Flying during the shutdown: 5 on Your Side outlines travelers' rights

As the holiday season nears, air travelers coping with sky-high stress will see 10 percent of flights at 40 major airport cancelled, an effort to ease fatigue among air traffic controllers.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the plan to limit flights on Wednesday. Airports in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago along with hubs across the U.S. are among the 40 that will see flights cut starting Friday due to the government shutdown, according to a list distributed to the airlines and obtained by The Associated Press. 

More than 4,000 flights a day are expected to be canceled nationwide with the first day of widespread cancellations expected Friday. Raleigh-Durham International Airport isn’t directly on the cut list, but when the system strains, every airport feels it.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said passengers could expect mass chaos at the nation's airports. The shutdown is causing staffing shortages and putting a strain on existing employees. On Thursday, United Airlines told CNN it preemptively canceled about 200 flights for Friday and more cancellations were expected over the weekend.

“We just cannot manage it because we don’t have the air traffic controllers,” Duffy said.

So what do you do if your trip is impacted? It's important to know travelers have rights. Airlines must automatically issue a full refund if your flight is "cancelled or significantly changed," which means a three-hour delay for a domestic flight or six hours for an international flight.

If you're flying domestically, airlines must deliver your checked bag within 12 hours of arriving or reimburse you for any checked bag fees. 

If you do encounter delays or cancellations, you can ask the airline to give you meal vouchers or cover costs to stay at a hotel. But they’re not required to comply with the request.

To avoid further travel headaches during the shutdown, Expedia Travel Expert Melaine Fish recommends booking a flight that leaves early in the day. 

“It’s more important than ever to book that first flight of the day and a direct flight if you can,” Fish said.

Here's three things to incorporate into your pre-flight routine.

Check policy: Delta, United, Southwest and American are offering customers flexibility to change, cancel or refund their flights. Even passengers who booked highly restrictive basic economy can do so “without any penalty.” 

Backup plans: If you can cancel your trip, consider doing so. It’ll save you a big headache, but if you must fly for a wedding, a funeral or another significant event, Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle is recommending that customers buy a “backup flight on another carrier that departs after the first ticket, that way you’ll have an “immediate backup.” You can also consider driving or taking a train. 

Who's hit the hardest: Fortunately, airlines are expected to leave most international routes alone, and they’re not likely to cut their major hub-to-hub flights, such as United’s Newark to San Francisco, because those are consistently full and profitable. But the smaller regional routes? Those are the ones most at risk of being reduced or eliminated.

Will the price of flights go up because of this? Yes. Why? Supply and demand. When flights get canceled and seats become limited, airlines can legally charge more for the seats that are left.

WRAL’s 5 On Your Side spent the day pressing every airline that flies out of RDU for clear answers on their refund policies when cancellations or delays happen because of these cuts. You can see the responses from major airlines below.

Southwest Airlines: Southwest Airlines is determining the scheduling adjustments needed to meet the required FAA flight reductions. While the majority of our customers’ flights will not be disrupted, all Southwest customers, with travel booked through next Wednesday, Nov. 12, may adjust their travel plans at no cost, or receive a refund if they choose not to travel, regardless of whether their flight is affected. We will communicate directly with affected customers as soon as possible. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees. We continue to urge Congress to immediately resolve its impasse and restore the National Airspace System to its full capacity.

American Airlines: American Airlines is actively monitoring the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) planned flight reductions and evaluating potential impacts to our schedule. We are committed to keeping our customers informed and will communicate any changes as soon as possible.

United: The U.S. government plans to restrict flights beginning Friday, Nov. 7, due to the ongoing federal government shutdown. We’re making updates to our schedule and will let you know if your flight is affected as soon as possible, but anyone flying between Nov. 6 and 13 can request a refund or reschedule for free.

Breeze: We’re awaiting more detail from the FAA, but early indications suggest minimal impact to Breeze, given our focus on underserved airports. The safety of our Guests remains our top priority and we're committed to working with those who are impacted to ensure they're fully supported. We’ll transparently communicate any updates to our Guests as we learn more.

Avelo Airlines: Our RDU schedule should not be affected based on the airports affected.

Frontier: During the FAA directed flight reductions scheduled to begin Friday, Nov. 7, we expect most Frontier flights will operate as planned. Where changes to flight schedules are necessary, we will proactively communicate with impacted customers via email, text, and the Frontier mobile app. Customers whose flights are canceled or delayed for more than 3 hours (domestic flights) or 6 hours (international flights) are able to rebook or to request a refund online.

Spirit Airport Advisory: TSA Security Checkpoints at a number of U.S. airports are experiencing intermittent delays due to staffing levels. Please check your departure airport website for the latest news on the delays, and plan to arrive to the airport early to allow for the extra time.