A new government shutdown deadline is nearing this week. If that has you worried that a potential government shutdown could disrupt travel plans this winter, in one of the many ways a government shutdown could affect you, don’t stress out too much — at least, not yet.
The big hassles for travelers, history shows, tend to occur the longer a shutdown drags on. The long story short is that Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers are deemed essential, so airport security will continue working this weekend even if there is a shutdown. However, while those employees are asked to work, they're not paid until the end of a shutdown.
So the longer a government shutdown goes on, you'll start to see worker shortages caused by unpaid government employees calling out sick and related disruptions start to cause major travel headaches. Let's get into the details.
What happens to travel in a long government shutdown
A government shutdown would halt funding to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), TSA and Customs and Border Protection. The government closing for business would also cause a hit to the U.S. travel economy, with estimated losses of as much as $140 million per day, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
Despite the halt in funding, government workers critical to the travel industry, such as airport security agents, air traffic controllers and custom officials, are deemed "essential workers." As a result, those workers must still report to work even though their paycheck is put on hold.
The real pressure point for air travelers during a government shutdown occurs when frustrated federal employees tire of not receiving a paycheck (despite knowing they’ll get back pay) and start calling out sick in large numbers, like they did during the 35-day government shutdown in late 2018 and early 2019.
The shortage of TSA security agents and air traffic controllers causes lines at airports to grow longer, passenger wait times to stretch out to hours, and travelers to start really feeling the impact and suffer major inconveniences.
What to do if you're traveling this weekend and there's a shutdown
If you're traveling for the holidays this weekend and the government doesn't reach a budget deal by Friday night and shuts down, your trip won't be immediately ruined. But if, say, you're returning home in two weeks and the government is still shut down, you might expect to see longer waits through TSA, even if you're using Clear, TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.
There's no saying exactly how long it'll take workers to reach breaking points where call-outs start happening, but it's reasonable that not getting paid during the busiest work time of the year could move people to that point faster. AAA is expecting record-breaking travel numbers, with 7.85 million people traveling by air between December 21 and January 1.
Should we reach that point, remember holiday travel best practices: Give yourself plenty of time, pack (TSA-permissible) snacks and prepare your patience.
Other ways a government shutdown impacts travel plans
Even if you're not traveling by air, your travel and holiday plans could still be disrupted by a government shutdown, because it could also result in the closing of national parks, federally owned museums, monuments and attractions.
Many of the people who work in those places are not deemed essential. In 2018-19, many of these federal tourist attractions furloughed workers and were either closed or operated with skeleton staffs that resulted in subpar conditions, such as overflowing toilets and garbage cans.
So if you were planning to drive to a nearby park or attraction, double-check that it's open before you go.
Takeaways of a government shutdown's impact on travel
Travelers wondering how their trips may be impacted if the government shuts down should look at what happened during the longest-ever government shutdown in 2018 and 2019 as a roadmap.
Here are some takeaways:
Duration of the shutdown matters. In the last shutdown, news reports of hour-plus-long lines at airports, fight delays, and the closing of some terminals at major airports such as Miami International Airport didn’t occur until mid-January 2019, or roughly three weeks into the shutdown.
The staff shortages at airports caused by government workers calling out sick tended to pick up when these federal employees missed their first or second paycheck and started to feel the financial squeeze.
Check your documents. Getting a passport might also take longer due to staffing shortages, according to the U.S. Travel Association. It’s possible that passport offices located inside federal buildings could close, too.
Do your homework. Most experts say a government shutdown isn’t a reason for travelers to cancel their trips, unless, of course, a national park you planned on visiting is closed. But what travel experts do recommend is doing your homework before you head to the airport, hop on a train or jump in the car to set off on a trip.
“Call ahead, do your research, and see what’s open and what’s not,” said Sarah Kopit, editor-in-chief at Skift. “Make sure you can get to where you’re going. And then make an informed decision as to whether it’s worth it (to go).”
And, if you do decide to travel during a government shutdown, leave extra time in the event there are delays at the airport.
