A U.S. government shutdown is starting as soon as this week, but upcoming travel is likely safe. While a shutdown might sound dramatic, history shows that it takes time before travel is seriously affected.
Flights and cruises are unlikely to be affected in the short term. Even though funding for agencies like the TSA, FAA and Customs and Border Protection would be frozen, the essential personnel—security agents, air traffic controllers and customs officers—will still be on duty. That means flights will take off, passports will be stamped and your spring break trip won’t be grounded.
If the shutdown drags on, however, those unpaid workers might stop showing up. In 2019, after two weeks without pay, TSA agents and air traffic controllers began skipping work, leading to massive security lines and flight delays. If this shutdown stretches long enough, expect potential disruptions at airports.
The State Department says consular services, including passport and visa processing, will continue—so long as there are enough fees to fund them. That means you can still apply for travel documents, but expect possible slowdowns.
National parks could also close. In previous shutdowns, some parks closed entirely, while others stayed open but lacked maintenance staff. That led to overflowing trash cans, unsupervised trails, and closed visitor centers.
The worse news is that while your vacation might go as planned, the travel economy could take a $1 billion-per-week hit, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
For now, your travel plans should be fine. But if history is any guide, a prolonged shutdown could start to cause headaches, so plan accordingly.