TSA lines are so bad at some airports that United and Delta are letting passengers move their flights

• Houston and Atlanta airports are warning travelers about four-hour security queues.

• Delta, United and Allegiant have waived some fees to give passengers flexibility to rebook.

• TSA agents are calling for layoffs because they are not getting paid due to the government shutdown.

Some airlines are waiving change fees for affected passengers Waiting for hours at airport security.

Delta AirlinesUnited Airlines and Allegiant have issued advisories giving passengers greater flexibility during the ongoing travel chaos. Most airlines have eliminated most change fees in the wake of the COVID pandemic, but many still charge for changes to base fares.

because of partial government shutdownTSA agents have been working without pay since February 14. As a result, more people are claiming unemployment.

About 10% of all TSA agents The Department of Homeland Security said it made the call several days last week. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers We were deployed to some major airports.

The shutdown continues as Republicans and Democrats disagree over DHS funding. Republicans want to allocate billions more to ICE, but Democrats want reform following the violence in Minnesota in January.

Here are the airlines offering exemptions:

Delta Airlines

Delta said in a travel advisory that travel from its main hub, Hartsfield-Jackson International in Atlanta, “may be impacted” by longer security wait times. The airport recommends that passengers be allowed at least 4 hours for domestic and international screenings.

Delta customers flying from Atlanta on Monday or Tuesday can rebook to travel on or before March 30 and will not be charged the difference.

Within one year of the ticket being issued, passengers will be able to rebook without a change fee but will still be required to pay the difference in fare. Or they may apply the unused value of the ticket to a new ticket purchase.

This only applies to people on flights originating in Atlanta that do not connect through the hub, a Delta spokeswoman said.

United Airlines

United issued an alert for Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport saying travel “may be impacted.”

Tickets purchased on or before Sunday for travel on Monday or Tuesday may be rescheduled for United flight by March 31. “Tickets must be in the same cabin and between the same cities as originally booked.”

The airline did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether this was directly related to the TSA staffing shortage. A banner on the airport’s website on Tuesday said security wait times could exceed 4 hours.

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Allegiant announced a “travel with confidence” policy that allows customers with new and existing tickets to change or cancel flights at no extra cost until the partial government shutdown ends.

This includes “no change fees for eligible reservations” and “the option to cancel without penalty and receive a refund.”

JetBlue

“With the exception of Blue Basic, all JetBlue fares are flexible, meaning there are no change or cancellation fees for customers who want to arrange travel plans in advance,” an airline spokesperson told Business Insider.

He added that customers who miss their flights due to long security queues will be rebooked on the next available flight.

JetBlue is advising customers to arrive earlier than usual and said it is working closely with the TSA and continues to monitor the situation.

Southwest

Southwest said it will rebook passengers who missed their flights due to long TSA lines at no charge.

The airline added that customers are also offered change waivers and “accepts checked bags well in advance of scheduled flights.”

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