On Thursday evening the Federal Aviation Administration shared more details about flight reductions around the country in response to stresses the government shutdown has placed on the national airspace system.
According to the FAA, a 4 percent reduction in flight operations will begin Friday, November 7, ramping up to 6 percent by November 11, 8 percent by November 13, and 10 percent by November 14.
The 40 affected high impact airports include, but will likely not be limited to:
ANC – Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
ATL – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
BOS – Boston Logan International Airport
BWI – Baltimore/Washington International Airport
CLT – Charlotte Douglas International Airport
CVG – Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
DAL – Dallas Love Field
DCA – Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
DEN – Denver International Airport
DFW – Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
DTW – Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
EWR – Newark Liberty International Airport
FLL – Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport
HNL – Honolulu International Airport
HOU – William P. Hobby Airport
IAD – Washington Dulles International Airport
IAH – George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport
IND – Indianapolis International Airport
JFK – New York John F. Kennedy International Airport
LAS – Las Vegas McCarran International Airport
LAX – Los Angeles International Airport
LGA – New York LaGuardia Airport
MCO – Orlando International Airport
MDW – Chicago Midway International Airport
MEM – Memphis International Airport
MIA – Miami International Airport
MSP – Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport
OAK – Oakland International Airport
ONT – Ontario International Airport
ORD – Chicago O’Hare International Airport
PDX – Portland International Airport
PHL – Philadelphia International Airport
PHX – Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
SAN – San Diego International Airport
SDF – Louisville International Airport
SEA – Seattle–Tacoma International Airport
SFO – San Francisco International Airport
SLC – Salt Lake City International Airport
TEB – Teterboro Airport
TPA – Tampa International Airport
Late Thursday evening, flight tracking website, Flightaware, showed more than 800 flights already canceled across the country for Friday.
Check your inbox & airline app for updates.
Airlines are posting information about their cuts, as well as any policies on refunds and flexible travel options, on their websites and on social media.
On its site, Alaska Airlines said “Guests whose flights are canceled will be reaccommodated on other flights as available or offered a full refund. Those whose flights are impacted will receive communication directly from Alaska and Hawaiian. We have also issued a flexible travel policy that allows guests to adjust their travel during this uncertain time.”
American Airlines is offering refunds and waiving changes fees for travel to/through or from more than 20 airports.
Delta Air Lines says it is “providing additional flexibility to our customers traveling to, from or through the impacted markets to change, cancel or refund their flights, including Delta Main Basic fares, without penalty during this travel period.”
Frontier Airlines posted an alert saying “customers whose flights are canceled or delayed for more than 3 hours (domestic flights) or 6 hours (international flights) can rebook or request a refund.” The carrier has also has issued a flexible travel policy for customers who would like to change or cancel their travel plans.
The JetBlue travel alert says the airline will waive change fees and fare differences for customers traveling now through Monday, November 10, 2025, to/from 20 cities.
Southwest Airlines shared a travel alert that includes options for travelers whose flights are canceled and for those who flights are not canceled, but choose not to travel. “If you would like to cancel your trip and cancel on or after November 6, 2025, you may request a method-of-payment refund (even for non-refundable fares),” the airline said.
Spirit Airlines’ travel alert states that the airline expects to operate “the vast majority” of its flights and will reach out to customers whose flights are affected.
“If your flight is canceled and you decide not to travel, you will have the option to receive a full refund, or we can rebook you on the next available Spirit flight,” the carrier said.
And United Airlines said it is avoiding cancellations for long-haul international flights and hub-to-hub flights operating between these seven airports: Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Denver (DEN), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), Newark (EWR), San Francisco (SFO) and Washington Dulles (IAD).
The airline posted a list of all its cancelled flights for November 7, 8 and 9.
The carrier also said that “any customer traveling during this mandate is eligible for a refund if they choose not to fly—even if their flight isn’t impacted. That includes non-refundable and Basic Economy tickets.”
What can you do?
If, like us, you have travel plans over the next few days, here are some tips and strategies that may help you cope.
*Reconsider your plans. If you don’t have to travel right now, consider getting refund on your ticket and booking for another time. Even if your flight is not canceled (yet…) airports are likely to be super stressful places right now.
*Consider driving or taking the train to your destination, if it’s not too far. But check train fares and car rental availability before you cancel your trip. Hertz said today that in the past 2 days, reservations for one-way rentals through the weekend spiked 20% year-over-year.
*Be flexible. If you must travel and your flight is not canceled (yet…) you might consider buying a fully refundable ticket on another airline. Just in case.
*Most airlines have put in place generous offers for refunds and waived change fees. In many cases basic economy and non-refundable tickets are eligible for the offers. Be sure to read the policies carefully, though, before you change your flight.
*Stay alert. Make sure you’ve signed up for and opted in for flight alerts with your airline and refresh you email and airline apps often.
At the airport
*While airlines are trying to be proactive with cancelations, delays and unexpected cancellations are likely to be common over the next few days. Pack your patience.
*But pack light. This would be a good time to work on your packing savvy. Pack as light as you can so you don’t have to check a bag. This can be a life-saver if you need to get re-routed and will, of course, save you time.
*While security checkpoint lines at many airlines are running smoothly, in many places the lines are already long and getting longer. If you’re flying, be sure to get the airport very early and try to be kind to TSA officers working without paychecks and to the stressed people around you.
*As always, arrive at the airport armed with snacks, an empty water bottles, fully charged electronics and power chargers and reading material.
*Tuck away some ‘mad money,’ preferably cash, so if you get very frustrated (or very bored) at the airport you can buy yourself a treat that won’t show up on the credit card bill a month later.
