A Reddit post titled “TSA Strike” is going viral with good reason. The post reads: “Heads up, just heard from my CEO who is at ATL that TSA are telling people they are all striking tomorrow. Assuming it’s true but either way should be a fun week in the sky’s for us frequent fliers.”
Air travelers are already reporting unprecedented delays at airports nationwide amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. Passengers at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) said security lines were unusually long over the weekend. One Reddit user described their experience: “I flew out Friday evening. Security was a nightmare… it took 90 minutes to get through even with PreCheck and Clear. Only three scanners were running for thousands of passengers.” Others reported missed flights and heavy congestion in domestic terminals.
The disruption stems from TSA employees being considered essential which means they are required to work despite not receiving paychecks during the shutdown. While striking is illegal for federal employees many are reportedly planning “sickouts” or slowing inspections a tactic reminiscent of the so-called “blue flu” used in other public service sectors.
Some travelers say TSA officers have openly warned passengers about the slowdown. One Reddit user reported an officer loudly telling passengers, “We aren’t getting paid, a whole bunch of us might be getting sick soon. I wouldn’t fly domestic if I were you.” Posts suggested that business travelers could feel the impact most potentially creating political pressure to end the shutdown.
The ripple effects are being felt nationwide. Travelers reported slow security lines in Boston, New York JFK, Orlando, Portland and Chicago. In Orlando for instance the airport set up a donation drive to provide TSA workers with food, baby supplies and clothing highlighting the strain on employees. Reddit users at smaller regional airports also shared apprehension about their upcoming flights.
From my own experience I flew twice right when the government shutdown began and overall things were fairly normal. Here’s my post on it. Still I’ve been warning readers that flight delays and long security lines may worsen as employees wait for their next paycheck. It looks like that time has come. Either the government is going to have to reopen or travelers are going to face some severely miserable experiences in the coming days.
Airlines are monitoring the situation and travelers are advised to arrive early and consider programs like TSA PreCheck, Clear or digital ID to speed through security. Experts warn that if the shutdown continues millions of passengers could face delays and cancellations.
