt to cancel flights with the least disruption based on the size of the plane, how full it is and its route.

For example, Alaska, Delta and United have all promised that their international flights will not be cancelled. Additionally, United says that it will not cancel flights between its seven hub airports: Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, N.J., San Francisco and Washington D.C.

Some airlines have already posted flight changes and cancellations. You can see a list of all the cancelled flights at the United link above, for instance. All of the major airlines are saying that they will work to alert travelers about cancelled flights as soon as possible through their apps, websites and booking information.

Companies like Alaska, JetBlue, and Southwest have said that most customers will automatically be rebooked if their flight is cancelled. Though you can cancel for a refund.

Since 2009, the Department of Transportation has ruled that customers on significantly delayed or cancelled flights who don’t accept a rebooking are entitled to a full refund, even if their ticket was nonrefundable.

That rules apparently still apply during the shutdown and some airlines are trying to make it easier to deal with. American Airlines, for example, is waiving change fees and refunding affected passengers. Similarly, Delta is letting people change or cancel flights for free. United has said that the airline will refund cancelled flights and waive change fees for people who rebook.

“If your new trip is after November 3, 2026, or is to a different destination, we’ll still waive any change fees but you might have to pay a fare difference depending on the flight,” the United FAQ page reads.

As we get deeper into the shutdown, these policies could change so be sure to read the policies and keep an eye on apps or websites.

What travelers need to know

Major U.S. airlines are already warning travelers that they may need to be more flexible this holiday season, an added stress to an already blood-pressure raising situation.

Still, if you are planning to travel its recommended that you download whatever airline your using’s official app. Especially if flights are cancelled, you’re going to want to rebook as soon as possible.

In the last few months Google has rolled out a number of features to help travelers including new AI-powered tools in Google Flights. Flights Deals is meant to help travelers save on flights while using natural language to book travel.

Additionally, at the end of October Google Wallet got the ability to track your flights in real-time, so you’ll know if your flight is cancelled or on track.

Already have travel booked? Part of being flexible is deciding whether or not you should cancel now and try again at less fraught time. Otherwise, try to make sure your flights are fully refundable or add travel insurance.

Also note that some travel insurance policies have a “known event clause” or “reasonably forseeable events” specifically for things like natural disasters or political crises.