Sean Cudahy is an aviation reporter covering news about airlines, frequent flyer programs and consumer travel issues.
November 10, 2025 • 15 min read
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Quick summary
Major U.S. airlines are experiencing widespread flight cancellations and delays due to mandated air traffic reductions at 40 key airports.
The disruptions stem from Federal Aviation Administration staffing shortages and an ongoing government shutdown, with cutbacks expected to increase in the coming days.
Airlines have introduced flexible policies, allowing affected travelers to rebook, claim refunds or adjust plans without penalties during the impacted period.
Refunds are available for canceled flights, and some carriers are extending flexibility even to travelers whose flights are not directly canceled.
What to consider
Travel waivers and flexible policies vary by airline and may have specific eligibility dates or affected routes.
Refunds typically cover only the flight cost, not secondary expenses like hotels or meals, unless covered by separate travel insurance.
Travel insurance from credit cards may not cover shutdown-related disruptions, so reviewing policy terms is essential.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed airline-by-airline breakdown of current rebooking, refund and advisory policies during the FAA-mandated flight reductions.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Mass flight cancellations began Friday, affecting nearly every major U.S. airline and travelers across the country.
This comes after the Federal Aviation Administration last week announced it would require significant air travel cutbacks at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports.
The travel disruptions are only growing by the day, too.
Starting Tuesday, airlines will have to cut a higher number of flights: 6% of departures at 40 major hubs. The cuts are set to reach 10% by Friday — and that's likely just a starting point.
In recent days, cancellations and delays have been far worse than expected as air traffic controller staffing issues reached a head at many top FAA facilities.
Meanwhile, despite some progress in Washington, D.C., the longest government shutdown in history continues to drag on, leaving critical federal aviation sector employees without a paycheck.
In the midst of the chaos, some of the largest U.S. airlines announced more lenient policies allowing travelers to change flights, stay home or claim a refund.
Here are some helpful links to more information about the FAA flight cuts:
Of course, that's just the planned cancellations — mass disruptions in recent days have led to many more unexpected disruptions.
American pledged to “proactively reach out” to customers facing cancellations.
“To provide additional flexibility during the impacted travel period, customers whose flights are cancelled for any reason or who choose not to travel will be able to change their flight or request a refund, without any penalty,” the carrier said.
The airline has also issued a travel advisory for 21 airports that seem to be at the center of its cuts. The advisory allows customers to rebook trips through Nov. 17.
American said it would cancel around 200 flights Tuesday as the FAA upped its cutback requirements to 6% at 40 major hubs.
Delta Air Lines was hardest hit by this weekend's travel woes, after FAA staffing shortages caused major backups at its Atlanta megahub.
The Atlanta-based carrier ultimately canceled hundreds of flights beyond what it had already anticipated entering the weekend.
Delta extended its travel advisory covering all 40 airports affected by the FAA restrictions. You can find the full list of eligible airports on its website.
Travelers booked on flights between Nov. 7 and 16 can rebook on a flight departing between now and Nov. 21 without having to pay a difference in fare. If you rebook for a later date, there may be a fare difference.
Travelers who would rather not fly can alternatively cancel their trip and request a refund, Delta says — even if their flight isn't delayed or canceled. If it is canceled or significantly delayed, you'd be owed an automatic refund if you choose not to travel.
I expect that this advisory could expand, depending on how long the shutdown drags on.
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
The airline also said that travelers flying to, from or through one of the affected airports during the affected travel period can cancel and get a refund for their flight. That includes penalty-free cancellations for basic economy tickets.
United Airlines has issued a travel waiver that covers flights between Nov. 6 and 16 for flights out of the following airports:
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)
Denver International Airport (DEN)
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
Guam International Airport (GUM)
Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
Dulles International Airport (IAD)
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Travelers whose flights are affected can opt for a United flight that departs between six days prior to and six days after their original travel dates.
On top of that, the airline said that any customer who would rather not travel while these FAA restrictions are in place can cancel and get a refund, even if their flight is not canceled (as long as the trip was booked before Nov. 4).
Southwest Airlines said that, in most cases, it will automatically rebook customers whose flights are canceled onto an alternative flight. Customers can also opt to rebook themselves or claim a refund.
Also, the airline is allowing passengers with trips between Nov. 7 and 13 to rebook or travel standby within the same city pair without paying a fare difference.
Passengers can cancel their trip between Nov. 7 and 13 and get a refund even if their flight isn't affected. Cancellations must be made at least 10 minutes prior to departure.
Monday's winter weather in the Midwest was expected to throw an added wrench into Southwest's operation. A quarter of all departures at Chicago's Midway International Airport (MDW) were canceled by midmorning, according to FlightAware. Midway is a major base for Southwest.
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines
Alaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, issued a flexible travel waiver last week. It allows passengers with trips booked between Nov. 7 and 17 to fly anytime between now and Nov. 24 without incurring a difference in fare.
The company said it would not cancel international service or critical routes to communities that rely on air travel. Alaska Airlines operates critical service to remote communities in the state of Alaska. Hawaiian likewise operates important neighbor island service in its home state.
An Alaska Airlines plane taxis at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). AARONP BAUER GRIFFIN/GC IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES
"We worked to ensure smaller and remote communities that are reliant upon air travel are protected," Alaska Air Group said in a statement.
Instead, the carrier planned to reduce service on routes served by multiple daily departures.
JetBlue
JetBlue has issued a travel advisory that covers 20 cities, including its key hubs at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).
Travelers with flights through Nov. 14 can rebook without change fees or fare differences through Nov. 20.
If your flight gets canceled and you opt not to travel, you can request a refund under DOT policy.
As an alternative option, JetBlue said customers willing to take a travel credit instead of a cash refund would also be eligible to earn 2,000 TrueBlue points. We'd only recommend this option to frequent JetBlue flyers who feel confident they'll make full use of the credit.
The budget carrier has waived all change and cancellation fees for flights through Nov. 12, as long as the departing city and destination remain the same.
The airline noted that itinerary changes would be subject to a fare difference if the price of the new flight is higher. Additionally, travelers will not receive a travel credit if their new itinerary is cheaper.
A few important things to know about refunds, travel credits and canceling a flight:
You can choose to cancel your Frontier flight, penalty-free, even if it's not affected by the FAA's restrictions.
If the flight isn't affected by the FAA's restrictions, you'd only be eligible for a travel credit with the airline — not a full refund.
If your flight is canceled or significantly delayed beyond your control, you would be eligible for a refund under DOT policy.
Meanwhile, the airline’s CEO, Barry Biffle, took to social media last week with some head-turning “practical travel advice.”
“If you are flying Friday or in the next 10 days and need to be there or don’t want to be stranded, I highly recommend booking a backup ticket on another carrier,” Biffle wrote Wednesday evening. “I would simply have a backup ticket on another airline. I’m sorry this is happening. Hopefully the shutdown is over soon."
A Frontier Airlines Airbus A320 at the hangar in Denver. SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
Frontier operates less-than-daily service on many of its routes. This means that even if travelers are rebooked on the carrier’s next available flight, they may still have to wait a day or more to reach their destination.
Spirit Airlines
As of 10 a.m. EST Monday, Spirit Airlines' website did not show an active travel waiver in place.
In a statement posted to social media, the Florida-based ultra-low-cost carrier said it was "closely monitoring" the situation and would work with travelers to minimize the impact.
Because the flight disruptions technically aren't the airline's fault, it's likely airlines will not offer compensation for unexpected hotel nights, meals in the airport, or taxis to and from your hotel.
"Airlines will be required to issue full refunds. They will not be required to cover secondary costs," the DOT confirmed Thursday evening. "This is the normal procedure when a delay or cancellation is not at the fault of the carrier."
When it comes to credit cards that have travel insurance plans, it appears that shutdown-related disruptions may not apply as a "covered reason" for invoking trip delay reimbursement or trip cancellation/interruption coverage on some plans. But you should (always) check with your card's benefits guide — or call the benefits administrator — to verify.
On the other hand, if you purchased independent travel insurance, many comprehensive policies offer more blanket coverage for delays and cancellations — though again, read the specific terms of your policy to know what is (and is not) covered.
Important to know
These advisories have been rapidly changing as the FAA's restrictions have unfolded.
Keep checking back for updates, and if you’re flying in the coming days, watch for any communications from your airline.
The 40 airports most affected by the FAA's flight cuts
Finally, here's a full rundown of the key airports where the FAA ordered reductions in air traffic. Keep in mind, though, that the disruptions will affect travelers at airports across the country:
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
Dallas Love Field (DAL)
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
Denver International Airport (DEN)
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
William P. Hobby Airport (HOU)
Dulles International Airport (IAD)
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
Indianapolis International Airport (IND)
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Midway International Airport (MDW)
Memphis International Airport (MEM)
Miami International Airport (MIA)
Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport (MSP)
Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK)
Ontario International Airport (ONT)
O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
Portland International Airport (PDX)
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
San Diego International Airport (SAN)
Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF)
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
