INDIANAPOLIS — Travelers are already making their way to their Thanksgiving destinations, and despite earlier concerns, experts say the recent government shutdown is having minimal impact on air travel.
Matthew Comlon was among those getting a head start as he waited to board his flight home.
“I’m going home to New Jersey,” he said. “I know the travel stuff, like leading right up to it, so I figured I’m fine missing one class to go home and not worry about the headache of that.”
Some passengers say they were initially concerned about lingering effects from the lengthy shutdown.
“I was a little hesitant, but it worked out very smoothly,” said Robert Henderson, coming back from New York.
Now two weeks removed from the shutdown, travel experts say there’s little reason to worry beyond the typical holiday disruptions.
“We have actually seen a higher on-time arrival rate in the last few days, specifically coming out of the shutdown,” said Katy Nastro, a travel expert with Going.com.
Nastro says air travel bookings did take a hit during the shutdown.
“We actually did see a dip in or really a hesitation in bookings due to the shutdown,” she said.
While AAA is predicting record-breaking travel overall, air travel is seeing slower growth.
“The impacts from the shutdown, also the economy, some hesitations from overspending, people may be opting for different types of transport this year, so driving instead of flying,” Nastro said.
Some travelers are also turning to rail.
“Amtrak is having a record year,” Nastro said.
For those who do face significant delays or cancellations, Nastro recommends having a backup flight in mind, rebooking through your airline’s app, talking to customer service at the airport or calling directly.
“A lot of these airlines have customer service agents around the world and in various cities. Those agents are able to look into the system just the same. Doesn't matter if they're in London or Louisiana,” she said.
