Well, it’s officially getting wild at airports. (Downright dystopian, in some cases.)
The ongoing partial government shutdown affecting the Transportation Security Administration has resulted in extremely long wait times, widespread confusion, security closures at some terminals — and that’s to say nothing of the way people are behaving through these trying situations.
If you’re a business traveler, you may not have the luxury of rescheduling your trips around this chaos. So we’ve put together the playbook you need to get through it all.
Here’s what we’re talking about today:
🧭 Everything you need to know to navigate the chaos at airports
🌐 Airspace closures left him stranded. These miles got him home
💺 9 business-class seats on the same flight (yes, really)
SMART TRAVEL
Don't go to the airport without reading this first
Airports across the U.S. are especially chaotic right now, with long security lines, staffing shortages and unpredictable wait times (up to four hours in some cases!) turning even routine trips into a gamble.
Even trusted programs like TSA PreCheck and Clear+ aren’t immune, with some lanes closing or backing up at peak times.
Before you brave the crowds and the chaos, here are some tips that can get you through airport security with your sanity intact:
The TSA contracts out security to the private sector at these 20 airports. So, during a government shutdown, their lines may be much shorter. If you have options for where you route your trip, try for one of these airports.
If TSA PreCheck is shut down at your airport, Clear+ may be your better bet for fast-tracking security (assuming its lanes are in service). This is also good news because, unlike with TSA PreCheck, you can enroll and be approved for Clear+ in about 10 minutes. Here’s how.
And if you have Clear+, know that this (relatively inexpensive) add-on saved this TPGer four hours of waiting when she had to travel through one of the worst-hit airports for a work trip.
With Global Entry shut down, you should try setting up this relatively unknown alternative offered directly by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It’s free and doesn’t require a lengthy screening process!
My bad luck had me flying on Emirates to Australia via Dubai for a mercy dash to see a dying relative on the first day of the current conflict, and both flights were canceled with no warning until I arrived at the airport.
Thank my lucky stars once again for my transferable points and miles to solve this problem and get me home. Using this invaluable tool, I was miraculously able to find a last-second award seat on Thai Airways from London to Sydney via Bangkok, departing only three hours after I found it.
Even if you can’t find award availability in an emergency, you can redeem Capital One miles at a rate of 1 cent per mile for virtually any flight, hotel stay or rental car through Capital One Travel. While not the best value possible, this is still an excellent way to save real cash when you might not have the bandwidth to navigate award availability and transfer partners.
It’s another reminder that points and miles are just as useful in an emergency as they are for luxury vacations.
— Ben Smithson, senior writer
REDEMPTION SONGS
9 business-class seats on the same flight (yes, really)
Think great award deals are a thing of the past? Not quite.
Here’s one example: This business owner recently turned his stash of miles into not one, not two, but nine Emirates business-class seats for a family trip to Europe — proof positive that big wins are still out there.
Are these tips helpful? Looking for something else? Let us know!
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Certain credit card issuers allow you to earn bonus rewards by referring friends or family members to credit cards; this can work from a personal to a business card.
You can book flights between San Francisco and Houston to experience United Airlines' swanky new Polaris Studio and suites starting next week through April.
Here's a closer look at the personal and business cards from World of Hyatt and Chase and whether it makes sense to add either (or both) to your wallet.
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