Government shutdown - flights?

[mikehn]

Im flying the week of Nov 15. Airport bars usually ease the pain during normal times, but they are going to be packed. Im gonna have to find some creative ways to kill time.

 

[Takket]

Just curious... we prepaid for our Disney room through disney travel company package. i know the airline owes me a credit if i get cancelled by the shutdown, but what about my disney room? let's say i get delayed by a day, can i recoup the last cost of my room for the first night?

what if i can't travel at all? is there any way to refund the package? or can i at least change the dates to try to go a few months from now??? assume all this is happening the day i'm supposed to check in?????

 

[EACarlson]

Just curious... we prepaid for our Disney room through disney travel company package. i know the airline owes me a credit if i get cancelled by the shutdown, but what about my disney room? let's say i get delayed by a day, can i recoup the last cost of my room for the first night?

what if i can't travel at all? is there any way to refund the package? or can i at least change the dates to try to go a few months from now??? assume all this is happening the day i'm supposed to check in?????

Only if you have a travel insurance policy that will pay. The airline will not pay, and it's doubtful Disney would not charge you, in fact you'd be lucky if they didn't cancel the rest of your stay.

If it's happening on check in day, you're probably not going to get anything. Maybe Disney will let you cancel with just a one night penalty.

With a government shutdown, anything that the airline or Disney grants you is a customer service gesture, they don't owe you anything.

 

[Lewisc]

Just curious... we prepaid for our Disney room through disney travel company package. i know the airline owes me a credit if i get cancelled by the shutdown, but what about my disney room? let's say i get delayed by a day, can i recoup the last cost of my room for the first night?

what if i can't travel at all? is there any way to refund the package? or can i at least change the dates to try to go a few months from now??? assume all this is happening the day i'm supposed to check in?????

The airline owes you a cash (credit card) refund if your flight is canceled. You've don't have to settle for a credit

Historically Disney has worked with guests who had to cancel due to canceled flights, death in the family etc. Flight cancelation is a reason to ask. Not wanted to deal with TSA or airline delays NOT a reason.

 

[EACarlson]

The airline owes you a cash (credit card) refund if your flight is canceled. You've don't have to settle for a credit

But only if you choose to no longer take the flight. Assuming that OP would want to try to make their trip, they're going to accept the offer of rebooking on the next available flight. At least if flying one of the major airlines. If flying a ULCC, all bets are off.

 

[Sparrow'sLady]

I was reading an article from Tom Bricker and another in a FB Disney group. There were some comments, now removed, from people who claimed to work for TSA in FL or FAA. They strongly urged all who are flying over the next 2 months have a back-up plan in place. It was said even if the gvmt opens in 2 weeks, the back-up on flights and in the airport is still going to be bad. They gave reasons, which I cannot go back and pull...as the comments were removed.

My husband has been flying to AZ for work for the last few months. The last two times, both in October, he experienced long delays and in one case a canceled flight. None of his flights are the last in the evening.

 

[Sparrow'sLady]

When's your trip?

I would be EXTREMELY surprised if this goes to November, much less deeper. But that and $6 can get you a Dole Whip.

And here we are....in November.

 

[Sparrow'sLady]

Question for those traveling to Disney during the next few weeks, into November too.

Are you altering any plans yet? There doesn't seem to be an end in sight to this shutdown and it's only going to get worse for air travel.

Are you just keeping things as is? Taking a chance flights will be okay? Driving? Having anxiety like me?

We are going at the beginning of December. We are already planning to cancel our flight about a week out and drive if things are not improving at the airports.

 

[Sparrow'sLady]

We already have a car rental reservation at Disney for the drive home if need be. I'd just rather not do the drive.
I'm just anxious.

The drive for us is 16 hours, so that means an overnight stay both ways....something we were not planning for.

The drive there is not so bad. The drive home will be awful. We will be tired after 10 days in Disney.

 

[Sparrow'sLady]

Rough at mco tonight

https://twitter.com/x/status/1984034629599555837

Can you provide details? Are you talking length of security lines or flight delays?

 

[sam_gordon]

And here we are....in November.

Yea, I have to admit I'm surprised it's still going on. But hey, the Dole Whip is now $8! I'm pretty sure I looked up the cost when I originally posted. Did it REALLY jump $2?

 

[SaintsManiac-vol.2]

I decided to add a night and fly in the day before to give us some wiggle room. I leave in 3 weeks and I hope it’s over by then.

 

[japanese maple]

Well we fly home Friday morning, first flight at 7:30.

Fingers crossed! We have my brother to pick up our cat if we will be late.

 

[sam_gordon]

I'm supposed to fly across the country next week for work. No back up plan for my trip there, as far as coming home, I'll give it a day or so, then I guess drive (Google says 30 hours)

 

[EACarlson]

Can you provide details? Are you talking length of security lines or flight delays?

Ground delay has to do with air traffic controllers. With reduced staffing, they can't have as many planes moving at once. I've not seen any reports of issues with TSA at MCO, report of TSA Pre running less than 5 minutes yesterday. One of the Facebook Disney groups had a United employee talking about how it was going at EWR, they stated that almost all of the flight being cancelled were regionals, nothing mainline and they were prioritizing MCO flights. Whereas IAH was having TSA issues with lines running over 75 minutes, but nothing on the ATC side.

 

[Sparrow'sLady]

Ground delay has to do with air traffic controllers. With reduced staffing, they can't have as many planes moving at once. I've not seen any reports of issues with TSA at MCO, report of TSA Pre running less than 5 minutes yesterday. One of the Facebook Disney groups had a United employee talking about how it was going at EWR, they stated that almost all of the flight being cancelled were regionals, nothing mainline and they were prioritizing MCO flights. Whereas IAH was having TSA issues with lines running over 75 minutes, but nothing on the ATC side.

I understand how ATC works and it is affected. There was apparently already a shortage.
TSA is affected by the Gvmt Shutdown and we can see it here locally and and also when my husband flew out of AZ. Very few lanes are open and they are inspecting items/bags more heavily. Even the pre-check lines are affected in Dallas. Sounds like things are different airport to airport.

 

[focusondisney]

Sounds like things are different airport to airport.

Of course, because staffing will be different airport to airport. If NYC HAS 60% call offs but LA has 10%, conditions will by necessity be different. And those numbers could be reversed the very next shift, so conditions could change frequently.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Staffing levels depends on each airport. The information is out there is you want to look for it but there were previous articles regarding what the staffing levels at major airports were prior to the shutdown meaning how stressed or not stressed were they in terms of occupancies of staffing. Particularly vulnerable airports were ones that were already operating at a low enough level of staffing compared to what they really would hoped to be operating on. Then different shifts may have different levels and increased stress can be had there if it drops below what they had scheduled for in enough numbers which again is dependent on each airport and how stressed they were before. Some airports it only takes 1 employee out to cause a large enough problem (even if it is a temporary problem).

While my husband's flights last month went okay and his Denver connection wasn't impacted he is flying to Vegas this week although those are non-stop IIRC (I assume he booked the non-stop options), Vegas already often has delays usually due to weather there when leaving Vegas so fingers crossed for him there. Next week however he flies to Idaho and connects in Denver again IIRC.

 

[EACarlson]

I understand how ATC works and it is affected. There was apparently already a shortage.
TSA is affected by the Gvmt Shutdown and we can see it here locally and and also when my husband flew out of AZ. Very few lanes are open and they are inspecting items/bags more heavily. Even the pre-check lines are affected in Dallas. Sounds like things are different airport to airport.

Then why did you ask the question? You specifically asked if it was flight delays or security line delays. PP's quote was about ground delay.