The government shutdown is wreaking havoc on U.S. travel. Essential airport workers, including air traffic controllers and TSA agents, have been working without pay since Oct. 1, leading to staffing shortages, delays and cancellations at airports nationwide.
This week, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy cut flight capacity by roughly 10%, which is expected to ground up to 4,000 flights daily, including departures from Chicago’s O’Hare, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, Los Angeles International, New York’s John F. Kennedy, and dozens of other major airports.
While travel insurance can be a lifesaver, it usually doesn’t cover cancellations or delays due to known events, like military conflicts, named hurricanes and, yes, government shutdowns….