Travelers face mounting delays this weekend as airlines cut hundreds of flights due to the shutdown. Here’s what to know

By Emma Tucker, Pete Muntean, Hanna Park, CNN

(CNN) — Disgruntled travelers across the US will face more disruptions to their plans this weekend, as airlines cancel hundreds of additional flights and delays continue to mount due to air traffic controller staffing shortages amid a government shutdown with no end in sight.

More than 1,700 flights have been canceled from Friday through Sunday, data from Cirium shows, as airlines start to implement a 4% reduction in domestic flights at 40 of the busiest airports mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration.

But the cuts – which officials say are aimed at keeping air travel safe while some of the air traffic controllers and federal security screeners missing paychecks are not showing up to work – haven’t prevented thousands of hourslong delays that have left flyers scrambling to figure out how to get to their destinations.

“I just don’t want to be stranded at the airport sleeping on a bench,” Michele Cuthbert of Columbus, Ohio, told the Associated Press, expressing concern about possible flight cancellations ahead of her trip to Dallas.

Over the next week, airlines will ramp up flight cancellations to 10% by next Friday if the government shutdown remains unsolved. But travelers can still see flight cuts even if the government were to reopen next week, as the FAA’s order requires airlines to cancel flights days in advance.

Here’s what to know if you plan to travel by air in the coming days:

Why is the FAA ordering flight cuts?

An emergency order by the FAA on Thursday said airlines have to cut traffic by 4%, resulting in about 800 flight cancellations for Friday that increased to over 1,000 throughout the day, according to FlightAware.

The disruptions are primarily caused by air traffic controller staffing and the FAA order, but also include unrelated flight cuts.

Airlines will be required to cut 6% of their flights to those 40 airports on Tuesday, 8% Thursday and 10% next Friday if the shutdown drags on, the FAA says.

That percentage could rise to 15-20% if the gridlock in Congress doesn’t end “relatively soon,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned in an interview with Fox News.

But Duffy said air traffic controllers probably wouldn’t return to work right away, even if the shutdown ends.

The FAA said air control facilities nationwide were short-staffed 32 times Friday, according to a just-released operations plan. And problems continue despite the flight cancellations designed to relieve stress on controllers struggling to deal with the shutdown.

What airlines have canceled flights this weekend?

Major airlines have announced further cancellations to hundreds of flights scheduled through the weekend after more than 1,000 were slashed on Friday.

American Airlines will cut 220 flights from its Saturday schedule, a spokesperson told CNN.

Meanwhile, United Airlines announced hundreds of cuts through early next week, including 168 on Saturday; 158 on Sunday; 190 on Monday and 269 on Tuesday.

Southwest Airlines will cancel about 100 flights Saturday and 150 Sunday to comply with the FAA order, saying in a statement the carrier has already reduced its schedule by 4% through Monday at 34 of the 117 airports it serves.

The vast majority of Southwest flights, however, will not be disrupted, said the airline, which is contacting affected customers directly.

How can I get around flight disruptions?

Major airlines like American, Delta, Southwest, United and Frontier are all waiving fees for passengers who want to change their tickets.

Airline officials like Frontier’s CEO Barry Biffle are urging people to book a separate, backup ticket on another carrier if they don’t want to risk being stranded when their flight is canceled.

Try to mitigate any headaches from delays and cancellations by avoiding booking flights with layovers, non-profit US Public Interest Research Group says, and opt to make reservations directly with the airline rather than a third-party website.

Other useful tips for travelers include proactively checking your flight status in case airlines don’t send out alerts; paying for flight disruption coverage or travel insurance with a credit card; and knowing you’re entitled to a full cash refund if your domestic flight is canceled or delayed over three hours, according to guidance from Brian Kelly, founder of travel website The Points Guy.

What airports are seeing flight cancellations?

The shutdown’s ripple effects spread across nearly every part of the air travel network Friday, with the nation’s busiest airports hit hardest. Washington, DC’s Reagan National Airport faced the most severe disruption, with nearly 80 flights canceled and almost half of all arrivals delayed Friday, according to tracking site FlightAware.

Chicago O’Hare, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International, Denver International and Dallas-Fort Worth also experienced dozens of cancellations and hundreds of delays, FlightAware data shows. On the coasts, Newark Liberty, Los Angeles International, San Francisco International and New York’s John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports reported similar issues, stranding travelers across multiple time zones.

Other affected airports include Boston Logan, Phoenix Sky Harbor, Seattle-Tacoma and Orlando International, all reporting slowdowns heading into the weekend.

Internationally, major hubs like Amsterdam Schiphol, Toronto Pearson and Tokyo Haneda, saw cancellations climbing into the double digits.

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CNN’s Aaron Cooper, Alexandra Skores and Holly Yan contributed to this report.