United Airlines announces it’s canceling flights, offers refunds

If you are planning to fly with United Airlines in the coming days, you should know that your flight may not take place as planned.

United Airlines is one of many major airlines that have been forced to cancel flights.

United Airlines has been forced to cancel many flights as a result of the government’s mandate to reduce air travel by up to 10% from November 7, 2025.

The government is demanding that United Airlines and many other airlines operate fewer flights because there are not enough air traffic controllers due to the government shutdown that begins October 1, 2025.

The shutdown has forced air traffic controllers and TSA workers to work without pay and has continued for more than a month, with multiple missed paychecks.

Unfortunately, the consequences of this are hitting United Airlines passengers as well as those flying on many other airlines that have been forced to reduce capacity due to the FAA’s order.

United Airlines did announcement on facebook regarding the cancellation of many of its flights. The airline published a post at 21:55 on November 5, 2025 stating:

“The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Transportation have instructed every airline at 40 U.S. airports to meaningfully reduce their schedules during the government shutdown. The goal is to relieve pressure on the national aviation system to keep us all operating safely. This is a top priority for both the FAA and United.”

Related: Major US airport closes TSA checkpoints, no plans to reopen

United continued: “United’s long-haul international and hub-to-hub flights will not be affected. Instead, the focus is on schedule disruptions on regional and domestic mainline flights that do not travel between our hub airports.”

In other words, domestic flights will be hardest hit, so people traveling within the United States are more likely to have their trips disrupted.

United Airlines stated that the FAA has ordered the discount to start on November 7, 2025, and that it will cancel many flights starting from this date.

But this is expected to continue at least until the government reopens and air traffic controllers start getting paid again.

More Airlines:

As the situation continues, United Airlines has made it clear that multiple cancellations will occur over time; It won’t just be on November 7 that planes fail to arrive at their destinations.

“We will continue to make ongoing updates to our schedule to provide several days’ notice.”

Of course, it’s not good news that United Airlines and other airlines have canceled so many flights, but at least those whose trips were affected won’t find themselves struggling to get their money back.

United Airlines confirmed it will work proactively to keep customers informed about their flights and will deal with those who fail to reach their destination.

“Any customers traveling during this period are eligible for a refund, even if your flight is not affected. This includes all non-refundable and Basic Economy tickets,” United Airlines said in a Facebook post.

Finally, United Airlines stated that if your flight is canceled, the airline will proactively contact you and inform you.

“If your flight is affected, we will notify you in advance via the United app, our website or text message.”

Before heading to the airport, be sure to check your messages or app to make sure your flight is still on. If not, contact United Airlines customer service to learn about your options.

Related: Frontier Airlines permanently cancels all flights to major airport

This story was first reported by: Street First appeared on November 7, 2025 Trip section. Add TheStreet at: Preferred Source by clicking here.