What to do if your flight is delayed or cancelled during the US government shutdown

The US government shutdown has now dragged on for over a month and shortages of air traffic controllers are straining operations, with US government shutdown piling up across the nation.

Qantas says its operations are unaffected in the US and they are monitoring the situation, but there's an increasing chance Aussie travellers could be caught up in the havoc. its operations are unaffected in the US, there's an increasing chance Aussie travellers could be caught up in the havoc.

What's going on at American airports?

Staffing shortages have caused flight delays at a growing number of airports with lines for security also lengthy, according to reports.

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Among the latest disrupted airports are Newark Airport in New Jersey, where many Aussies fly into to reach NYC, which saw delays of two to three hours on Sunday.

Hubs like George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, and Chicago O’Hare were also seeing dozens of disruptions.

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By Monday, more delays related to staff shortages were being reported at three Texas airports, including both airports in the Dallas area and the Austin airport.

And today and order from the Federal Aviation Administration pushed to reduce air traffic at 40 of the busiest airports by 10 per cent across the US.

Long security lines that last for several hours are also being reported at airports across the country.

What to do if you're flying to America

Experts say you should check your flight before heading to the airport - especially if you're already Stateside as it seems domestic routes are worst hit.

Use the airline’s app or flight websites to make sure that your flight is still on before heading to the airport.

This FAA USA site can be checked to see if there are widespread delays at your airport.

What about insurance?

Travel insurance might help if you bought a policy when you booked or used a travel credit card that offers that product, but you shouldn’t assume you will be covered even if you have insurance.

"While most standard travel insurance policies have exclusions for government shutdowns, we encourage travellers to read their Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) to check what they're covered for," an Insurance Council of Australia spokesperson tells 9Travel.

"Travellers impacted by flight cancellations may also want to check with their airline regarding rebooking options or refund policies."

Check the fine print to see if you are covered in situations like this when a shortage of workers causes flight disruptions.

"Generally speaking, if you took out a policy well prior to the shutdown on 1 October and your policy included coverage for flight delays or cancellations, you should be covered up to the limits outlined by your policy," Chris Ford from Compare the Market tells 9Travel.

"However, long queues at airports or missing a flight because you didn't account for enough time at the airport generally won't be covered."

What if your flight is cancelled

While Qantas says its operations in the US are unaffected, there are things to do if your flight is cancelled.

Airlines will usually rebook you on a later flight for no additional charge.

Get in line to speak to a customer service representative, and call or go online to connect to the airline’s staff.

It may help to reach out on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, because airlines might respond quickly there.

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Compensation rules also vary.

Aussie airlines have their rules on their website, according to the ACCC.

"Some airlines may give different levels of compensation and help. This will depend on whether the cancellation or delay was within the airline's control," it says.

US airlines are not required to pay additional cash compensation and cover hotels and meals for passengers who are stranded, even if a flight cancellation or a severe delay is the airline’s fault.

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Is it safe to fly during the US government shutdown?

"Every single day that this goes on, tomorrow is now less safe than today," said Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association on CNN News Central.

"We're supposed to go to work and be 100 per cent, 100 per cent of the time. I'm going to work right now, and I'm thinking about, how do I pay my rent?"

But Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said delays are one way controllers are keeping passengers safe.

Flights are slowed down so the employees who showed up to work can manage them.

"Is there more risk in the system when you have a shutdown? Absolutely there's more risk," he said on CNBC Monday.

"If we thought that it was unsafe… we'll shut the whole airspace down. We won't let people travel. We're not there at this point. It's just significant delays."

- With reporting by AP, CNN

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