Several U.S. airlines issued updates on their refund policies on Thursday after the Trump administration announced a 10 percent cut in flights at 40 major U.S. airports across the country.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that air travel capacity will gradually be cut by up to the stated goal of 10 percent from Friday, November 7, onward.
The decision, which has been made because air traffic controllers were reporting feeling fatigued, is expected to impact domestic flights only—but that is hardly a neglectable number. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), its Air Traffic Organization (ATO) handled more than 44,000 flights every day in 2024, serving an estimated total of over 3 million passengers.
“My department has many responsibilities, but our number one job is safety. This isn’t about politics—it’s about assessing the data and alleviating building risk in the system as controllers continue to work without pay,” said Duffy in a statement. “It’s safe to fly today, and it will continue to be safe to fly next week because of the proactive actions we are taking.”
The announcement has come as the ongoing federal government shutdown has now become the longest in the nation’s history.
What Has the Government Shutdown To Do With Flights?
The government shut down on October 1 after Democrats and Republicans in the Senate could not agree on a spending bill that would keep it funded. Since then, several federal operations have been temporarily suspended, while 1.4 million federal employees continue working without pay or are on forced leave.
These include air traffic controllers in major airports in Atlanta, New York, and Washington, D.C.
Despite the fact that the shutdown is now in its second month and its impact is starting to be felt by millions of Americans—including food stamp beneficiaries who are expected to receive about half their allowance this month—Democrats and Republicans in the Senate have yet to agree on a way forward that would reopen the government.
The impasse is around healthcare. Democrats want to extend expiring tax credits making health insurance cheaper for millions of Americans and reverse President Donald Trump’s cuts to Medicaid. Republicans have so far refused to budge, hoping that Democrats will blink first.
Duffy said that the reductions in domestic flights will be gradual, starting at 4 percent on Friday, November 7 and rising to 5 percent on Saturday, November 8. On Sunday, November 9, it will climb up to 9 percent, hitting 10 percent on Monday, November 10, according to Reuters.
Between 3,500 and 4,000 flights per day are expected to be affected by the reduction in services.
What Are Airlines Saying About the Expected Disruptions?
The Department of Transportation announced on Thursday that all airlines will be required to issue full refunds, while they will not be required to shoulder secondary costs—the normal procedure when a delay or cancellation is not at the fault of the carrier.
All of the biggest airlines in the U.S. have issued updates to customers following Duffy’s speech promising more flexibility for their refund policies.
American Airlines said on Thursday that it expects a majority of its passengers to remain unaffected by the reductions. “Disrupting customers’ plans is the last thing we want to do,” the company said in a statement.
“To provide additional flexibility during the impacted travel period,” the company announced that customers “whose flights are cancelled for any reason or who choose not to travel” will be able to change their flight or request a refund without paying any penalty.
American’s international flights won’t be affected.
Delta Airlines said in an update that it expects the “vast majority” of its flights not to be affected by the government’s decision and go ahead as scheduled. While complying with the government directive by reducing its domestic flights, its international flights won’t be affected.
Delta, like American, said that it is implementing additional flexibility on its cancellations and refund policies during this period for customers “traveling to, from or through the impacted markets” who would be able to cancel or refund their flights, including Delta Main Basic fares, without penalty.
The airline said it will try to give as much notice as possible to customers affected by flight cancellations.
United Airlines published an update from Scott Kirby to the company’s employees on Thursday following Duffy’s announcement, saying that its priority, like that of the federal government, was to operate safely. “No matter what environment we’re operating in, we will not compromise on safety,” he wrote.
Kirby said United will try to give customers “several days’ advance notice” for any disruption to their flights and “minimize disruption for them” and for all staff. While international flights won’t be impacted, United will focus its schedule reductions on regional and domestic flights “that do not travel between our hubs.”
Customers will be informed about flight changes via United’s app, website, and push notifications, and the company will offer them rebooking options.
“We want to provide them with as much information as we can and in a way that’s simple and easy to understand,” Kirby said.
Crucially, United customers flying during this period are eligible for a refund if they no longer wish to travel, even if their flight is not impacted by the planned reduction. That includes non-refundable tickets and customers with basic economy tickets.
The company reassured customers that even with the planned cancellations it will still be able to operate 4,000 flights per day, and it will have more free seats aboard than during the summer, “meaning we should be able to find seats for many customers even if their flight is canceled,” Kirby said.
Southwest Airlines said in an update issued on Thursday that it will notify customers via their contact information shared with the company during booking if their flight is canceled, and the information will also be available on their app and their website.
In most cases, the airline said it will automatically rebook affected customers on another flight, unless they decide not to travel. In that case, customers are eligible for a refund.
What Airports Will Be Affected?
This is the list of the 40 airports affected by the flight cuts provided by the Department of Transportation:
ANC – Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
ATL – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
BOS – Boston Logan International Airport
BWI – Baltimore/Washington International Airport
CLT – Charlotte Douglas International Airport
CVG – Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
DAL – Dallas Love Field
DCA – Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
DEN – Denver International Airport
DFW – Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
DTW – Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
EWR – Newark Liberty International Airport
FLL – Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport
HNL – Honolulu International Airport
HOU – William P. Hobby Airport
IAD – Washington Dulles International Airport
IAH – George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport
IND – Indianapolis International Airport
JFK – New York John F. Kennedy International Airport
LAS – Las Vegas McCarran International Airport
LAX – Los Angeles International Airport
LGA – New York LaGuardia Airport
MCO – Orlando International Airport
MDW – Chicago Midway International Airport
MEM – Memphis International Airport
MIA – Miami International Airport
MSP – Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport
OAK – Oakland International Airport
ONT – Ontario International Airport
ORD – Chicago O’Hare International Airport
PDX – Portland International Airport
PHL – Philadelphia International Airport
PHX – Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
SAN – San Diego International Airport
SDF – Louisville International Airport
SEA – Seattle–Tacoma International Airport
SFO – San Francisco International Airport
SLC – Salt Lake City International Airport
TEB – Teterboro Airport
TPA – Tampa International Airport