Traveling is already stressful, with flights subject to delays thanks to extreme weather or high traffic. Now, the government shutdown could compound the issue even further the longer it drags on, with essential employees having to work without pay, and some potentially opting to stay home or seek other employment instead. Last week, passengers in cities like Burbank, California and Nashville, Tennessee, experienced flight delays due to staffing shortages. 

But for now, you shouldn’t worry about postponing your travel plans, according to multiple airline experts. 

“It’s not the best time to be traveling, but it’s far from the worst,” said Henry Harteveldt, the president of Atmosphere Research Group, a travel advisory firm. 

Some airports have been seeing delays, but overall, they’ve been relatively minor, said Meghna Maharishi, an airline reporter at Skift, a travel industry publication. 

While some employees have not been reporting to work, it’s not concentrated in any one place, so customers shouldn’t be too worried, said Michael McCormick, an associate professor and program coordinator for air traffic management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. 

“I would treat this to be traveling just like it were in the middle of the summer,” McCormick said. 

That’s a period when travel is busy and there are adverse weather events like thunderstorms that can impact the air traffic control system, but you can still get to your destination, McCormick said.

However, as the shutdown continues, we may start to see more delays, an issue that could be compounded by extreme weather, Harteveldt said. Just this week, a storm in the Northeast caused flooding and power outages, leading to delays at airport regions across the region. 

Eventually, shutdown-related delays could lead to cancellations, Harteveldt said.

“We are about five weeks or so away from the Thanksgiving holiday travel period. We cannot afford to lose trained professionals at the [Transportation Security Administration] or air traffic controllers,” Harteveldt said.

During the 2018-19 government shutdown, the unscheduled absence rate for TSA agents rose to 10% from about 3% the previous year. Passengers had to deal with long wait times, and some airports even temporarily closed terminals. 

While TSA workers and air traffic controllers recently received partial compensation for their work, this is expected to be the last paycheck they receive until the shutdown ends.

Many TSA airport security employees aren’t highly compensated and live paycheck to paycheck, Harteveldt said.

“I am concerned that we may start to see an increase in the number of TSA airport security workers who will either call in sick or quit outright if they don't see an end coming to this shutdown because they cannot afford to go without a paying job,” Harteveldt said. 

Harteveldt added that he’s also concerned that we’ll start to see other workers call in sick, like FAA aircraft safety inspectors and air traffic controllers. “Being an air traffic controller is already a stressful job,” Harteveldt said. 

If flights are canceled and consumers opt not to rebook their flight, that’s lost revenue for these airlines, Harteveldt said. 

Passengers should make sure they know their airline’s cancellation and rescheduling policies and keep track of any waivers they might qualify for, Maharishi said. (Airlines have been waiving fees for customers affected by this week’s storm, she noted.) 

If you have travel plans in the upcoming weeks, be flexible, Harteveldt said.

“Try to figure out your backup plans. If you can — and this is an expensive proposition — you may want to book a refundable flight on another airline where you're going, just in case,” Harteveldt said. 

If you have a connecting itinerary, give yourself some extra time between connecting flights in case there are delays, Harteveldt said. 

You should check the Federal Aviation Administration’s website for updates on your airport’s status, including any delays and closures. 

You should also subscribe to get email and text alerts from any airlines you’re traveling with so that you have the most up to date information. This can be especially helpful if you’ve booked through a travel agency, since airlines are only obligated to inform them about any cancellations or delays, Harteveldt said.

And while the Trump administration is reportedly looking to roll back certain airline passenger rights, you are currently entitled to a refund if your flight is cancelled.