Will the Government Shutdown Impact Your Family Travel Plans?

Ah, the government shutdown…whatever your personal views, it is growing into an extremely messy situation for many people. There are stories pouring out of every facet of life. My heart goes out to all those people who are being negatively effected, but we are just going to focus on how this is impacting those traveling.

Airlines – Thanks to the vast number of Federal Aviation Administration inspectors gone, the skies are pretty much left to be monitored by the airline industry. Almost 3,000 workers are not able to do their jobs and, according the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS), this could threaten safety. The union has released a bullet point list of issues with the absence of the inspectors.The points range from – “Nearly 3,000 aviation safety inspectors are not providing oversight of commercial and general aviation aircraft, pilots, flight instructors, domestic and foreign repair stations; conducting in-flight cockpit inspections or ramp inspections; overseeing third-party designees performing critical work on behalf of the FAA or air carriers; and issuing new or renewing current certificates,” to issues like, “Administrative employees and support staff, are not providing logistical support on projects resulting in a backlog of essential services.”

Does this mean it is not safe to fly? Mike Perrone, national president of PASS, breaks it down, “It’s like driving on the highway when you know there are no police out there. Right now the airline industry is like kids in a candy store.”

Conflicting opinions from those in the airline industry suggest that the airlines were already shouldering most of the safety responsibility anyway. “Not much has changed as of now,” says one employees for a major airline. “Generally, the FAA only gets involved after a problem has occurred. Of course, they do drop in for inspections. However, most of the work done on planes is done by non-FAA rated inspectors and then checked by an FAA rated inspector.“

National Monuments/Attractions – By now, you have probably heard about the veterans knocking down barriers to visit the memorial they had been planning to see for months. Other trips that have been planned and dreamed about for years have met a more heartbreaking end. A trio of adventure seekers have been pinning for a rafting trip down the Colorado River since 1995. They saved for years and finally made it to the Grand Canyon only to find sings and barricades shutting down their trip they had been planning for nearly 2 years. The permits are non-refundable and postponing a trip like this is just not do-able. Total cost for the trip they can’t take – $40,000.

Take caution when planning trips in the near future. If it’s a park without a gated entrance, expect all facilities to be shut down. Those currently vacationing had two days to vacate the closing area. Around 400 federally run parks and attractions are closed. Museums, zoos and even the National Mall are all closed. If you aren’t sure, call and check before making any plans. If have made plans and need to reschedule – good luck phones and emails aren’t being monitored either. It couldn’t hurt to email and leave a message as some proof you attempted to re-schedule. It may not mean much if anything at all, but the effort may be helpful.

Customs and Border Patrol – This branch of protection is currently scheduled to operate as normal.

Passports – This could become a sticky situation. As of right now, U.S. passports will continue to be processed, but offices located inside federal buildings might be closed. This could change if the shutdown drags on. In the 1996 shutdown, thousands of visa applications were left untouched and hundreds of thousands of passports went unissued. The U.S. State Department says, “Consular operations domestically and overseas will remain 100 percent operational, as long as there are sufficient fees to support operations.” Translation – If you need a passport for you and/or family – GET IT NOW!

Airport Screening – This service continues and has been deemed “essential.”