Thursday, December 19, 2024
With a potential U.S. government shutdown on the horizon, travelers are concerned about possible disruptions to flights with airlines like American, Delta, United, Southwest, and others. Similarly, cruise passengers are wondering if voyages with Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Disney could face delays.
As Congress faces a Friday midnight deadline to pass a funding deal, President-elect Donald Trump’s rejection of a bipartisan agreement has heightened the risk of a shutdown. If no agreement is reached, essential government employees — including air traffic controllers, TSA agents, and customs officers — will be required to work without pay, potentially impacting airport and port operations. Here’s how flights and cruises could be affected.
Bipartisan Deal Collapses as Trump Rejects Plan
Lawmakers reached a bipartisan agreement to keep the government funded through mid-March, but President-elect Donald Trump rejected it, calling for a debt ceiling increase. This unexpected move left Congress scrambling for a new plan, with a shutdown looming at midnight on Friday.
Will Airline Travel Be Disrupted?
The short answer: Probably not — at least not right away.
Funding to agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) would be on hold. However, the agents you typically interact with at airports and seaports, along with the controllers who oversee your flights, are considered essential and will continue working without pay during the shutdown. Flights on major U.S. airlines like American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Alaska Airlines, Frontier Airlines, and Spirit Airlines should continue as scheduled.
While the immediate impact is expected to be minimal, prolonged shutdowns can have noticeable effects. Previous shutdowns have shown that staffing issues can develop as unpaid essential workers call out, leading to longer airport security lines and flight delays. However, crucial safety functions like inspections and air traffic control continue, and hiring and training operations are the only parts of the FAA and TSA that are paused.
What About Cruise Lines?
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents are essential personnel, meaning they will remain on duty but will work without pay. This means operations at U.S. cruise ports are expected to continue as normal initially. However, if the shutdown persists, issues may arise as unpaid CBP agents may begin to miss work.
Cruise lines like Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), and Disney Cruise Line rely on customs agents to process passengers entering and exiting U.S. ports. If a shutdown lasts for an extended period, delays could occur if CBP agents begin calling out, causing bottlenecks at cruise terminals.
What About Passports and Visas?
According to the most recent guidance from the State Department, consular operations in the U.S. and internationally will continue “if there are sufficient fees” to support them. This includes passport and visa services, as well as assistance for U.S. citizens abroad. If a shutdown drags on for too long, however, available fee funds could run out, and this could lead to delays in passport and visa processing.
How Did Previous Shutdowns Affect Travel?
During the 2019 government shutdown, it took about two weeks before FAA controllers and TSA agents, who were working without pay, began calling out of work. This resulted in long security lines at airports and flight delays. Eventually, the government agreed to a funding bill, and operations returned to normal.
National parks were also impacted in 2019. Some closed entirely, while others remained open but with no staff to maintain them. As a result, parks that stayed open saw overflowing trash bins and unsanitary restrooms, creating public backlash and pressure for lawmakers to end the shutdown.
Will My Holiday Travel Be Affected?
For now, travelers flying on American, Delta, United, Southwest, JetBlue, Alaska, Frontier, and Spirit or boarding cruises with Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Disney can expect operations to continue as usual. Essential personnel like TSA agents, air traffic controllers, and customs officers will remain on duty, keeping airport and port functions running. However, if the shutdown drags on for weeks, staff shortages and absenteeism could disrupt security checks, flight schedules, and port clearance processes.
What’s Next for Congress?
With Speaker Mike Johnson’s bipartisan funding plan now off the table, lawmakers have until Friday night to agree on a new deal. Trump’s demand for a debt ceiling increase has complicated negotiations, and some of his allies in the House are calling for a shutdown. If no deal is reached, essential government employees will be forced to work without pay, and non-essential operations will shut down.
Key Dates to Watch:
With deep political divides, the likelihood of a shutdown increases with each passing hour. Congress is racing against time to strike a deal, but if no agreement is reached, the impact on travelers will depend on how long the shutdown lasts.
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Tags: American, Carnival, congress, delta, disney cruise, donald trump, Norwegian, royal caribbean, southwest, travel alert, travel industry, Travel News, United, US
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