Two canceled flights. Three delays. 27 hours past our original ETA. The government’s recent shutdown due to Congress failing to pass new spending bills  caused incredibly frustrating travel experiences for millions of Americans. 

Sept. 30 was the deadline for Congress to approve a spending plan, but with conflicts between the House of Representatives and the Senate, they were unable to do so. This action led to the first government shutdown in almost seven years.

Although some may have thought that the shutdown would not affect them, everyone who had to travel by plane in the past few weeks has fallen victim to the consequences. With the shutdown, airport employees like air traffic controllers and TSA workers missed multiple paychecks. Some could not afford to work for free, causing airlines to be heavily understaffed and ultimately slowing the whole process down. This led to many delays, and eventually thousands of cancelled flights. 

On Nov. 12, after the longest shutdown ever of 43 days, the House was able to gain a majority and pass the new funding bill. This lifted the shutdown and allowed the government to begin rebuilding again. However, with the holidays coming up, airports will be as busy as ever so it could take a long time for airlines to recover. 

There is not exactly hope on the horizon though, as the talks of another shutdown are in the midst. The current government funding only lasts until Jan. 30, so if Congress is split on votes again, then the US may begin the new year with another shutdown. 

With all of the consequences that came with the last one, I know that I would be very cautious if traveling again during this time. Although it may seem like this would only affect the government, the shutdown will ripple out to US citizens, meaning you could face the problems of the fallout next.