(CNN) — Air travelers have been on a wild ride this fall with flight cancellations and staffing shortages related to the US government shutdown, on top of the annual Thanksgiving crush still to come.
Here’s what we know about air travel over the busy holiday period when 6 million Americans are expected to head to airports across the country, according to AAA figures.
Will airline flight schedules be restored to normal by then?
The longest shutdown in US history came to an end Wednesday night when President Trump signed a bill to reopen the government.
Mandatory cuts to flights at 40 major airports ended on Monday morning, when a Federal Aviation Administration emergency order was lifted.
“The flight reduction emergency order will be terminated on Monday, November 17 at 6 a.m. This means normal operations can resume across the National Airspace System,” said a Sunday joint statement from US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford.
During the shutdown, some air traffic controllers who were not getting paid did not show up for work. The staffing shortages triggered the FAA order to reduce flights incrementally. The flight cuts began on November 7 and were set to increase gradually up to 10%, but they stopped at 6% with the end of the shutdown. The cuts were reduced to 3% of flights over the weekend.
Travel insiders and analysts have said that it could take a week or more for airlines to recover from the recent disruptions.
DOT Secretary Sean Duffy said last week that he expects flight issues to be resolved before Thanksgiving travel ramps up.
Airlines for America, a trade group representing major US airlines, said in a statement late Wednesday that the government reopening would “allow U.S. airlines to restore their operations ahead of the busy Thanksgiving holiday.”
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian feels optimistic about a swift recovery.
“Thanksgiving is going to be a great holiday period of travel,” Bastian told “CBS Mornings”on Thursday.
Katy Nastro, a travel expert with Going.com, said the recent high level of disruptions is unlikely to carry into the holiday week. That said, the air traffic controller staffing shortages that prompted the FAA to order flight cuts are likely to be a factor even after schedules are restored.
“If we are still down a certain number of controllers … we may see disruptions into Thanksgiving, yet likely not to this extent,” Nastro said.
What are the staffing challenges?
A longstanding air traffic controller shortage has worsened with the shutdown. DOT Secretary Duffy said that before the shutdown an average of four controllers retired each day. That’s recently jumped to 15 to 20 per day, meaning that “this is going to live on in air travel well beyond the timeframe that this government opens back up,” Duffy told CNN on Sunday.
Passengers arriving at TSA lines at select airports, in Houston and Atlanta, for example, have intermittently experienced long security wait times because of staffing challenges.
What strategies do travelers need to mitigate disruptions?
No matter what happens in the days to come, travelers should head to the airport for Thanksgiving trips prepared with as many resources as possible for a quick pivot.
Ahead of your travel day, download your airline’s app and enable push notifications about flight changes. Third-party apps such as FlightAware, Flighty and TripIt can also be helpful.
And research flight alternatives, in case your original trip gets disrupted. Travel site Hopper suggests booking with its Disruption Assistance service, which offers rebooking on any airline. Several other booking platforms and airlines offer similar services.
Get to the airport early – at least two hours before domestic flights, but possibly even earlier during the hectic holiday period.
The first flight of the day is a great option, according to Hayley Berg, lead economist at Hopper. “In general, flights departing after 9 a.m. are 2X more likely to be delayed than departures scheduled between 5-8 a.m.,” Berg said in an email.
Hustling for alternatives
Right now, flights aren’t usually going out full, so getting on another flight shouldn’t be a problem, said John DiScala, founder of travel site JohnnyJet.com.
“However, if it’s over the holidays, the flights are going out full and you will not be able to get on [another] flight that easy. So you could be stuck. Time is of the essence — you’ve got to hustle.”
Stay on top of your flight status, immediately contact the airline – through the airline app’s chat function, while simultaneously calling the airline, and getting in line for customer service if you’re at the airport. Give yourself as many options as possible to get your situation resolved quickly. “And always be nice,” DiScala added.
Changing plans
For travel this week, most US air travelers have been able to change their tickets — even in basic economy class — free of charge, thanks airline waivers for near-term flights affected by the shutdown. Bad weather or staffing issues could trigger waivers during the holiday period, DiScala says. Keep an eye on the weather, which is always a wild card during the holiday season.
DiScala urges travelers making new ticket purchases to avoid basic economy fares in case any future waivers exclude the cheapest tickets.
Use waivers to your advantage, DiScala advises. It’s a free opportunity to tinker with your plans — whether you skip your trip, extend your stay or look for a better itinerary.
Making contingency plans
Making a solid Plan B is worthwhile if it’s critical that you get to your destination quickly.
That could mean purchasing a back-up ticket for at least a few hours later than your original flight on a different airline, DiScala said, “but that’s only if you absolutely need to be somewhere or you’re really worried about it.”
The easiest way to do that is with loyalty points or miles because you can easily redeposit those if you cancel the back-up flight. If you need to purchase a second ticket, be sure to avoid basic economy so that you can cancel for a travel credit that’s typically good for a year.
Making a car rental reservation can be a smart idea in cases of disruption. Major rental car players Hertz and Avis reported a spike in one-way rental bookings amid the first waves of the recent flight cuts, so jump on that option quickly. Hertz reported a 20% year-over-year increase in one-way bookings over the weekend, noting that many flight cancellations were on shorter, regional routes.
If you’re flying on a regional route, under 500 miles or so, during a period plagued by disruptions “you might want to consider driving because the regional jets are the first to get canceled,” DiScala said.
While it’s no comfort to passengers on canceled flights, those regional cancellations typically affect fewer passengers, aviation consultant Mike Boyd pointed out. His advice last week as flight cuts were being instituted was to “take a breather” and “relax.”
Boyd underlined that the FAA-ordered cuts applied to “flights, not seats, not passengers. Flights,” and noted that reductions in American Airlines flights to Texas destinations such as Waco and Killeen likely affected a total of about 50 people per flight.
Insurance options
Many travel insurance policies apply to “unforeseen events,” according to Chrissy Valdez, senior director of operations at travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth. But once an event like the shutdown is known, it’s often not covered. Check with your insurer on your policy’s fine print.
Cancel For Any Reason and Interruption For Any Reason coverage offer the highest level of protection for travelers shopping for insurance, she said.
CNN’s Chris Boyette, Andy Rose, Amanda Musa, Alaa Elassar and Chris Isidore contributed to this report.
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