AUSTIN, Texas – Flight reductions began on Friday, Nov. 7, at 40 major airports because of the government shutdown.
Austin is not on the list, but travelers in and out of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport are dealing with delays and some cancellations.
Local perspective:
There were several delays and even a few cancellations at the Austin airport on Friday. Travelers with connecting flights, like Carolina Paredes, faced the most uncertainty about completing their trips.
“I was expecting it. I’m calm. I’ve just, I had Plan A, B, and C, so, you know, I’m okay,” said Paredes.
The fail-safe, for Paredes, involved getting a rental car in Atlanta for her final leg to Augusta, but others apparently had the same idea. After the luggage from Luke and Pat Naud’s flight out of Detroit hit the carousel, their bags were not loaded up.
Government shutdown: Continues to cause problems
President Trump has a plan to end the shutdown, Senate republicans have a plan to end the shutdown, and Senate democrats have a plan to end the shutdown. None of them, however, are expected to stick.
“Well, Enterprise said they were completely out of cars last night, and then I read that a lot of people are getting one-way rental cars because they are just canceling their return flights and driving back to wherever they can,” said Pat.
In a social media post, officials with ABIA issued an advisory. Even though Austin is not among the 40 airports targeted for a 4% reduction in flights, flight changes can be expected.
Two golfers heading to Boston were on hold for 30 minutes. Sean Burn’s flight to Burbank was pushed a little more.
“Uh, like an hour or just over an hour,” said Burn.
Leaving Austin for Komal, Mokha and her fiancée wasn’t a problem. They had a direct flight to Miami. But because it’s 1 of the 40 on the government flight reduction list, they’re not sure about getting back home.
“Yeah, for sure. I brought my work laptop in case I have to stay there overnight,” said Mokha.
Dig deeper:
In Washington at Reagan National, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy spoke about the looming air travel meltdown. He made it clear the staffing problem was now caused by the fight in Congress and the ongoing government shutdown.
“As many people here can’t get home, the Senate goes home. They should be here every day, every weekend, every week trying to find a deal so we can open the government back up,” said Secretary Duffy.
Holiday travel
When travelers were asked about future holiday travel plans, FOX 7 got mixed reactions.
“And I’m going to fly again, it doesn’t really bother me much,” said Charles Russell, who was on an international flight.
Some say if the shutdown continues, they may ground plans for a holiday trip that involves flying.
“Until it’s over, because I feel like something is going to get worse through Thanksgiving,” said Nick Juselis, who was heading back to Salt Lake City.
Some believe the fight on Capitol Hill will end before Thanksgiving.
“I’m going to continue to travel. I’m going to continue traveling on two trips coming up next week. And I’m continuing to travel, so I got faith that it worked itself out,” said Paul Robinson.
What you can do:
Officials with ABIA are helping with a food donation drive for federal employees who are working without paychecks.
FOX 7 was also told TSA staffers are able to accept gift cards, but the cards should be given to TSA managers to ensure a fair distribution.
Austin airport’s statement
The Austin airport released some helpful tips for travelers before they head to the airport:
AUS continues to recommend travelers arrive to the airport 2.5 hours prior to their flight’s departure.Travelers can view real-time information online to track flight cancellations and whether or not the FAA has issued a Ground Delay program for AUS.Online flight boardFAA National Airspace SystemOnline flight boardFAA National Airspace SystemAUS is not experiencing lengthy delays for TSA or airline ticket counters at this time, but conditions can change quickly. The airport will share information online and on social media if significant changes occur for travelers in the terminal.Many community members want to help our federal partners in this unprecedented time of need. The airport continues to work with community nonprofits and on-airport operators to provide food and resources to federal employees. You can join in by supporting local charities through donations or volunteering.A City-sponsored donation drive to benefit Central Texas Food Bank will also be held November 7 and 21 and December 5 and 19. If you’d like to participate, please bring non-perishable food items, such as canned goods, pasta and rice for donation to the Rosewood-Zaragosa Neighborhood Center between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.TSA staff are allowed to accept donated gift cards. These are collected by TSA management who ensures fair and equitable distribution of the gift cards.Central Texas Food Bank: https://www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/emergency-response and Feed the Need: https://feedtheneed.org/ are just two examples of local nonprofits who are working to support those affected by the federal shutdown.A City-sponsored donation drive to benefit Central Texas Food Bank will also be held November 7 and 21 and December 5 and 19. If you’d like to participate, please bring non-perishable food items, such as canned goods, pasta and rice for donation to the Rosewood-Zaragosa Neighborhood Center between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.TSA staff are allowed to accept donated gift cards. These are collected by TSA management who ensures fair and equitable distribution of the gift cards.Central Texas Food Bank: https://www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/emergency-response and Feed the Need: https://feedtheneed.org/ are just two examples of local nonprofits who are working to support those affected by the federal shutdown.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski