Flight delays are piling up due to the shutdown. Some travelers are taking this extra step to protect themselves

Get ready to hurry up and wait. 

As delays and cancellations continue to pile up at the nation’s busiest airports during the weeks-long government shutdown, some travelers who have been anticipating extra headaches are hedging their bets with extra insurance protections. 

According to data shared with Fast Company from the price comparison service InsureMyTrip, 10% of travel insurance policies purchased in September and into October have included “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage.

That’s the highest percentage of the year so far and above the average of 8% seen from January through August, InsureMyTrip says.

The additional protection, which can increase your insurance costs by upwards of 50%, according to NerdWallet, can be a kind of safety net for travelers who are willing and able to spend the extra cash.  

Travel delays are among the most visible impacts of prolonged government shutdowns, adding increased uncertainty and chaos as air traffic controllers who are being forced to work for partial or no pay call in sick or take leave.

Over the weekend, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that staffing shortages were causing delays at airports in Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, and Newark, according to Reuters.

With no end in sight to the political impasse that led to the shutdown, the problem is likely to get worse as thousands of air traffic controllers are expected to miss their paychecks at the end of this month. 

A hedge against government dysfunction

Travel disruptions caused by government regulations are not covered under standard insurance plans, according to InsureMyTrip.

Additionally, travelers who had planned to visit one of America’s national parks—which are only partially open or have reduced services during the shutdown—might find they have little recourse under a standard plan. 

CFAR coverage offers more protection against the unexpected—or against the expected, depending on your level of confidence in our government’s ability to function the way it’s supposed to.

The increased interest in CFAR coverage tracks with a recent report from the trade publication Insurance Business, which cited consumers seeking extra protections in a perpetually uncertain world.

According to InsureMyTrip, travelers who opt for that extra coverage can be reimbursed up to 75% of their trip’s non-refundable costs, provided they cancel 48 hours before they actually leave. 

Would-be fliers may be considering doing just that. Data from flight tracking service FlightAware shows that delays and cancellations into, within, and out of U.S. airports spiked again this weekend, with some 7,806 delays on Sunday alone.

America’s tourism industry was already facing headwinds before the shutdown, with the U.S. Travel Association expecting total inbound spending to fall 3.2% to $173 billion in 2025, its first decline since 2020.

Still, domestic leisure travel had been a bright spot. It’s expected to grow 1.9% to $895 billion this year, according to the association’s fall travel update. 

Whether or not it hits that number might yet depend on a number of possible outcomes, including the most unlikely of all: elected officials doing their jobs.

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