Massive flight cancellations will begin on Friday, affecting nearly all major U.S. airlines and travelers across the country.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration announced they would require a 10% reduction in air traffic at the nation’s 40 busiest airports.
From New York City to Boston, Atlanta, South Florida, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and beyond, just think of a major aviation hub and it could be affected.
The move comes as the ongoing federal government shutdown, currently the longest in history, has put a strain on the U.S. air traffic controller workforce, and employees have not received full pay for weeks.
Airlines were scrambling Thursday to decide which flights to cancel, leaving travelers wondering whether their upcoming flights would leave on time or not at all.
Meanwhile, some of the largest U.S. airlines have announced looser flight change and cancellation policies and provided some clues about how they plan to handle flight cancellations mandated by the Trump administration.
Here are some helpful links for more information about the FAA’s flight cuts:
Read on for airline-by-airline details.
Reward your inbox with the TPG daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers and get breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive offers from TPG experts
American Airlines
American Airlines said Thursday that its long-haul international routes will continue to operate as planned and pledged to “proactively contact” customers facing cancellations.
“To provide additional flexibility during the affected travel period, customers whose flights are canceled for any reason or who choose not to travel will be able to change their flights or request a refund without penalty,” the airline said.
TPG has asked the airline for further clarification on its refund policy, but it appears it will give customers more flexibility to cancel while the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight restrictions are in place.
remind: If your flight is canceled and you choose not to travel, you are entitled to a refund
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines issued a travel advisory covering all 40 airports affected by FAA restrictions. You can find the full list of eligible airports here.
Passengers who booked flights between November 7 and 9 can rebook flights departing between now and November 16 without paying the fare difference. If you rebook later, there may be a fare difference.
I expect that if the shutdown continues, the scope of the consultation may expand.
The airline also said passengers flying to, from or passing through one of the affected airports during the affected travel period can cancel their flights and receive a refund. This includes penalty-free cancellation of basic economy tickets.
RELATED: U.S. government shutdown: Here are the travel impacts
United Airlines
United Airlines has issued travel exemptions covering flights from the following airports between November 6 and 13:
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)
- Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- Dulles International Airport (IAD)
- George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Travelers whose flights are affected can choose United flights departing between six days before and six days after their original travel date.
Alternatively, these travelers can cancel their reservations and receive a full refund — in compliance with Department of Transportation policy, the airline said.
Additionally, the airline told TPG that any passengers who do not want to travel while the FAA restrictions are in place can cancel their reservations and receive a refund, even if their flights are not affected.
In a letter to employees late Wednesday, United CEO Scott Kirby said the airline would not cut long-haul international flights or flights from one hub to another.
Learn more: Flight delayed or canceled? This is what to do next
Southwest Airlines
Southwest said that in most cases, passengers whose flights were canceled were automatically rebooked on another flight. Customers also have the option to rebook themselves or request a refund.
The airline said passengers who choose not to travel on the new itinerary must cancel their flights within 10 minutes of the new flight’s scheduled departure time.
JetBlue Airways
So far, JetBlue has only said that in most cases it will automatically rebook affected passengers on the next available flight.
If your flight is canceled and you choose not to travel, you can apply for a refund according to DOT policy.
Frontier Airlines
Frontier Airlines said Thursday it will introduce flexible travel policies. The budget airline said any passengers traveling during the FAA’s cuts will be eligible to have their flights canceled or changed.
Meanwhile, the airline’s chief executive, Barry Biffle, took to social media on Wednesday evening to offer a splash of “practical travel advice”.
“If you are flying on Friday or within the next 10 days and need to get there or don’t want to be stranded, I highly recommend booking a backup ticket on another airline,” Biffle wrote. “I would just like to purchase a backup ticket on another airline. I’m sorry this happened. Hope the government shutdown ends soon.”
Frontier Airlines offers non-daily service on many of its routes, meaning even if travelers rebook on the airline’s next available flight, they may have to wait a day or more to reach their destination.
important to know
The recommendations continued to change rapidly throughout the day Thursday.
Please continue to check for updates and if you are flying in the next few days, please be aware of any communications from your airline.
Related reading:
