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GOP LAWMAKER WARNS OF POSSIBLE FOOD, MEDICINE SHORTAGES AS FLIGHTS GROUNDED
At 40 of the country’s busiest airports, flights coming and going will be reduced by 10% this week.
Travelers go through TSA airport security at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in SeaTac, Wash. (Lindsey Wasson/AP Photo)
That means thousands of flights canceled, or in other words, 200,000 fewer seats and butts in the air per day. Blame it on a record‑long government shutdown.
FLIGHT CHAOS GRIPS US AIRPORTS AS SOME AIRLINES ADVISE BOOKING 'BACKUP TICKET': SEE THE LIST
Major hubs will be the hardest hit: Hartsfield‑Jackson Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York‑JFK, Chicago O’Hare and many more. Together, those 40 airports cover roughly 70% of U.S. flights, so yes, even if you’re in Hicksville, you feel it.
Your "flightmare" survival plan
A traveler waits with his luggage at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J., on Nov. 7, 2025. Hundreds of flights were canceled across the United States on Friday after the Trump administration ordered reductions to ease strain on air traffic controllers who are working without pay amid congressional paralysis on funding the US budget. Forty airports were due to slow down, including the giant hubs in Atlanta, Newark, Denver, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)
Your "flightmare" survival plan
If you plan on flying anywhere, here’s what you do.
- Book the first flight of the day. Yea, it’s a bummer, but flights departing before 9 a.m. are about twice as likely to fly as those later in the day.
- Download your airline’s app now. This is your fastest route to real‑time rebooks and alerts.
- Use the MyTSA app. Get live security wait times, so you’re not stuck in a five‑hour shuffle line that’s already happening.
- Check your seat map. Oddly empty flight = higher risk of cancellation. Full flight = safer bet.
- Know your rights. If your flight is canceled or significantly delayed due to the cuts, you’re legally entitled to a cash refund, not just some future credit.
- Have a Plan B. Rental car one‑way pickups are up 20% this week. Trains or even a longer drive might save your holiday.
SHUTDOWN'S IMPACT AT AIRPORTS WILL WORSEN, SAYS TSA — TRAVELERS SHOULD 'GO EARLY' AND 'BE PATIENT'
Gas prices are down (average around $3.08), so a road trip could really make sense.
Don’t wait. Don’t assume. Keep checking, stay flexible and treat your travel like you’d treat a storm warning: Get ahead of it, not behind it.
Travelers head down an escalator after clearing through a security checkpoint in Denver International Airport Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, in Denver. (David Zalubowski/AP Photo)
Pass this on: Know someone flying soon? Don’t leave them grounded. Forward 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 holiday or at least someone’s sanity. And hey, we’ve all got that one friend who needs the reminder to download the airline app before they get to the gate.
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