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With the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cutting 10% of flights at 40 major airports across the United States over the weekend, many travelers are at a loss, leaving some with more questions than answers.
On Saturday, Nov. 8, American travelers entered the second day of government-mandated flight cancellations, which Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has signaled will likely grow if the government shutdown continues.
As more cancellations occur, travelers are being left in limbo as airlines determine if their flights will be impacted or not. For Nov. 8, United Airlines said it would cut 168 flights, down from 184 on Friday, Nov. 7, while Southwest will cancel just under 100 flights, down from 120. American Airlines said it would cut about 220 flights daily, while Delta Airlines did not release an exact number of cancellations; however, the airline confirmed that it had completed flight cancellations through Nov. 10.
As of 2:30 p.m. ET on Nov. 8, there have been more than 1,000 flight cancellations within, into, or out of the United States, according to FlightAware.
With cancellations seemingly on the rise, only weeks away from Thanksgiving, these are five alarming questions some travelers may be asking themselves.
Will I be able to get back home?
Whether travelers will make it back home from their flights depends on how long the government shutdown continues and the bandwidth of airlines.
When Duffy initially announced the 4% flight cuts, he said they could increase to 6% by Nov. 11, 8% by Nov. 13 and 10% by Nov. 14. But on Nov. 7, Duffy said the number of cuts could rise to 15% or even 20% of all scheduled flights as the record-breaking government shutdown CONTINUES (DELETE commences), and as air traffic controllers work without pay, adding "strain" to the system.
For Carey Driscoll, who unexpectedly found herself stuck in Indianapolis on the morning of Nov. 7, the question of making it back home to northern Kentucky, just outside Cincinnati, was justifiable.
"I shouldn't be here," Driscoll told the IndyStar, part of the USA TODAY Network.
When her Chicago to Cincinnati flight, part of her two-leg trip home from Fort Lauderdale, was canceled by American Airlines, the former travel adviser took it upon herself to find a flight out of Miami to Indianapolis.
"I was worried I was going to have to spend 12 hours in Chicago-O'Hare and then maybe get home," she said. "So I changed it." Upon landing in Indianapolis, Driscoll worked on her laptop, waiting for her mother-in-law to pick her up and begin the two-hour drive back to northern Kentucky.
Should I cancel my trip?
Travelers trying to beat airlines to the punch by canceling their flights could be taking a risk, or they could be embracing the inevitable.
April and Jeff Weihe's panic meter has been in the red as they planned to fly out of Louisville International Airport on the morning of Nov. 7 for their vacation to Iceland, which they had planned for more than a year.
“This whole week, we've been completely in panic, like, ‘Oh, my gosh, are we actually going to make it?’” April Weihe told the Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Smartly, the married couple made contingency plans, including driving up to Chicago to make their connecting flight, or, if all else failed, taking a backup road trip to Asheville, North Carolina. But, as of midday Nov. 7, the two were on their way to see the northern lights.
Despite being understandably worried, before canceling a flight, travelers should monitor their flight early and often, the Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported, citing experts. They can do this by downloading their airline’s mobile app and turning on push and text notifications.
Will I get stuck?
Being stuck with the uncertainty of whether you'll be able to return home or reach your desired destination is a real concern, which Jeffrey Jones highlighted as he flew out of Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on Nov. 7.
"I got a bunch of snacks and everything and downloaded more movies and shows than usual just in case I’m on the plane longer than planned," Jones told the Bergen Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. "Beef jerky, bagels and water, some dried fruit — I like to bring food that I don’t worry about going bad."
Jones' intuition proved right as his flight to Tokyo got held up, with him at the time texting: "Stuck on runway due to shutdown. Pilot doesn't know when we will take off. ... he's waiting for flight to be sequenced for takeoff."
Although delays and cancellations are ongoing, airlines are working with travelers to either rebook or give refunds. In a statement, Duffy and FAA Administrator Brian Bedford said airlines would be required to issue full refunds but would not be required to cover secondary costs, which is the standard procedure when flight cancellations are not the carrier's fault.
Should I just drive? Or take the train?
Driving or taking the train can prolong a trip by hours, or even days, but this option is becoming ever more feasible for travelers amid the cancellations and delays.
GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene decided to take the Amtrak train instead of a flight from Washington to her home state of Georgia due to "flight delays and cancellations."
"Due to flight delays and cancellations, I took the Amtrak train from DC to Georgia," Greene posted to X alongside a video of "the morning views of my north Georgia mountains."
Greene is not alone, as Amtrak employees at Moynihan Train Hall in Manhattan announced that passengers "would need to make room for an expected influx of travelers affected by flight delays and cancellations," the New York Times reported on Nov. 7.
"The Thanksgiving demand growth we are seeing began prior to the government shutdown, reflecting a travel mode preference for rail," Amtrak spokeswoman Olivia Irwin told the Bergen Record. "If flight delays and cancellations become pervasive, it is reasonable to expect an increased share shift to Amtrak."
In terms of driving, NerdWallet lists the benefits over flying, including not having to book ahead of time or worry about delays or cancellations. However, flying is faster, allows travelers to multitask and can be cheaper depending on the flight and other circumstances, the company said.
Will my flight be canceled?
Travelers won't know if their flights are canceled until their airline tells them, making it even more important to monitor websites and apps.
Cecelia Wilde told USA TODAY on Nov. 8 that the Sun Country and United flights from Minnesota and Bozeman, Montana, that she and her friend, Lara Freeburg, took to Denver, Colorado, went smoothly. Both travelers said their airlines have communicated clearly about the potential for flight problems, and they were more focused on the fun weekend ahead.
“If I’m stuck here for a little while, oh well,” Freeburg, 21, a senior at Montana State, said.
The only flight disruption Kinsey Greene, another one of the girls' friends who met them at the airport, heard of was for one of her roommates, whose flight to Detroit was canceled but immediately rebooked by United.
“They just sent her a text saying it was canceled but it was rebooked and no further actions (were) needed,” Greene said. “So that’s good.”
In addition to watching out for notifications from airlines, travelers can also monitor FlightAware to track cancellations.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will I get stuck? 5 things alarming travelers amid FAA flight cuts.
Reporting by Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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