How each airline is handling the flight cuts required by the FAA - The Points Guy

Mass flight cancellations began Friday, affecting nearly every major U.S. airline and travelers across the country.

That’s after the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration this week announced they would require significant air travel cutbacks at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports.

From New York City to Boston, Atlanta, South Florida, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and more, think of a major airline hub and it has probably been affected.

The move comes as the lingering federal government shutdown — now the longest in history — strains the nation’s air traffic controller workforce, and employees have not received a full paycheck in weeks.

Airlines have scrambled to determine which flights to cancel, leaving travelers to wonder if their upcoming flights would take off on time — or at all.

Meanwhile, some of the largest U.S. airlines announced more lenient policies allowing travelers to change flights, stay home or claim a refund.

Here are some helpful links to more information about the FAA flight cuts:

Read on for an airline-by-airline breakdown.

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Los Angeles, CA - October 26: Travelers look at the flight information display system at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground delay citing staffing shortages in Southern California's airspace, causing flight delays at LAX. — JULIANA YAMADA/LOS ANGELES TIMES/GETTY IMAGES

American Airlines

American Airlines this week said its long-haul international routes will continue as scheduled. So will flights from one American hub to another, since those routes are critical to getting planes and crews to the right cities.

American pledged to “proactively reach out” to customers facing cancellations.

“To provide additional flexibility during the impacted travel period, 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 any penalty,” the carrier said.

American’s cancellations totaled around 220 flights per day between Friday and Monday, the Fort Worth-based carrier told TPG.

Reminder: You are entitled to a refund if your flight is canceled and you choose not to travel

Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines extended its travel advisory covering all 40 airports affected by the FAA restrictions. You can find the full list of eligible airports here.

Travelers booked on flights between Nov. 7 and 14 can rebook on a flight departing between now and Nov. 21 without having to pay a difference in fare. If you rebook for a later date, there may be a fare difference.

I expect that advisory could expand if the shutdown drags on.

The airline also said that travelers flying to, from or through one of the affected airports during the affected travel period can cancel and get a refund for their flight. That includes penalty-free cancellations for basic economy tickets.

Late Thursday, the Atlanta-based carrier told TPG it planned to cancel flights around a day in advance.

Across Delta’s network, the carrier canceled around 170 flights for Friday. About 80% of those cuts involved Delta Connection regional service, according to FlightAware data reviewed by TPG.

Related: U.S. government is shut down: Here are the travel impacts

United Airlines

United Airlines issued a travel waiver that covers flights between Nov. 6 and Nov. 13 for flights out of the following airports:

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)
Denver International Airport (DEN)
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
Guam International Airport (GUM)
Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
Dulles International Airport (IAD)
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

Travelers whose flights are affected can opt for a United flight departing between six days prior to and six days after their original travel dates.

Alternatively, those travelers can cancel and receive a full refund, the carrier said — consistent with DOT policy.

On top of that, the airline said that any customer who would rather now travel while these FAA restrictions are in place can cancel and get a refund, even if their flight is canceled (as long as the trip was booked before Nov. 4)

United said it would avoid long-haul international flights and hub-to-hub flights operating between each of its continental U.S. hubs.

The carrier has been publishing a full list of flights it’s canceled.

Read more: Flight delayed or canceled? Here’s what to do next

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines said it will automatically rebook customers whose flights are canceled, in most cases, onto another flight. Customers can also opt to rebook themselves or claim a refund.

Also, the airline is allowing passengers with trips between Nov. 7 and 12 to re-book or travel standby within the same city pair without paying a fare difference.

Passengers can also cancel their trip between Nov. 7 and 12 and get a refund even if their flight isn’t affected. Cancellations must be made at least 10 minutes prior to departure.

Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines

Alaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, issued a flexible travel waiver Thursday afternoon. It allows passengers with trips booked between Nov. 7 and 14 to re-book anytime between now and Nov. 21 without incurring a difference in fare.

The company said it would not cancel international service or critical routes to communities that rely on air travel. Alaska Airlines operates critical service to remote communities in the state of Alaska. Hawaiian likewise operates important neighbor island service in its home state.

An Alaska Airlines plane taxis at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). AARONP BAUER GRIFFIN/GC IMAGES VIA GETTY IMAGES

“We worked to ensure smaller and remote communities that are reliant upon air travel are protected,” Alaska Air Group said in a statement.

Instead, the carrier planned to reduce service on routes served by multiple daily departures.

JetBlue

JetBlue has issued a travel advisory that covers 20 cities, including its key hubs at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).

Travelers with flights between Nov. 7 and 13 can re-book without change fees or paying a fare difference through Nov. 19.

If your flight gets canceled and you opt not to travel, can request a refund under DOT policies.

As an alternative option, JetBlue said customers willing to take a travel credit instead of a cash refund would be eligible to also earn 2,000 TrueBlue points. We’d recommend this option only to frequent JetBlue flyers who feel confident they’ll make full use of the credit.

Frontier Airlines

Frontier Airlines launched a flexible travel policy.

The budget carrier has waived all change and cancellation fees for flights through Nov. 12, as long as your departing city and destination remain the same.

The airline noted that itinerary changes would be subject to a fare difference if the price of the new flight is higher. And, travelers will not get a travel credit if their new itinerary is cheaper.

A few important things to know about refunds, travel credits and canceling a flight:

You can choose to cancel your Frontier flight, penalty-free, even if it’s not affected by the FAA’s restrictions.
However, if the flight isn’t affected by the FAA’s restrictions, though, you’d only be eligible for a travel credit with the airline — not a full refund.
If your flight is canceled or significantly delayed, out of your control, you would be eligible for a refund under DOT policy.

Meanwhile, the airline’s CEO Barry Biffle took to social media this week with a head-turning “practical travel advice.”

“If you are flying Friday or in the next 10 days and need to be there or don’t want to be stranded, I highly recommend booking a backup ticket on another carrier,” Biffle wrote on Wednesday evening. “I would simply have a backup ticket on another airline. I’m sorry this is happening. Hopefully the shutdown is over soon.”

A Frontier Airlines Airbus A320 at the hangar in Denver. SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

Frontier operates less-than-daily service on many of its routes — which means that even if travelers get rebooked on the carrier’s next available flight, they may have to wait a day or more to get to their destination.

Spirit Airlines

As of 8 a.m. EST Saturday, Spirit Airlines’ website did not show an active travel waiver in place.

In a statement posted to social media, the Florida-based ultra-low-cost carrier said it was “closely monitoring” the situation and would work with travelers to minimize the impact.

However, Spirit only canceled five flights on Friday, FlightAware showed.

Who pays if you get stranded

Because the flight disruptions technically aren’t the airline’s fault, it’s likely airlines will not offer compensation for unexpected hotel nights, meals in the airport or taxis to and from your hotel.

However, travelers who booked their flight with a credit card that has travel insurance protections may be able to claim reimbursement for these expenses.

“Airlines will be required to issue full refunds. They will not be required to cover secondary costs,” the DOT confirmed Thurdsay evening. “This is the normal procedure when a delay or cancellation is not at the fault of the carrier.”

Important to know

These advisories have been rapidly changing as the FAA’s restrictions have unfolded.

Keep checking back for updates, and if you’re flying in the coming days, watch for any communications from your airline.

The 40 airports most affected by the FAA’s flight cuts

Finally, here’s a full rundown of the key airports where the FAA ordered reductions in air traffic. Keep in mind, though, that the disruptions will affect travelers at airports all across the country.