The US government officially closed in the middle of the night on October 1st after lawmakers failed to pass the spending bill. The closure was the first in six years, and began in December 2018, following the longest in a record 35-day history. While Washington Gridlock may seem far removed from fall travel plans, its effects are immediate and widespread, with potential consequences that can extend to airports, national parks and museums across the country.
“The closure is a completely preventable blow to the US travel economy, which costs $1 billion each week, and an impact on millions of travellers and businesses,” the USTA, the country’s travel industry representative, wrote in a letter to congressional leaders in a motion to end the closure.
The organization cites a recent ISPOS survey and shows that 60% of Americans said they would cancel or avoid air travel in the event of a closure. The USTA warned that flight delays and cancellations could occur if there were longer TSA lines at country airports and shortages of staff became an issue.
If you have future trips, such as domestic travel, international flights, or long-term visits to national parks, here’s what you need to know.
Air Travel: Expect a Delay
The airport will not be stopped, but it will not run smoothly either.
“TSA agents and air traffic controllers still function as they are considered essential workers,” said Sarah Silbert, editor of Points Path. But the catch is that they work unpaid until the shutdown is over, which could lead to an increase in absenteeism. During the 2018-2019 closures, at TSA checkpoints, 10% of screeners called illnesses and forced temporary closures at major airports such as Laguardia and Miami. Similarly, the absence of air traffic controllers caused delays in Newark, Philadelphia and Atlanta (these disruptions were believed to have contributed to the end of the shutdown).
“There may be longer lines, delays and flight cancellations, which are unlikely if the shutdown continues, but it is possible,” Silvert said.
Air traffic controllers feel pressured to work amid ongoing staffing shortages, raising safety concerns following recent airline fears, including a fatal collision near Washington, D.C. earlier this year. In a statement, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said: “The government closure adds unnecessary distractions to work, burdening the workforce, which is already thinly growing 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and operates the world’s most complex airspace.”
For travelers, the best approach right now is to assume that the airport experience will take longer than usual. It arrives earlier than usual, holds essentials such as medicines, chargers, snacks and other items on carry-on, and booking non-stop flights where possible will help make the process more seamless and less stressful.
Considering travel insurance is also a good idea. Jeff Rolander, Vice President of Claims at Faye Travel Insurance, told Afar: “Travel insurance can usually cover any unexpected events that you missed, cancelled or missed a connection. If government closures affect your trip, if you benefit from a delayed trip, a trip cancellation, or a trip interruption, you will benefit from a trip delay, a trip cancellation, or a trip interruption, if you benefit from a trip interruption, you will benefit from a trip delay, a trip cancellation, or a trip interruption. Costs such as flights, hotels, prepaid tours, change charges, and more.”
Amtrak is still rolling
Unlike airports and airlines, Amtrak is not directly affected by government closures. Railway services are federal corporations that earn the majority of operating revenue from ticket sales, meaning that trains continue to run on a normal schedule. If you have tickets on the line, you should expect the train to depart as planned.
“The Amtrak spokesman W. Kyle Anderson said in a statement:
That said, Amtrak relies on annual federal funds to cover capital projects, long-distance routes and infrastructure improvements. During the shutdown, the money will be frozen. Passengers may not notice the changes immediately, but long shutdowns can delay upgrades, halt construction work at trucks and stations, and pause expansion projects. Travelers may also be slow to maintain long distance routes that rely heavily on subsidies.
National Parks: Open Gate, Reduced Services
American national parks are often the most visible set-off of closure. Autumn is one of the busiest seasons on sites with spectacular fall leaf displays, such as Shenandoah, Rocky Mountain, and Acadia, but this year many will be partially within the range.
The National Park Service has been instructed to keep the park open. However, although visitor centers, ranger programs and maintenance services will be suspended in many locations, it is expected that most of the agency’s approximately 16,000 employees will be eaten up. That means there are far fewer rangers to clean the bathroom, collect trash and implement basic safety regulations.
The protected land has been historically damaged during limited staffing during closures, so on September 26, more than 35 former park supervisors wrote to the Trump administration to plead the national park to be closed if it is closed.
“With government closures, our parks will remain understaffed and vulnerable, putting their most precious places and millions of visitors at risk. If a national park has a gate or door, they must reach a funding agreement and be locked until they reach the park’s staff and are protected,” the National Park Conservation Association said in a press release.
The state government sometimes intervene. During past closures, Utah provided funding staff to keep Arch and Zion National Park open, and Arizona did the same for the Grand Canyon (Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs says it won’t happen already during this closure). Expect a similar patchwork response this time too. For information on what services are available at certain parks, we recommend visiting Recreation.gov.
Washington, DC and the Smithsonian Museum remain open
“We acknowledge the false perception that when the federal government closes, DC will also close,” said Elliott L. Ferguson, president and CEO of Destination DC, the country’s capital’s official destination marketing organization, in a press release. “I want visitors to know that most of the attractions and experiences in DC are actually still open.”
Currently, the Smithsonian 21 free museums and galleries (19 of which are in DC and the other two in New York City) – from the Aerospace Museum to the National Museum of African American History, just like the National Zoo, it is open until at least October 6th.
Depending on how long the shutdown is being dragged, it is unclear what will happen after October 6th, which could mean that travelers heading to DC may need to plan alternative activities. Nearby walking tours, memorial visits and outdoor attractions like the Tidal Basin offer other ways to experience the city.
