Here’s what travelers need to know about FAA airport flight reductions

Airlines rushed to provide updates to passengers after the Federal Aviation Administration said it would reduce flights at 40 airports as the longest government shutdown in history continues.

Many major airlines have said they will waive cancellation fees for even the most basic tickets; these fees often come with penalties in case of change.

Transport Secretary Sean Duffy has previously said it would reduce flight capacity by around 10%, affecting 3,500 to 4,000 flights per day.

The FAA has not yet announced which “high traffic” airports will be affected.

According to CNBC’s Phil LeBeau, these are the airports expected to be affected, based on preliminary information before the agency meets with airlines to finalize the cuts. The preliminary list includes some of the nation’s largest airports and major international hubs in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and New York City.

On Wednesday, Duffy said the discount was a “proactive” measure given the delays and cancellations already occurring due to the shutdown. Air traffic controllers, who are considered essential workers required to work during the shutdown, missed paychecks, and the FAA said the shutdown also raised concerns that controllers were already understaffed.

Duffy said he expects more cancellations as a result of the sale, which has an uncertain end date.

“We thought 10% was the right number based on the pressure we were seeing,” Duffy added.

Earlier this week, Duffy told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that he could “shut down the entire airspace” if the shutdown lasts long.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said Wednesday that additional measures could be implemented following the outage, which he said has never been seen before in the industry. Officials said they plan to meet with airlines to discuss which flights will be cut.

One Wednesday note with United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said the airline will not reduce long-haul international flights and hub-to-hub flights, but will instead reduce regional and domestic flights that do not fly between hubs, according to employees.

The airline also offered refunds to all customers, even if their flights were not affected. This includes “customers with non-refundable tickets and basic economy tickets,” Kirby said.

On Thursday afternoon, the airline said it would cancel 4% of its flights from Friday through Sunday.

In a statement, Delta Airlines It said it expects to operate the “vast majority” of its flights as planned and will offer changes, cancellations or refunds to customers’ flights during the affected period. Delta also said this will include basic economy fares without any penalties.

The airline added Thursday afternoon that it would cancel flights a day in advance to give customers enough time. Delta has already canceled 170 flights scheduled for Friday.

Border Airlines CEO Barry Biffle in question Flight discounts strongly recommend that passengers flying on Friday or within the next 10 days book replacement tickets with another carrier to avoid being stranded due to cancellations.

“I’m sorry this happened. I hope the shutdown ends soon,” Biffle wrote on LinkedIn. “I give practical travel advice to everyone.”

American Airlines in question He expects “the vast majority of customers’ trips to proceed as planned,” adding that the airline will proactively reach out to passengers as schedule changes occur.

The airline also said it will offer instant rebooking options for all affected passengers, and customers whose flights are canceled for any reason will be able to change their flights or request a refund without paying any penalty. As of Thursday morning, the airline was still awaiting clarification from the FAA on which of its flights would be affected.

Southwest Airlines also published a expression It said most of its flights would not be affected and its international flights should operate as usual. The airline said it would “proactively communicate in advance and offer flexibility in travel plans.”

The Association of Flight Attendants, which represents 55,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines, issued a statement Wednesday urging Congress to end the shutdown so air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration employees can receive their salaries.

“The false narrative that this shutdown was a choice to either pay federal workers or preserve affordable health care is outrageous considering that both crises were produced by the very people who could fix it,” the statement said.

Experts recommend that consumers who will travel next week be informed about flight cancellations and delays through websites and applications.

Nick Ewen, senior editor-in-chief of travel site The Points Guy, said flexibility “will be important” as travelers rush to rebook, adding that it was important to download each airline’s mobile app and enable all notifications.

“Most of the time, you’ll need to enable notifications on individual rides or on your account so we can text you if there are changes or glitches.” Ewen told CNBC.

He advised anyone with non-urgent travel to reschedule their trips, but this is likely only true for a small number of travelers and consider choosing other forms of transportation instead. Ewen said passengers for essential trips should be prepared for long wait times, use self-service rebooking tools and be aware that many others will also be rebooking and competing for limited seats.

Ewen said he has been following the industry for many years, and the last time he and his colleagues saw a similar major national disruption to air travel was Sept. 11.

“The biggest thing is that a lot of kindness goes a long way,” he said. “So if you’re at an airport and you find out your flight has been canceled, I promise you, yelling at that airline employee will not change your reservation any faster; in fact, it will probably make them less likely to be willing to help you. So just accept that everyone is in this together.”

AAA spokeswoman Aixa Diaz said the company recommends arriving at the airport extra early to avoid long lines and bag checking if possible in case flights are canceled.

“Ultimately, there are a lot of things that are out of travelers’ control, so control what you can and be as flexible as possible,” Diaz said.

Consumers are buying Travel insurance is at a premium due to the government shutdown, but travel and insurance experts warn that such policies do not provide general protection against travel closure problems and much depends on the detailed information.