I don’t know if y’all have heard, but the US government has been shut down for weeks. We’re getting close to entering months (plural) territory.
Among other things, this shutdown is impacting air travel, since the FAA manages air traffic controllers and TSA agents, who are currently all working without pay.
When I booked my flights for my mid-November cruise back in September, I assumed things would be over. But I also took a few extra steps just in case they weren’t. After all, I wasn’t about to cancel my cruise.
So, while this is my first time traveling during a shutdown, it might not be my last, and what I’ve learned might help you now or if there is ever an event like this in the future. Let’s get into it.
Tip 1: Be strategic with your layover locations
While Tulsa has some direct flights, and more being added all the time, sadly, there aren’t any direct flights to where I needed to be, specifically either Long Beach, California or LAX. So, when I booked my flight, I had options to go through several hubs, including Phoenix, Dallas, and Las Vegas. Normally, I wouldn’t have even thought of it and just gone for whatever was cheapest. But this time, I made sure to go through Vegas, since that has the shortest drive to Long Beach.
And boy am I glad I did! My flight from Las Vegas got canceled WHILE WE WERE ON THE PLANE. We were all boarded with carry-ons stowed and seat belts fastened. There was a slight weather delay, so being such a short flight (37 minutes), the pilot informed us we were just going to wait a few minutes for the storm to pass. After maybe 10 minutes, he announced that we had been cleared, and he just needed to get them to sign the paperwork.
When he went to do that, Long Beach closed their airport.
Chaos ensued, as you can imagine. The lines at customer service were long and full of frantic travelers, including some people who were supposed to board their cruise later that day! (This was an 8:40 AM flight, so if things had gone normally, they would have been fine.) Fortunately, I was flying in a day early, so I knew I had time. They told us they didn’t know when the airport would open, but that we were automatically transferred to the 6:25 PM flight.
As I was talking to the customer service agent, someone came over her walkie, announcing San Diego had just closed their airport. So, that didn’t give me a lot of confidence that a 6:25 PM flight would actually happen. Her advice was to rent a car and drive the last leg. And that brings me to tip #2.
Tip 2: Skip the checked in luggage
If you can, just pack a carry-on, so that in case your travel plans change, you can make a quick decision without worrying about where your luggage will end up.
Normally I am a checked bag kinda gal, so this part was really really hard for me. But I managed to squeeze all my clothes into a teeny tiny carry-on suitcase, with my work stuff packed into my backpack Tetris style. My thought is that I can always do laundry, which will cost a heck of a lot less than checking a bag or hunting down that checked bag if my plans end up changing.
If you absolutely have to check a bag, put everything you will need for 24-48 hours in your carry-on. That includes medication, laptops, a change of clothes, and a toothbrush (you wouldn’t believe how much a toothbrush costs at the airport).
Tip 3. Act quick
Once you decide to do something like rent a car instead of wait for a flight that might not happen, move quick. I got on the Enterprise website as soon as I made my decision so I could reserve a car. I checked in while I was on the shuttle from the Vegas airport to the rental cars, so when I got there, I was able to just go to the parking garage and get a car. It was super easy.
But there was a very long line for those who did not make a reservation. Once I was in a car, I took a good 10 minutes just to breathe and calm down. And in that time, the whole row of economy cars I was in got taken out. If I had waited much longer, I don’t know that I would have gotten a car at all, or at least not one at the lowest price. They are supposed to reimburse me, but I still had to pay upfront, and I didn’t want to pay any more than I had to.
Tip 4: But don’t forget about your bio needs
I am SO glad I took a minute to use the bathroom before I got in my rental car because it was a solid hour and a half before there was a rest stop that was open. And it turned out to be the ONLY rest stop. I also filled up my water bottle at the airport too, which was great because there were no good places to get water. I wish I had just bought an extra bottle of water, though. I finished mine with about two hours to go in the trip. If you are making the drive from Vegas to Long Beach, pack extra water. And snacks.
Tip 5: Pack your patience
Even if everything goes smoothly, people are stressed to the max right now. TSA agents are working full-time with no pay, and travelers are dealing with all kinds of delays. The flights that are actually taking off are full, so there’s no chance of an empty middle seat. You need to plan on being held up. Be patient. Be kind. Be gracious to everyone who helps you.
P.S. I ended up making it to Long Beach in about 5 hours. I was checked into my hotel over an hour before the 6:25 flight started boarding, so, even though it seems to have actually taken off, I’m glad I drove. It felt good having some control, and I was able to drive through a part of the country I usually just fly over.
Be ready to add some unexpected adventure into your trip. If you can go in with that mindset, the setbacks won’t be as bad.
Have you traveled during the shutdown? I’d love to hear your tips for making it work! Leave a comment or send a DM to me on Instagram @thesea.suite.
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