I'm in the mood for some alone time for reflection because I'm going through a divorce. I told my kids (all adult) that I was going to go on an adventure. One of my sons was alarmed that I said I was going to drive. There's no way I'm getting on a plane at this time.

was paying me.

I'm retired, I can choose, but working folks who have to travel must be shivering like a cold dog every time they have to fly.

Well, not the R's. They will no doubt be sheltered in the hand of god and set gently on the ground if the plane goes down.

Synagogue, Mosque, Supermarket, Drugstore, Concert, High School, Hospital...

With the number of TSA agents and air traffic controllers as well as safety inspectors out during the shutdown, it's a huge mess. Plus all the anxious and frustrated people working without pay, I don't want to be anywhere near an airport right now.

The last fatal crash on a U.S.-registered carrier occurred near Buffalo, N.Y., on Feb. 12, 2009, when a commuter plane operated by Colgan Air crashed, killing 49 on board and a man on the ground.

Since the shutdown effects on current air travel are unknown, even according to TSA workers, what you've posted in this thread is true only if the time-frame is post 9/11/2001 and pre-#TrumpShutdown.

But I'll listen to the pilots, traffic controllers and the FAA right at the moment.

I'll be going on book tour in about 10 days. Flights every day for 8 days straight. Hoping this mess ends before I leave. But even if it does, will things automatically spring back to normal? Will the neglected repairs/services magically get done? I have questions.

What's the name of your book?? Buenos Suerte'

Called The Unwanteds Quests: Dragon Ghosts. Third book in a magical fantasy series about horrible rulers being awful to creative kids. And the kids shutting 'em down.

I'm going to look for it. 22!!!

I think my author name is in my bio -- you can search it that way.

How exciting! Congratulations!!!

I love getting out to see the fans, who are mostly kids.
(It's even more fun when I don't have to worry about all the flights!)

I think people were less desperate and more hopeful, but I was sure to thank the TSA folks. We had no issues at all, quick lines (post holidays so not surprising) and as pleasant a trip as anyone does these days.

That said I would hate to fly right now. And I feel for the myriad passenger and cargo planes full of things I don’t even think about who might be at risk because of that monster’s posturing.

I made a point of thanking the TSA workers I was in contact with for working without a sure paycheck. They all said, "No problem." I'm betting they're not as casual about it now, though. More are staying home every day now. Soon, we'll hit a critical shortage of people willing to show up for IOU paychecks.

At some point, everything connected with airline travel will simply shut down. That point is unknown, but if it happens, it will happen suddenly, I think. The ATC workers are the ones who are the most likely to end up causing a ground stop, if enough aren't at work. There are no substitute workers available who know the system.

They’d take flak I suppose but refusing to put people’s lives on the line makes sense to me.

They'll have to find some work, sign up with Uber or Lyft, or start working for Amazon or someone else. That's easy to do, and you can start seeing an income pretty quickly. Day to day expenses for crucial things won't wait for the end of the shutdown.

There's a tipping point. I don't know when it will happen, but it's bound to soon.

of having full personnel working. This thread is about current conditions, where that is no longer the case.

Apples and oranges.

I merely have refuted yours.

Caution is good. I'd rather be cautious when the experts are concerned than be dismissive pretending to know better than they do.

I am well aware of the statistics here but such statistics are based on the normal operation of TSA and the FAA. The FAA is shutdown and the TSA and air traffic controllers think that there is a greater risk

If no one in fact, is arguing that point, then your point is both irrelevant and specious... at its best.

If you learn the term 'risk mitigation', you may not wind up appearing that much less clever than you desire to appear.

good luck!

My youngest is due back this Saturday.

My SIL and his parents are flying to Florida on Friday to meet up with my oldest for a cruise. They fly back the following Saturday.

I am also very worried for them.

From Flordia yesterday. The freezing rain made the ride home much more dangerous than her flight. There wasn't any discernable difference, not even a longer wait before boarding in Florida.

until this shutdown is over. At some point, enough ATC workers and TSA workers will be forced to not show up for work due to a lack of means to get to work. Instead, they'll be picking up some gig economy work if they can so they can keep, you know, eating and stuff like that.

If I were planning a trip out of the country, I'd be even more concerned. Our Embassies and Consulates are feeling the pinch right now, too, and I might not be able to get help if something went wrong or I lost my passport or something.

Nope. I wouldn't be planning any flights in the next little while, until the shutdown is over. And that worries me, because my 94-year-old parents could have a health emergency at any time, and I might not be able to get to where they are quickly. It's a three-day drive. I might be able to do it in a couple of days if absolutely necessary, but flying is faster and really cheaper, too.

this isn't only going to impact on Americans living here what about Americans who are living outside of the US who still have family in the US.

Everything is paid for (4 non refundable tickets,hotel,luau,other activities,etc). Now I’m worried about traveling on the plane. I did not get trip insurance. Not sure they would cover it anyway because I’m scared to fly or if tsa strikes. At least I can get the money we paid for the hotel back if we cancel 30 days prior to our trip.

Also did not spring for trip insurance.

I have to hope this is done before March because the lines coming back through Customs and Immigration will probably be beyond awful, with the added requirement of going through a TSA checkpoint again.

Spring trips and fresh tans....sigh.

Are you diving?

due to asthma. But that's ok.

Those that follow Brexit know it’s the date the U.K. leaves the EU. Could be a big y2k style nothingburger or a fiasco. Between that and our situation with the shutdown I’m living dangerously.

It wouldn't be safety, it'd be that somehow the airport from which I would fly home would be so screwed up that I couldn't make a flight.

individual airports will declare ground stops for safety reasons. All it would take is a couple of major hubs to do that, and the entire passenger fleet would come to a screeching halt, just like it does during bad storms. Flight cancellations tend to stack up, the longer the ground stop is in place. Aircraft these days are not really based anywhere, really, The plane you took to Denver, for example, may fly next to Miami, and then to JFK, and then to LAX. A ground stop in any of those airports causes a domino effect that can cause cancellations almost anywhere.

I flew to LAX from MSP a couple of weeks ago. I asked the flight attendant if the plane was just doing a turnaround to return to MSP, which is usually the case on Sun Country. Nope, she said. This time, the plane becomes a charter flight from LAX to Boston, carrying a couple of sports teams. She said she'd be working that flight, and then would overnight in Boston and work a flight from there to somewhere else - "Where or when, I'm not sure, yet." She didn't seem to be amused, either.

It was nice knowing you all

...just claustrophobia and fear of heights, that's all. At this point, though--at age 65--it's something I take a perverse pride in...

Glad I’m not afflicted with that. Sometimes elevators that are crowded bother me because I start thinking about what if it got stuck and trapped for hours. I don’t mind flying though, oddly. And I’m also terrified of heights.

coming back from overseas shortly, have to clear customs at a connecting airport, before I can board my second flight to home destination
The connection was already tight, with lack of TSA personnel, it's a 50/50 chance of being able to make it home same night, or I end up spending the night at the airport
However, I am empathic and it pales to what furloughed/unpaid are going through, so will just have to deal with it..
And then I off to London in Feb

I trust the ATC.

TSA is a waste of money anyway, imo.

It's just not worth the risk.

Praying the shutdown ends soon....

(PS: In Europe they cannot believe this can even be happening....it doesn't exist in any capacity of their governments to have such a shutdown happen or people in security and government positions vital to the function of the economy and helping people that it could just be shutdown. If Angela Merkel tried to do this, she or any other chancellor would be removed immediately as well as any other politician and an election called. But that is in my opinion a flaw in our democracy and constitution that this even could happen.)

He is a judge at a taxidermy competition a few states away. This is one of six flights he needs me to book over the next few months for the same reason. These associations book their judges a couple of years in advance and backing out now would be a nightmare for them and a professional horror show for my husband and his business. I'm headed to Hawaii in March...I did buy trip insurance but not sure that would cover my ticket if I were to cancel due to the shutdown vs ATC walking out. The cavalier attitude of some on this thread that flying is still as safe as ever irks the crap out of me AND it isn't true.

Not until four weeks after this Shutdown is over for time for things to go back to whatever normal was before the Shutdown.

Looking forward to it.

but not so sure about Air traffic controllers. I had to fly during the Reagan strike on that!

Flying home to Ohio from Las Vegas (business trip) I was/am a nervous wreck and won’t breathe easy til that plane touches down in 1 1/2 hours. A dear friend of mine is using 2 apps to track the planes location and progress and has been texting me every few minutes with the info. It somehow makes me feel a little better to think that we can somehow watch over her while she’s on her way home. I’m supposed to fly a bare bones airline to Florida in about 3 weeks. If this mess hasn’t been resolved I’m seriously thinking about not going. I’d rather forfeit the ticket $$.

Costa Rica next week. (Including my little 3 year old grand daughter.) Of course I'll worry. But I haven't said anything to my daughter. I don't want to spoil her trip. And she'll worry on her own. She doesn't need me adding to it. I am just really hoping the shut down ends soon. Like tomorrow.

I don't blame the traffic controllers or the TSA agents, I blame the orange moron on Pennsylvania avenue.

And just booked a flight to Europe for my spring break.
Considering I nearly totaled my car this morning on my 5 minute drive to work, I'll take my chances.

… this September. If the shutdown is still on, I won't go.

I wouldn't fly, but it's not because of the Air Traffic controllers, but because of radar maintenance personnel may not be available. If it fails at a Tracon, and no one is there and it's a vital piece of equipment then ATC has to do non radar controlling. Always a great fear as a controller.

I was unsure if I should write this, but it's there and now people can research non radar controlling.

They are my people, I worry about them and they are very professional. So right now, sure we can say the drive to the airport is riskier, but radar failure right now is not factored in.

I've read up on a lot of this. Even during normal times there's concern about the condition of equipment. The probabilities of a mishap are going up as the shutdown continues. Hair on fire? No, just reasonable caution. I was a pilot some years ago and know that things go smoothly because of caution not from the lack of it.

flying won't be safe by then.

There have been enough calmly phrased letters of deep concern from air traffic controllers, FAA personnel, and airline pilots to give me pause. They are Worried for our airspace and us.
Damn Individual 1 and Where's Mitch! End the shutdown!

I'll take the train instead...

the first week of April. I cannot make myself do it.

I’ve taken Amtrak from NJ to FL more than once. It was much more pleasant than flying and much faster than driving.

because a handful of terrorists smuggled box cutters on board some flights a while back. That was a one-off and airport security is almost pure theater. Even though I respect that those people do their best in a mostly thankless job.

The air traffic controllers are something else, and if they start calling in sick in large numbers because they have to work somewhere else so they can hope to pay the mortgage or put food on the table, that will make a huge difference. Then flights will start cancelling in a bit way.

Meanwhile, everyone here who is freaking out at how unsafe it currently is should get a grip. As has already been pointed out, the last fatal plane crash in this country was nearly ten years ago. Too bad the last mass shooting wasn't that long ago.

Yes, I'm worried

I’m not entirely comfortable with the idea of ATC agents worrying about how to make rent or pay their bills while trying to concentrate on a job that is stressful in even the best circumstances. Frankly, I’m surprised that more people aren’t concerned about this.

I am putting off all my air travel until after this ridiculous shutdown is over.

calling in sick around the time of the Super Bowl. Hartsfield-Jackson is tough at the best of times, will be real tough when 50,000 people are trying to get in and out of Atlanta for the Super Bowl. I'm sure he claimed he was kidding (I didn't follow the news that closely) but it would bring everything to a halt and might force an end to the shutdown.

Took my first train trip in 14, and enjoyed it so much. Zero hassle getting there or boarding. Leg room. Fewer people. Bring your own food and drink. Oh, and about a quarter of the price of flying. For me, it's ideal, but I realize it's not for everyone.

But if you haven't tried it and the opportunity presents itself, give it a shot.

I agree with all your points. It’s much more pleasant than flying, and it’s better for the environment.

I like flying once I’m in the air, but I hate airports and the way air travelers behave at airports and on planes. So I avoid flying unless it’s absolutely necessary. People who travel by train tend to be politer, less self-important, and much more laid back.

Actually, I agree with you. We have good train service here in the PNW.

And had no issues.

Clearing security was a breeze. At Denver International, I was concerned there might be a problem and arrived 3 hours before takeoff. Sailed through TSA precheck.

I was grateful to hear several people thanking the TSA agents for being there. Their attitudes were remarkably good. When Congress reopens things and approves backpay, they really ought to give something extra. Not just for TSA, but all employees affected.

I fly again next week and have no fear of doing so.

But doubt it.

As the shut down goes to over a month, there I'll be stressed tired, broke and short tempered TSA
And air traffic controllers. I'd rather not go contribute to that stress. I get so angry these hardworking people are being used as politcial pawns for the Russian maggot puppet potus.

and avoid flying anyway.

It's truly awful. I don't wish this on anyone.