Flight cuts are about to become more common as the government shutdown continues. WRAL’s 5 on Your Side outlines your rights as a ticket holder.
As the holiday season nears, air travelers coping with sky-high stress will be underlaid by a 10 percent reduction in flight traffic at 40 major airports throughout the country.
Airports in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago along with hubs across the U.S. are among the 40 that will see flights cut starting Friday due to the government shutdown, according to a list distributed to the airlines and obtained by The Associated Press.
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More than 4,000 flights a day are expected to be canceled nationwide. Raleigh-Durham International Airport isn’t directly on the cut list, but when the system strains, every airport feels it.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said passengers could expect mass chaos at the nation’s airports. The shutdown is causing staffing shortages and putting a strain on existing employees.
“We
just cannot manage it because we don’t have the air traffic controllers,” Duffy said.
So what do you do if your trip is impacted? It’s important to know travelers have rights. Airlines must automatically issue a full refund if your flight is „cancelled or significantly changed“, which means a 3-hour delay for a domestic flight or 6 hours for an international flight.
If you’re flying domestically, airlines must deliver your checked bag within 12 hours of arriving or reimburse you for any checked bag fees.
If you do encounter delays or cancellations, you
can ask the airline to give you meal vouchers or cover costs to stay at a
hotel. But they’re not required to comply with the request.
To avoid further travel headaches during the shutdown, Expedia Travel Expert Melaine Fish recommends to book a flight that leaves early in the day.
“It’s
more important than ever to book that first flight of the day and a direct
flight if you can,” Fish said.
