#flight-cancellations

#flight-cancellations

The Department of Transportation enacted new laws in October 2024 that require any airline flying to, from, or within the US to give automatic refunds if passengers' flights are canceled or significantly changed for any reason. Importantly, the new federal rules specifically define what constitutes a "significant change" to a flight schedule, so both passengers and airlines know what types of delays qualify for refunds.

You could almost mistake it for an ad. Last week, the far-right Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene was on the Amtrak Crescent traveling from the nation's capital to her home state, and she was enchanted. "The sweetest people run the train," she posted on X, alongside a video of the autumnal landscape rushing by. "And the morning views of my north Georgia mountains made me smile and warmed my heart."

But despite the step forward, airlines are still canceling or delaying hundreds of flights following the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) mandated capacity reductions. As of Wednesday afternoon, there were more than 1,700 delays within, into, or out of the United States and more than 1,000 cancellations, according to flight tracker FlightAware. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) had the highest number of cancellations at more than 50 outbound flights, followed by Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Denver International Airport (DEN), and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).

Airlines have canceled more 9,000 flights across the U.S. since the Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight cuts late last week, mostly to ease demand on control towers that are short-staffed during the federal government shutdown. Although the government appears to be moving to reopen in the coming days, airport disruptions, flight cancellations and economic losses won't go away all at once.

After cruising across Asia, my sister and I thought we were heading back to the United States - until our flight home was unexpectedly canceled. After hours of sitting on the runway, maintenance issues forced our plane to return to the gate. We had wasted our entire day at the airport, so tensions were high as we deplaned and re-immigrated into Japan.

U.S. airlines again canceled more than 1,000 flights on Saturday, the second day of the Federal Aviation Administration's mandate to reduce air traffic because of the government shutdown. So far, the slowdown at many of the nation's busiest airports hasn't caused widespread disruptions. But it has deepened the impact felt by the nation's longest federal shutdown. We all travel. We all have somewhere to be, said Emmy Holguin, 36, who was flying from Miami Saturday to see family in the Dominican Republic. I'm hoping that the government can take care of this.

This is much higher than a directive on Wednesday when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) called on all airlines to reduce their schedules by 4 percent to address safety concerns amid limited staffing during the shutdown. The FAA said at the time the cuts will increase to 10 percent by next Friday if the shutdown has not ended by then.

Already America's most populous state by a wide margin, California is also home to vital airports for millions of monthly domestic and international fliers - including Los Angeles International Airport, which is among the busiest transit hubs on the planet. The Federal Aviation Administration's looming reductions, set to take effect in less than 24 hours, could have significant impacts on commercial flights in and out of San Francisco International Airport, Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, San Diego International Airport, Ontario International Airport and LAX.

Flight delays continued at U.S. airports Sunday amid air traffic controller shortages as the government shutdown entered its second month, with Newark airport in New Jersey experiencing delays of two to three hours.New York City's Emergency Management office said on X that Newark delays often ripple out to the region's other airports.Travelers flying to, from or through New York "should expect schedule changes, gate holds, and missed connections. Anyone flying today should check flight status before heading to the airport and expect longer waits," the social media post added.