Major airlines are offering passengers the chance to change their flights for free amid the chaos at American airports prompted by the government funding stalemate.
Congress has been locked in a bitter back-and-forth over negotiations to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which pays workers at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
The negotiations have resulted in a partial government shutdown, impacting the salaries of federal workers, including employees at the TSA.
Absences among TSA workers have reached their highest levels. The Trump administration deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to bolster airport security on Monday.
As airport staff struggle to accommodate travelers and security lines continue to grow, airlines have offered passengers the chance to push back their trips for free.
Delta Air Lines announced that passengers flying from Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday and Wednesday can rebook their trips as long as they travel before March 30.
A fair difference will be waived if passengers rebook before the March 30 deadline in the same cabin as their original trip.
If travelers cannot push back their trip by a week, they can cancel their reservation and apply the value to a new ticket within a year from the original ticket issuance.
Airports across the nation are struggling to accommodate travelers during the partial government shutdown. Long lines at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Monday are pictured above
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been sent to airports hit the hardest during the shutdown. Agents at Hartsfield-Jackson are pictured above
Passengers are facing wait times of over four hours. Delta is offering travelers flying out of Atlanta the opportunity to rebook travel to next week for free to combat staffing issues
Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International is Delta’s main hub. The airport is estimating at least four-hour wait times for security screenings as of Tuesday afternoon.
United Airlines is also offering passengers the chance to delay their trips from its Houston hub at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
United will waive any fees and fare differences for passengers rebooking flights originally scheduled for Monday through Wednesday
However, flights must depart on or before Friday, must be in the same cabin and between the same cities to qualify for the waiver.
Travelers at George Bush Intercontinental Airport are also experiencing long wait times, with only two terminals open for TSA screening.
The airport issued an urgent alert on its website, warning travelers that the government shutdown was affecting all TSA checkpoints and that missed flights were possible due to wait times of more than four hours.
George Bush and Hartsfield-Jackson are among the hardest hit airports struggling to accommodate a high volume of travel during the partial shutdown.
Funding for TSA agents lapsed on February 13, causing many agents to call out of work or quit entirely.
The White House said on Sunday that more than 400 TSA officers have quit due to the funding showdown.
United Airlines is also offering travelers the opportunity to push back travel at no additional cost. Pictured above are ICE agents attempting to alleviate long lines at George Bush International Airport in Houston on Monday
Airport chaos comes after Congress could not agree on funding for the Department of Homeland Security amid Trump’s aggressive ICE tactics. The president is pictured above at Joint Base Andrews on Monday
Nearly 12 percent of TSA officers nationwide called off work on Sunday – the highest rate since the shutdown began.
The funding dispute in Congress stems from Democrats’ refusal to fund ICE amid backlash to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
Delta even announced that members of Congress would not receive special services amid airport chaos.
‘Due to the impact on resources from the longstanding government shutdown, Delta will temporarily suspend specialty services to members of Congress flying Delta,’ the airline said in a statement.
‘Next to safety, Delta’s no. 1 priority is taking care of our people and customers, which has become increasingly difficult in the current environment.’
