Share The Article
There’s nothing worse than waking up before the crack of dawn to catch a flight only to see the dreaded “C” word displayed by the time you reach your gate.
Don’t hate the messenger, travelers. Here at Travel Off Path, we dread being the bearer of bad news, but the reality is you may not have the most pleasant travel experience if you’re flying any time soon…
According to a press conference led by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, AP News reports the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is prepared to cancel more than 4000 flights across the U.S.
There’s certainly a scenario where this could be a Hail Mary bluff to finally get government workers paid, but even major airlines are chiming in as if this is the real deal planned to take place November 7th.
As holidays are coming in hot, you may want to ask for Massage Envy gift cards for stocking stuffers to relieve the stress and anxiety of hours-long lines, frequent disruptions, and short staffing at most major airports amid the ongoing government shutdown.
According to the latest breaking news, here is what every traveler should know during this chaotic time:
America’s 30 Busiest Airports Will Be Impacted
It’s expected 40 major airports will be impacted by flight cuts — 30 of them are the busiest airports in America, according to Reuters.
Not long ago, we reported Chicago’s O’Hare (ORD) was America’s most connected airport, but it’s actually Atlanta (ATL) that’s the busiest not only in America, but the world!
Trickling down the list are practically every major U.S. city that anyone could point out on a map, ranging from New York’s 3 hubs, Dallas, Los Angeles, and many, many more — even Teterboro!
A couple of days ago, these were the 10 most affected airports, so you can definitely factor them in. Here is the full list of 40 affected airports courtesy of CBS News: (in alphabetical order)
- Anchorage (ANC)
- Atlanta (ATL)
- Baltimore (BWI)
- Boston (BOS)
- Charlotte (CLT)
- Chicago Midway (MDW)
- Chicago O’Hare (ORD)
- Cincinnati (CVG)
- Dallas Love (DAL)
- Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)
- Denver (DEN)
- Detroit (DTW)
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
- Houston Intercontinental (IAH)
- Houston Hobby (HOU)
- Honolulu (HNL)
- Indianapolis (IND)
- Las Vegas (LAS)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- Louisville (SDF)
- Memphis (MEM)
- Miami (MIA)
- Minneapolis–St. Paul (MSP)
- Newark (EWR)
- New York JFK (JFK)
- New York LaGuardia (LGA)
- Oakland (OAK)
- Ontario (ONT)
- Orlando (MCO)
- Philadelphia (PHL)
- Phoenix (PHX)
- Portland (PDX)
- Salt Lake City (SLC)
- San Diego (SAN)
- San Francisco (SFO)
- Seattle/Tacoma (SEA)
- Tampa (TPA)
- Teterboro (TEB)
- Washington D.C. Reagan (DCA)
- Washington D.C. Dulles (IAD).
There’s no word on how bad secondary airports will feel the burn, given there’s not much wiggle room to cut flights that typically operate once per day (good luck, Spirit!).
The “Airport Theory” Is Dead: Plan To Arrive Earlier Than Usual
Months ago, there was a popular TikTok trend known as the “airport theory”. In theory, you can ignore the suggested 2-hour pre-arrival time and go straight to your gate without any hassle, essentially implying whatever airlines and airports recommend is unnecessary.
Those days are dead and gone, at least during the shutdown.
Making matters worse, forget the 2-hour rule too. Now, do your best to arrive 3 hours early to be safe.
As government officials feel pressured to make a move given the sheer magnitude of this shutdown, travelers have been blowing up phone lines, losing their tempers, and feeling completely out of sorts.
Here are some other helpful tips to ensure the best trip possible, all things considered:
- Your app is your friend — stay up to date on whichever app you booked from
- Go ahead and set your alarm, but check your flight status before leaving for the airport
- Pack snacks and download your favorite podcast or movie to wait out delays (including on tarmac)
- Know your rights if your flight is disrupted
- Remember it’s a federal crime to assault, threaten, or obstruct TSA (and other government workers)
Popular Airlines Taking Different Approaches
These might be the most unprecedented times since another “C” word we’d like to put in the rearview mirror.
As such, in an industry known for stringent policies, we’re seeing more flexibility.
Both American and United issued statements regarding the FAA’s directive today.
American:
American is taking a wait-and-see approach and says “we expect the vast majority of our customers’ travel will be unaffected”.
Could this be true? Yes. 4000 flights may sound like a huge number, but this only factors approximately 10% of all daily U.S. flights.
Let’s hope they’re right…
United:
United is planning ahead for the worst-case scenario and being a lot more passenger-friendly, but first noted that “United’s long-haul international flying and our hub-to-hub flying will not be impacted by this schedule reduction direction from the FAA”.
Additionally, they shared their strategy to minimize disruptions, stating, “Instead, we will focus our schedule reductions on regional flying and domestic mainline flights that do not travel between our hubs.”
Most importantly, however, United is not forcing passengers to follow through with travel plans even though they’re 100% committed to passenger safety during this time.
Every United flight during this period is eligible for a full refund, no matter which class you booked.
Your move, Delta…
Sam Sears
Sam, our Lead Writer & Journalist based in San Diego has visited 36 countries and written over 1000 articles with a focus on sharing his own travel experiences and shining a light on lesser-known gems.
The Travel Off Path Advantage: Your Travel Toolkit
Subscribe To Our Latest Posts
Enter your email address to subscribe to Travel Off Path’s latest breaking travel news, straight to your inbox.