Will you be traveling soon? Learn how to navigate flight cancellations now
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At 40 of the country’s busiest airports, inbound and outbound flights will be reduced by 10% this week.
Travelers pass through TSA airport security at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in SeaTac, Washington. (Lindsey Wasson/AP Photo)
That means thousands of canceled flights or, in other words, 200,000 fewer seats in the air per day. Blame a record-long government shutdown.
FLIGHT CHAOS AFFECTS US AIRPORTS AS SOME AIRLINES RECOMMEND BOOKING ‘BACKUP TICKET’: SEE LIST
Major hubs will be hardest hit: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York-JFK, Chicago O’Hare and many more. Together, those 40 airports cover about 70% of U.S. flights. So, yeah, even if you’re in Hicksville, you feel it.
A traveler waits with his luggage at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, on Nov. 7, 2025. (Timothy A. Clary/News via Getty Images)
Your flightmare survival plan
If you plan to fly anywhere, here’s what you should do.
- Book the first flight of the day. Yes, it’s a shame, but flights that leave before 9am are about twice as likely to fly than those that leave later in the day.
- Download your airline app now. This is the fastest route to make new reservations and alerts in real time.
- Use the MyTSA app. Get live security wait times so you don’t get stuck in a five-hour line that’s already happening.
- Check your seating map. Strangely empty flight = higher risk of cancellation. Full flight = safer bet.
- Know your rights. If your flight is canceled or significantly delayed due to cutbacks, you are legally entitled to a cash refund, not just a future credit.
- Have a plan B. One-way rental vehicle pickups increased 20% this week. Trains or even a longer trip could save your vacation.
IMPACT OF CLOSURE ON AIRPORTS WILL WORSE, TSA SAYS: TRAVELERS SHOULD ‘GO EARLY’ AND ‘BE PATIENT’
Gas prices have dropped (on average, about $3.08), so a road trip could make a lot of sense.
Don’t wait. Don’t assume. Keep checking, be flexible, and treat your trip like you would a storm warning: ahead, not behind.
Travelers descend an escalator after clearing a security checkpoint at Denver International Airport on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, in Denver. (David Zalubowski/AP Photo)
This happens: Do you know someone who will be flying soon? Don’t leave them punished. Repost this post before they end up sleeping in an airport chair with their neck at a 90-degree angle. Sharing this could save a trip, a vacation, or at least someone’s sanity. And hey, we all have that friend who needs a reminder to download the airline app before arriving at the gate.
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