LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Travelers at Southern California airports are continuing to feel the impact of the nationwide flight disruption as thousands of flights across the country have either been canceled or delayed — either stranding travelers or forcing them to hit the roads.
More than 2,200 flights were canceled across the country on Monday amid the Federal Aviation Administration’s limiting capacity at 40 major U.S. airports.
As of 8 p.m. Monday, at least 72 flights were canceled at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and 314 have been delayed, according to FlightAware, an airline traffic tracker. At Ontario International Airport (ONT), 14 had been canceled, at Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), 10 were canceled, and at John Wayne Airport (SNA), 14 were canceled.
Over 150 flights have been canceled at LAX and San Diego airports since Friday.
The travel chaos, which comes amid a record-length shutdown of the federal government, was expected to continue into Tuesday, according to the tracker.
“Got stuck in Tucson, needed to get home today, so I rented a car from Hertz. It was the cheapest one around,” traveler Daryl Tanita said.
Car rental company Hertz has reported a 20% spike in one-way car rentals recently. AAA is telling people to have a backup plan, at least right now.
“Given the shutdown that has caused some problems at the airports, a lot of people were looking at that plan B. And we do encourage people to think about a plan B if they have a flight that they anticipate is going to be canceled or delayed for a long time,” said Doug Shupe with Autoclub Southern California.
That was the case for Tanita. The Pasadena resident wasted no time after reciving notice that his flight from Tucson to Los Angeles was canceled.
“I knew my flight was already cancelled, so I just already booked a car right then and there. I didn’t even try and search for a new flight or anything,” Tanita said.
Despite the uncertainty when it comes to travel, Shupe says they still anticipate large crowds traveling during this holiday season.
“A lot of people will still be flying to their destinations this Thanksgiving, particularly if the news that we’re hearing the shutdown may be coming to an end. That’s going to do a lot for lifting people’s spirits, making them feel a little less nervous about those Thanksgiving flights,” Shupe said.
With news that the shutdown could soon be ending, it’s important to note that travel troubles could continue to be an issue for days after the government reopens.
The FAA says the air traffic cuts are needed as air traffic controllers continue to go without pay and are stretched thin.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned over the weekend that air traffic across the country could “slow to a trickle” if the government shutdown continues into Thanksgiving weekend.
“It’s only going to get worse. I look to the two weeks before Thanksgiving — you’re going to see air travel be reduced to a trickle,” Duffy warned. “The answer is — vote to open up the government.”
Duffy added that airlines may have to cancel one in five flights if the shutdown doesn’t end.
Travelers at LAX on Monday were feeling the effects of those cuts.
“On my way here, it got delayed, and I had to reschedule twice. And with my flight today, I was here about three hours early. I was ready to go, bags were checked in. And then Frontier said they were going to cancel it,” said Alexis Nash of Chicago.
Experts say if you do have to fly, booking a non-stop flight is your best bet.
Direct flights lower the chances of the flight being delayed or canceled. Flights that use smaller planes are also likely to get canceled first.
Travelers are also encouraged to book morning flights rather than the ones in the afternoon or evening, because crews are usually already at the airport.
ABC News contributed to this report.
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