The record government shutdown may be nearing an end, but air travelers are still feeling the pain.
Continued flight cancellations and unfavorable weather in some parts of the country have compounded travel difficulties, leaving thousands of Americans anxious about their upcoming vacation.
As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 1,200 flights in and out of the United States had been canceled for the day, according to data tracking firm FlightAware. As of 11 a.m. ET, there were more than 1,700 delays.
The cuts come after Transport Secretary Sean Duffy announced on November 5 that flights would be cut by 10% at 40 major airports due to a shortage of air traffic controllers. Air traffic controllers are working without pay during the shutdown, and some do not come to work as it drags on.
Consumers are left scrambling to get to their destinations as major airlines such as United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines struggle with thousands of cancellations and delays. One silver lining amid the headaches is that most airlines are waiving fees typically associated with changing or canceling a trip.
Here’s what you need to know about how major carriers are dealing with disruption.
Airline closure fees including Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines
Four major U.S. airlines (Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and American Airlines) canceled hundreds of flights to comply with the FAA’s reduction requirements.
Southwest Airlines canceled approximately 440 flights earlier this week from Monday, Nov. 10 to Wednesday, Nov. 12. United Airlines canceled 730 flights during the same period, and Delta Airlines cut approximately 495 flights. American Airlines cut about 420 flights from Monday to Tuesday.
Good news for stressed-out travelers? All four airlines have eliminated the usual fines and fees that apply to last-minute changes and cancellations, even for normally non-refundable tickets.
southwest airlines
Southwest Airlines carriers who booked flights through Thursday, Nov. 13 will be able to adjust their travel plans at no cost or receive a refund if they choose not to travel, even if their flights are not affected. Southwest said customers whose flights have been canceled will be notified and, in most cases, automatically rebooked and given the option to cancel or change.
If you have a reservation between November 7th and November 13th, you can rebook or wait to travel without changing your airfare. However, the new reservation must be between the same cities as the original reservation.
If you want to completely cancel your trip for the same duration, you can receive a full refund in your original payment method, even if the fare is normally non-refundable. The only condition? If you wish to cancel your reservation, you must do so at least 10 minutes before your flight’s scheduled departure time.
united airlines
United Airlines customers who booked flights between Nov. 6 and Nov. 13 will also receive a full refund if they choose not to fly, provided the original ticket was purchased by Nov. 4, 2025. This includes non-refundable tickets and basic economy tickets, which typically are not eligible for free changes, United said.
Those wishing to reschedule may do so without being charged a change fee or fare difference, but only if the new flight is between six days before and six days after the original travel date and the same cabin is booked between the same cities originally booked.
“For new travel on or after November 3, 2026, or to a different destination, change fees will be waived, but you may be required to pay a fare difference on some flights,” United said on its website.
delta airlines
Delta travelers who booked a flight between Nov. 7 and Nov. 16 can choose to cancel their reservation and receive a refund for the unflown portion of their ticket or an e-credit toward a future ticket purchase, according to a statement from Delta. This includes all fares, including basic Delta Main tickets.
The airline will also waive the fare difference for customers who rebook a new flight in the same cabin they originally booked by November 21st.
If you are unable to reschedule within this period, you may cancel your reservation and apply the unused value of your ticket toward the purchase of a new ticket within one year of your original ticket purchase.
american airlines
American Airlines said it has contacted affected customers and provided travel exemptions. American Airlines said in a statement that if a flight is canceled or a trip is canceled, travelers can request a refund or change their flight at no additional cost, even if the flight was not affected.
JetBlue Airways, Alaska/Hawaiian Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines will follow suit.
Smaller airlines in the continental U.S. are following the lead of the Big Four and offering similar fee-free changes and cancellations.
Although smaller, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, operated by Alaska Airlines Group, serve hard-to-reach areas of the United States. The airline said it plans to cancel about 36 to 40 flights each day while operating about 1,500 flights each day.
JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines have not disclosed specific numbers of canceled flights, but reports indicate fewer than 100 flights have been canceled.
jet blue
JetBlue Airways announced on November 10 that change and cancellation fees and fare differences will be waived for customers traveling on JetBlue-operated flights through Friday, November 14.
Customers whose flights have been canceled by JetBlue can either rebook on another JetBlue flight or receive a refund to their original payment method or as a travel credit. JetBlue says those who choose travel credits will also receive 2,000 TrueBlue points as a “thank you.”
Customers whose flights were not affected may rebook their flights for travel through Thursday, November 20, or cancel their flights prior to their originally scheduled flight departure time, at no additional charge.
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines
Alaska Airlines said guests whose flights have been canceled will be contacted by the appropriate airline and, in most cases, automatically rebooked. If you do not receive such a notification, your flight will not be affected.
Customers whose flights are canceled by Thursday, November 13 will be rescheduled to another available flight or receive a full refund. The state of Alaska announced it has issued a “flexible travel policy” that allows customers to make changes without penalty.
spirit airlines
Low-cost carrier Spirit is also offering free rebookings or full refunds to customers whose flights have been canceled despite the economic hardship. Spirit said customers on affected flights will receive a notification using the contact information provided when booking.
frontier airlines
Frontier similarly issued a “Flexible Travel Policy” for customers affected during the FAA’s flight reduction plan.
If your flight is canceled or delayed for at least 3 hours for domestic flights or 6 hours for international flights, you can request a rebooking or refund without penalty. Origin and destination cities must be the same between reservations, and if you cancel your trip without any associated delays or cancellations, you will be refunded in a travel credit.
