For those with upcoming air travel, the government shutdown is adding an additional layer of stress.
Flight delays and cancellations continue due to a shortage in staffing of air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administrators (TSA) across the nation. On Tuesday, October 15, federally employed air traffic controllers and TSA workers received partial paychecks-their last payment to date-as they are asked to continue to work without pay until the government shutdown comes to an end.
A growing list of airports are reporting staffing shortages that are causing major delays in air travel. In Burbank last week, the air traffic control tower was forced to close for six hours, contributing to significant delays across the country.
While the rest of us wait on Capitol Hill to sort through their grievances and get the nation going again, there are a handful of things travelers can do to help themselves mitigate the risks of delays or ease the process if and when delays occur during travel.
Know Your Rights
When an airline cancels or significantly delays your flight, you are entitled to a full refund. However, you will forfeit this refund if you take an alternate flight offer, voucher, or any kind of compensation.
Cancel the reservation and you will get a full refund. It is best to reject the flight credit as these generally expire in one year or less.
The Points Guy digs deeper into how to handle a cancelled flight and what to do here.
Take the First Flight of the Day
Under ‘normal’ circumstances, taking the earliest flight of the day is the best way to reduce risks for delay. However, now more than ever, this practice is one of the few factors we have the ability to control and should do so accordingly. Morning flights are generally the ones that leave on time the most, with delays occurring 30% more often in the afternoon, and worsening another 30% for evening and late night flights.
If you are not currently booked on the earliest available for an upcoming flight, it might be well worth the effort to see the price difference to opt in for the early departure to minimize delays.
Check Your Flight for Changes
Save yourself the headache of arriving to the airport, only to discover your flight has been delayed. Additionally it may be worth scanning online to see if staffing shortages have contributed to any delays at your departure or arrival airports.
Signing up for text updates from your airline is a great idea, or download an app like FlightAware which will give you live updates about flights, gates, airports, delays, cancellations, and more details than an average user needs about your upcoming flight.
Check Travel Insurance Benefits of Your Credit Card
If you booked your ticket with a premium travel credit card like the Venture X, Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve, American Express Platinum, Delta Skymiles Reserve or the Marriott Bonvoy card, you have travel insurance that offers coverage in the case of significant delays or flight cancellations. Protections vary by individual card, so dig into the fine print and see how many hours a flight needs to be delayed in order for your benefits to kick in. These protections generally fall under ‘Trip Delay’ or ‘Trip Interruption’.
Travel protections on these cards will often help cover any losses for prepaid bookings in the instance you are unable to make it to your destination or if significant delays impact your ability to attend tours, miss a cruise departure, or lose out on nights at your lodging. If delays or cancellations require an overnight stay or meals, keep all of your receipts for when you bill back when it’s time to file your claim.
Book a Backup Flight with Points
When using points to book a flight directly with the airline, you have the ability to cancel up until the moment of departure. If you have the points available, it might be worth the effort to book a backup flight in case the original one gets delayed. Just make sure to cancel the backup flight once you are certain the original flight is good to go. The points would simply be refunded to your account in the event of a cancellation. Learn more about cancelling bookings with points here.
Keep in mind some instances of delays and cancellations may not be avoidable. If an airport does not have the staff to accommodate safe air travel, booking through another airline will not solve the problem.
Call Your Hotel or Lodging
If your lodging is not covered by travel protections or a super flexible cancellation policy, it never hurts to contact your hotel or host and see if they have any flexibility in their policies. While wiggle-room may be less likely with a private host, larger hotel chains may have some added flexibility as they are invested in keeping their prospective guests happy.
Buy Travel Insurance
Purchasing ‘Cancel for Any Reason’ insurance is on the rise due to the shutdown.
While this insurance is the most costly of coverage, the final price may pale in comparison to losing out on all the non-refundable flights, lodging and reservations that turn into a hefty loss.
Airport Lounge Access
Airport Lounge access can be a life-saver for airport delays. Long hours waiting for information can be stressful and exhausting, but that anxiety can be reduced when you know you have a comfortable place to wait with food and drinks included.
Airline specific lounges are also an ideal place to get assistance when rebooking and rerouting delayed or cancelled flights. The dedicated staff at airline-specific lounges will often have the most updated flight information available. They may the difference between getting rebooked on a flight that day or having to stay overnight.
Final Thoughts
Fifteen days into the government shutdown and a government polarized like never before, it’s possible that we may be suffering the consequences from the fallout far longer than we are comfortable with. While it’s certainly not an ideal time for air travel with so many unknowns, the fact is that most of us are not in a position to put our lives on hold for an undetermined amount of time.
Our best path forward is to take the precautions we do have control over and hope for the best. While undoubtedly frustrating to be delayed or cancelled on, it is important to keep in mind that many of the people at the airport keeping air travel moving, albeit slowly, are currently working without pay.
Remember to have patience and be kind- they have chosen to show up without pay so we have a fighting chance to arrive at our destinations when they could be calling in sick or working a side hustle to keep some kind of income flowing for themselves.
