Starting this Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will begin reducing flight capacity by up to 10% at 40 of the busiest U.S. airports. This step is being taken in response to staffing and operational pressures during the federal shutdown.
Airports Identified for Reductions:
As of Thursday morning, the following airports have been identified for reductions. CTP will continue to monitor this list and communicate changes as they are announced.
- Anchorage International (ANC)
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL)
- Boston Logan International (BOS)
- Baltimore/Washington International (BWI)
- Charlotte Douglas International (CLT)
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG)
- Dallas Love (DAL)
- Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA)
- Denver International (DEN)
- Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW)
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW)
- Newark Liberty International (EWR)
- Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International (FLL)
- Honolulu International (HNL)
- Houston Hobby (HOU)
- Washington Dulles International (IAD)
- George Bush Houston Intercontinental (IAH)
- Indianapolis International (IND)
- New York John F Kennedy International (JFK)
- Las Vegas Harry Reid International (LAS)
- Los Angeles International (LAX)
- New York LaGuardia (LGA)
- Orlando International (MCO)
- Chicago Midway (MDW)
- Memphis International (MEM)
- Miami International (MIA)
- Minneapolis/St Paul International (MSP)
- Oakland International (OAK)
- Ontario International (ONT)
- Chicago O`Hare International (ORD)
- Portland International (PDX)
- Philadelphia International (PHL)
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX)
- San Diego International (SAN)
- Louisville International (SDF)
- Seattle/Tacoma International (SEA)
- San Francisco International (SFO)
- Salt Lake City International (SLC)
- Teterboro (TEB)
- Tampa International (TPA)
Airline Response
In response, most major airlines have offered waivers to mitigate costs associated with travel changes, re-bookings, and cancellations, including those booked in restrictive or non-refundable fare classes. Airlines have advised they will contact travelers directly via email, text, or app if your flight is adjusted or cancelled.
CTP Response
- CTP is tracking airline and FAA updates, ready to assist with cancellations, re-bookings or route adjustments as they are requested. We are closely monitoring our telephony/email/chat volume and are adjusting staffing resources, including overtime to ensure continuation of care for travelers.
- Callers will also be alerted to this situation through telephony messaging to help travelers understand what to expect and how to access travel resources.
- Most communications indicate that airlines will be reaching out directly to travelers, and many airlines are still finalizing their plans and responses. Our agent teams are carefully monitoring schedule change queues for impacted reservations. As new information becomes available, we will keep our frontline teams updated to ensure we’re sharing the most accurate and current details.
What this means for you
- Flights that route through major hubs may experience more delays or cancellations. Airlines do report they believe a majority of travelers will be unaffected and several news outlets have reported that International flights and hub-to-hub flights are unlikely to be impacted.
- We recommend adding extra lead time, considering alternate airports, and ensuring travelers have clear notification channels.
What Travel Managers Can Do
- Communicate with your travelers about the situation and share the advice prepared below.
Advice for Travelers
CTP recommends the following traveler actions to help mitigate traveler inconvenience and longer hold times with emergency services and airlines if travelers experience flight delays or cancellations:
- Book, change, and cancel travel reservations through your company’s online booking tool whenever possible
- Avoid booking the last flight of the day
- Download airline apps, and sign up for airline messages. Use the airline app and/or relevant websites to check flight status before heading to the airport
- Utilize the Scout tool within CTM Portal or SMS via our telephony services to cancel or check flight statuses
- At this time and due to the reduction in flights, travelers should only call when travel is within 72 hours of departure as things are happening quickly
- For travel outside of 72 hours, please hold off calling. Our goal is to service travelers who are experiencing current flight disruptions and not inhibit travelers in need from being able to reach a live agent
- When the option is available choose the "callback" option to reduce hold times and receive a return call when an agent becomes available
We appreciate your support and collaboration to employ these recommendations and remain open to your questions and needs.