- Flight cuts at DIA spark a nationwide surge in rental demand.
- Turo and Hertz report sharp jumps in bookings and one-way trips.
- Travelers choose to drive as delays and cancellations mount.
The federal government shutdown is the longest in history, and it’s hitting travelers hard. The impasse stems from a budget deadlock in Congress, which has frozen funding for several key federal agencies and forced thousands of employees to work without pay.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced that it would begin cutting flights at 40 major airports. The result of that is a spike in rentals. And the flight issue is actually affecting us here at Carscoops, too.
Read: Hertz AI Complaints Are Spreading Faster Than The Damage It Flags
Air traffic controllers are government employees. They’re working without pay right now. As a result of employee shortages, the Federal Aviation Administration is cutting flights. Airports in Denver, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas, and several others have already cut several flights.
Grounded and Rerouted
According to ABC in Denver, Turo has seen a 30 percent increase in bookings since the FAA announcement. The company has also recorded a 17 percent increase in searches over the same period last year. Hertz, meanwhile, says that it’s seen a 20 percent spike in one-way rentals compared to the same time in 2024.
According to FlightAware, there have been 1,762 cancelled flights within, into, or out of the USA. And that’s just counting today. Chicago is apparently the worst offender, with more than half of flights either delayed (172) or cancelled (20). Atlanta is struggling too, with 81 delayed flights and 36 cancelled ones.
How Should Travelers Respond?
What’s the right move given all of the uncertainty? Skyler McKinley, AAA public affairs director, says that staying flexible is key.
“The travelers who will run into the most frustrating situations are those who have the strictest travel plans,” said McKinley. “If you’d rather not deal with the uncertainty, now might be a time, if it’s fun, if it’s feasible, for you to consider driving to your destination instead of flying.”
Also: Hertz’s AI Tech Sent A Surprise Bill For A Dent He Didn’t Even See And He’s Not Alone
As for us, we’re headed to Knoxville, TN to drive the new Dodge Charger. The leg from Atlanta to Knoxville ended up canceled, so I’ll be driving a rental from the Atlanta airport three hours into Tennessee.
And before you ask, we rented through Enterprise. I would’ve loved to have tried out the UVEye system with Hertz, but the agency just didn’t have the car I wanted.
Lead image Hertz
