Why over 1,000 flights were canceled this week – and what it means for holiday travel

Worried U.S. travelers saw some relief Friday as airlines largely stuck to schedules but still cut more than 1,000 flights, largely due to the government shutdown.

Still, significant nervousness remains as more flight cancellations are expected next week under a Federal Aviation Administration order to cut service at the nation's busiest airports.

The order comes as air traffic controllers, who have not been paid for nearly a month as the lockdown drags on, are increasingly leaving their jobs as they face financial difficulties.

While some passengers had to make backup plans and book rental cars, the flights canceled Friday represented only a small portion of the total nationwide.

Passengers continued to face last-minute flight cancellations and long security lines at the 40 airports affected by the slowdown, including major hubs in Atlanta, Dallas, Denver and Charlotte, North Carolina.

Airlines expect limited disruption this weekend and stress international flights will not be affected.

But if the shutdown goes on much longer and more air traffic controllers leave their jobs after they miss their second payday on Tuesday, the number of cancellations could jump from an initial 10% flight cut to 15% or 20%, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Fox News on Friday.

Long lines and, for some, long drives

Those who showed up before sunrise Friday at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport encountered nearly unmoving security lines, forcing some people to lie down while they waited.

“It snaked around all parts of normal territory,” Cara Bergeron said after flying from Houston to Atlanta. “I've never seen anything like it.” Others were not so lucky.

Karen Soyka of Greenwich, Connecticut, discovered that her flight from Newark, New Jersey, was overbooked an hour early. Then she learned that her plane was actually departing from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, at least an hour away.

Dr. Jay, a surgeon, tried unsuccessfully to rent a car to get to Utah for a weekend getaway before settling on an option that seemed straight out of Hollywood.

“I’m going to a U-Haul and driving a truck cross-country,” said Dr. Sojka, who consults on medical scenes there for the “Yellowstone” spinoff. Hertz reported a sharp increase in one-way car rentals.

Airlines are trying to rebook passengers

More than 1,000 flights were canceled across the country Friday, five times as many as Thursday, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flight disruptions.

Reagan National Airport was hit the hardest, with at least 18% of arrivals (81 flights) canceled on Friday. Major hubs O'Hare, Atlanta, Denver and Dallas-Fort Worth round out the top five airports with the most cancellations, but those airports only lost about 3% of their flights.

Not all of the cancellations were due to the FAA order, and both United and American Airlines said they were able to quickly rebook most travelers. Airlines are focusing their cuts on smaller regional routes to airports where they operate multiple flights a day, helping to minimize the number of affected passengers.

Delta Air Lines said it cut about 170 flights on Friday, while American planned to cut 220 flights each day through Monday. Southwest Airlines cut about 120 flights Friday.

The FAA said the cuts, which affect all commercial airlines, start with 4% of flights at the busiest airports and increase to 10% over the next week.

“I just don’t want to be stuck at the airport sleeping on a bench,” Michelle Cuthbert of Columbus, Ohio, said of her upcoming flight to Dallas. “Everyone is paying for the politics that happen. We are just collateral damage.”

If the shutdown continues, there could be another domino effect before the holidays.

Nearly half of all U.S. air cargo is shipped in the cabins of passenger planes, so disruptions could lead to higher costs for shipping goods, said Patrick Penfield, a professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University.

“Air travel is part of the infrastructure backbone of the American economy,” said Greg Reiff, CEO of consulting firm Elevate Aviation Group. “This closure will impact everything from cargo planes to people coming for business meetings to tourists being able to travel.”

Why is this happening?

The FAA said the cuts are necessary to reduce the workload on air traffic controllers. With many moving to a six-day work week with mandatory overtime, more people are beginning to complain of increasing financial stress and exhaustion.

“I don't want to see disruptions. I don't want to see delays,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters at Ronald Reagan National Airport, near Washington.

The FAA's order comes as the Trump administration steps up pressure on Democrats in Congress to end the shutdown.

An end to the government shutdown would provide relief for air traffic controllers, but the FAA said the flight cuts will remain in place until their safety record improves.

Denver International Airport is working to fill the gap by creating a food pantry for its federal employees and asking the FAA for permission to use airport revenue to pay air traffic controllers. The airport said Friday it had not yet received a response from the FAA.

What can airlines and travelers do?

Airlines are in uncharted territory, said Kerry Tan, a professor at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore who has studied the industry.

“The uncertainty associated with the government shutdown makes it difficult for airlines to plan their operations rationally and optimize their operations,” Ms Tan said.

According to the Department of Transportation, carriers are required to reimburse customers whose flights are canceled, but not cover expenses such as meals and lodging unless the delay or cancellation is the result of a factor within the airline's control.

Christina Schlegel, who had a flight booked to Florida on Wednesday before a cruise to the Bahamas, said her husband suggested they go if their flight was cancelled, but she would prefer to try another flight or airport.