What travelers can do as flight delays and cancellations continue

If you re flying or planning a trip for Thanksgiving the ongoing executive shutdown is making things complicated Travelers are facing cancellations delays and tough decisions about whether to fly at all More stories US airlines daily cancellations exceed as shutdown impact extends would be earth-shattering Proposed FAA cuts to aviation system could be devastating to passengers Airline passengers are frustrated and want federal administration shutdown to end Sean Cudahy the senior aviation reporter with The Points Guy explained staffing issues at the Federal Aviation Administration are leading to delays and cancellations at major airports including at Reagan National Dulles International and BWI Marshall airports We ve seen the delays and cancellations really climb he commented Reagan National saw major delays Friday night and other airports like Atlanta and Newark have also been hit hard There are strategies to put yourself in a better position for a smooth trip Cudahy stated if you re booking a flight go nonstop if you can Connections especially tight ones are risky right now A delay is not the end of the world but it is a big predicament if it causes you to miss your second plane he commented Cudahy also recommends avoiding peak voyage times like early mornings and early evenings That to a m that kind of early evening window when things get really backed up he announced If your flight gets canceled or delayed significantly and you decide not to journey you re entitled to a refund within seven days if you paid by credit card Go with another airline book yourself a different trip go on a train you re owed a refund no questions solicited Cudahy noted Travelers should also look for flexibility from airlines according to Cudahy Selected are offering refunds or letting people rebook trips Your airline may give you the right just to go ahead and scrap the trip stay home get a refund or reschedule he disclosed And while regional airports might seem like a workaround they re not immune to the disruptions Unfortunately I don t know that there s any one place that you can go and be guaranteed to miss trouble Cudahy commented If you re booking a flight for Thanksgiving he recommends using a credit card with trip insurance and avoid the Sunday after the holiday which is typically the busiest passage day of the year Source