What are airports like at the moment? Two USA TODAY reporters’ experiences.

The government-mandated flight cancellations entered their third day on Nov. 9, leaving vacationers as soon as once more glued to their telephones and computer systems to see whether or not their flights are among the many rising variety of cuts. Among them are USA TODAY reporters Nathan Diller and Eve Chen, who’re heading to Florida from Nashville and Atlanta, respectively.

More than 1,100 flights had already been canceled for Sunday by midafternoon, in line with FlightAware knowledge, following greater than 1,000 on Saturday. The disruptions come as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that the state of affairs is prone to deteriorate within the coming days if the federal government shutdown continues.

“It’s only going to get worse,” Duffy mentioned in an interview on CNN, cautioning that air journey may gradual to “a trickle” because the busy vacation season approaches.

Why the shutdown ending would not imply that flights would return to regular instantly

The Department of Transportation first ordered airways to cut back flight schedules by 4% at 40 main airports beginning Nov. 7, with additional cuts deliberate to rise to six% by Nov. 11, 8% by Nov. 13 and 10% by Nov. 14. Duffy has since mentioned reductions may attain as excessive as 15% to twenty% if the shutdown persists, straining an already overburdened system as air site visitors controllers proceed to work with out pay.

With solely weeks till Thanksgiving, vacationers nationwide face mounting uncertainty — and dwindling choices — as flight cancellations deepen throughout the nation. Follow alongside as Diller and Chen chronicle their day.

Arriving at 9 a.m. ET

The morning was off to a quiet begin at Nashville International Airport (BNA). Travelers breezed via largely empty rows of stanchions on the TSA checkpoint, the place wait instances had been listed as lower than 10 minutes.

I arrived simply after 8 a.m. native time, checked a bag on the Southwest Airlines ticket counter, and made it via safety by about 8:30 a.m.

The airport didn’t really feel any busier than the opposite weekend mornings I’ve been right here.

A display screen displaying departure instances and gates confirmed 5 canceled flights and 19 delays. BNA wasn’t among the many airports topic to the FAA cuts, and didn’t seem like exhibiting indicators of any stress elsewhere within the aviation system, both.

— Nathan Diller, flying from Nashville

Everything is flowing easily at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Sunday morning, the busiest airport on this planet and residential hub for Atlanta-based Delta.

I received to the airport 2 hours and quarter-hour early for my 11:30 a.m. Delta flight to Miami, which was initially scheduled for 9:25 a.m. The airline first alerted me concerning the delay final evening and has been maintaining me up to date about further delays all through the morning, so I may plan accordingly.

Some Delta vacationers had been lined up for agent help at departure counters, however nothing extraordinary.

I solely waited three minutes in line for TSA with Pre-Check and Touchless ID, then a number of extra minutes for my baggage to undergo screening, however throughout the airport, posted TSA wait instances are averaging simply 5 minutes.

— Eve Chen, flying from Atlanta

Boarding time

My flight from Nashville to Fort Lauderdale was on time. I arrived on the gate to search out Concourse D uncrowded with loads of empty seats.

My 10:15 a.m. flight started boarding at 9:45, and the road moved at a gentle clip — regardless of it being “completely full,” in line with a gate agent.

— Nathan Diller, flying from Nashville

In Atlanta’s E Concourse, a number of dozen vacationers patiently lined up for agent help on the Delta counter. It’s nonetheless early within the day, which works in favor of those that want rebooking.

My flight seems to be delayed once more, now to 11:50 a.m. Passengers have began gathering by the gate, chatting with each other and twiddling with their telephones as they wait. I overheard one traveler say “Almost there, babe.” Almost there.

— Eve Chen, flying from Atlanta

My flight boarded after a two-and-a-half-hour delay, however I’ve a SkyClub cider and my Comfort seat is configured like Premium Select, so zero complaints.

Remember to thank TSA employees for maintaining us shifting and secure.

— Eve Chen, flying from Atlanta

Landing

My airplane touched down at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) at 1:19 p.m. native time, about 5 minutes forward of schedule.

The airport was bustling however not packed. The lanes on the TSA checkpoint had been largely empty, and by the point I made it to baggage declare, there was nobody ready at my carousel.

There had been 44 cancellations and 189 delays at FLL as of about 2 p.m. Eastern time, in line with FlightAware — however my journey day was as clean as any earlier than the shutdown.

— Nathan Diller, flying from Nashville

I arrived in Miami almost three hours later than initially scheduled, and the jetway had hassle connecting to the airplane, in order that took even longer.

The passengers in entrance of me had been anxious to catch their cruises in a number of hours (it’s finest to reach a day early simply in case). Another passenger squeezed her manner up the aisle to attempt to make a decent connection. I don’t know in the event that they made it, however I’m glad I did.

— Eve Chen, flying from Atlanta

Miami International Airport was bustling, however didn’t really feel any busier than different instances once I’ve flown via.

I used to be stunned to see 20% of its departing flights had been delayed, in line with FlightAware, but it surely made sense since my airplane was delayed arriving and would invariably flip round for an additional flight.

I didn’t have time to take a look at TSA traces in particular person upon arrival as a result of I used to be late to satisfy an outdated good friend, however the airport listed the waits for many checkpoints at beneath 10 minutes.

— Eve Chen, flying from Atlanta

What ought to I do if my flight is canceled?

“The best thing travelers can do is to be as proactive as possible, switching to a new flight,” Scott Keyes, founding father of Going, advised USA TODAY. “When a flight gets canceled all of a sudden, hundreds of passengers need new itineraries. There may only be a handful of seats left on the best flights, and it’s a first-come, first-(served) endeavor.”

While flyers can all the time name the airline’s customer support quantity or communicate to a consultant on the airport, Keyes advisable going via their cell app.

“Most airlines have made it simple for travelers to rebook themselves, free of charge,” he said in an email. “This allows you to pick the best flight for your situation, and do so without a lengthy hold or queue.”

If passengers need to speak with someone by phone, Keyes suggested calling one of the carrier’s international lines.

“Most airlines have phone numbers in countries around the world — Mexico, the U.K., Australia, etc. — and they have agents who can help rebook you just the same as U.S.-based agents can,” he said. “But those international hotlines have a fraction of the hold time as U.S. hotlines do.”

The delay rate – for delays under one hour – averaged 4.8% in September at U.S. airports, according to Hopper. That rose to 5.4% in October following the shutdown, and 5.8% so far in November.

“Cancellations have also increased from impacting 0.56% of flights in September to over 0.6% in October & November,” the company said in an email. The DOT’s planned flight reductions would cause more than 13,000 flights to be canceled or significantly delayed in the next week, Hopper estimated.

What am I owed if my flight is canceled or delayed?

Passengers are entitled to a full refund if an airline cancels their flight – regardless of the reason – and they choose not to rebook, according to DOT rules. The same goes for “significant” delays or changes.

Those include arrivals at least three hours later than originally scheduled on domestic trips, and international flights that get in at least six hours late. The DOT maintains a list of qualifying scenarios on its website, along with a dashboard of airline commitments for controllable delays and cancellations.

Even if the government shutdown is the cause of the delay or cancellation, Keyes wasn’t aware of any exceptions to those rules. “Travelers can take comfort from the fact that in 2020, when huge swaths of flights were canceled during the pandemic, federal regulators explicitly and repeatedly still required airlines to provide refunds,” he said.

The DOT did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Some airlines offer waivers that allow travelers to change their flights without paying change fees or fare differences. Major carriers, including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines, have waivers in place associated to the flight discount.

Does travel insurance cover shutdown-related flight delays and cancellations?

That depends. “Some comprehensive travel insurance policies may help if your flight is delayed or canceled by the airline, but coverage for government shutdown-related disruptions can vary,” said Suzanne Morrow, CEO of InsureMyTrip.

She noted that “cancel for any purpose” coverage is the “best option for flexibility,” usually reimbursing between 50% and 75% of prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs if policy-holders cancel at least 48 hours in advance.

Hopper saw a 40% increase in air travelers, adding its Disruption Assistance feature – which allows users to instantly rebook if their flight is delayed or canceled, or get a refund – overnight following the DOT’s announcement. “Since the start of the shutdown, sales of Disruption Assistance have skyrocketed over 60%,” the company said in an email.

Keyes noted that flight woes have helped end previous government shutdowns. “It’s not inconceivable that many in Washington, D.C, are similarly looking to travel chaos this time as a path towards getting the government open again.”

(This story was up to date so as to add new info.)