Pilots are sounding off to passengers as travel stress from the government shutdown reaches fever pitch

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
Screens show flights status at Terminal B at LaGuardia airport in the Queens borough of New York City on day 41 of the government shutdown, on November 10, 2025.
Flight woes across airports in the US have prompted some pilots to make in-cabin announcements to their passengers — to sound off, and reassure them.

CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

I was stranded in Tokyo for 24 hours. I did 3 things right, but made 2 mistakes I'll avoid on all future trips.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Author allie Hubers smiling in Tokyo
Getting stuck in Japan due to delayed flights was frustrating, but it was also surprisingly expensive as our out-of-pocket expenses added up.

Allie Hubers

Flight cancellation updates: FAA cuts have hit airports across the US as the shutdown persists

Tech Insider : Business, Economy, Politics
Travelers in line for security at George Bush International Airport in Houston
TSA wait times have jumped in recent weeks amid the government shutdown

RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images

The government shutdown is now disrupting travel plans for thousands.

If you're flying during the government shutdown, you're 10 times more likely to be delayed by staff shortages than normal

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
An airplane takes off near the control tower at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on October 8, 2025.
Reagan National Airport near Washington, DC, saw average delays of 31 minutes due to understaffing.

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

An LA airport was left without air traffic controllers for 6 hours as the government shutdown causes travel chaos

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
A dark and unstaffed air traffic control tower is seen at the Hollywood Burbank Airport on October 6, 2025 in Burbank, California.
The unstaffed air traffic control tower at Hollywood Burbank Airport on Monday.

FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

Air traffic control chaos affecting 700,000 passengers was made worse when an engineer couldn't log in remotely

Tech Insider
CRAWLEY, ENGLAND - AUGUST 28: People wait near check-in desks at Gatwick Airport on August 28, 2023 in Crawley, United Kingdom.
Passengers at London Gatwick Airport on the day of the incident in August 2023.

Carl Court/Getty Images

I booked a Frontier flight to save money, but it backfired. I spent hundreds to switch airlines during my layover.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
departures board showing flights at denver air port
I had a disastrous layover at Denver International Airport.

Eibhlis Gale-Coleman

A Ryanair Boeing 737's tires burst on landing, leaving a 500-yard gouge in the runway at one of Italy's busiest airports

Tech Insider
Ryanair Boeing 737 MAX 8 as seen during taxiing, take off and flying phase in Eindhoven Airport EIN.
A Ryanair Boeing 737 Max 8.

Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Japan's 2nd-busiest airport was put on lockdown after a pair of scissors went missing from a store, where they were later found again

Tech Insider : Travel
Passengers and visitors are seen at New Chitose Airport in Chitose, Hokkaido, northern Japan November 24, 2016.
New Chitose Airport.

REUTERS/Issei Kato

Fox's Laura Ingraham says she got stuck on a plane for 8 hours, forcing her to call into her own show to say why she couldn't make it

Tech Insider
Laura Ingraham
Laura Ingraham

Alex Wong/Getty Images

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