Copyright MassLive
Refunds have been promised to at least one airline’s customers who wish to cancel travel plans due to government-imposed flight restrictions which are set to begin this week. Starting Friday, airlines will reduce their schedules across 40 domestic airports in response to the ongoing government shutdown, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said during a press conference on Wednesday. The move is intended to relieve pressure on the national aviation system. The FAA’s mandate prompted United Airlines to schedule reductions for regional flying and domestic mainline flights that do not travel between its hubs, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said in a statement. International flights and routes connecting United’s hubs will not be impacted by the schedule cuts. Additionally, any United customer traveling during this period is eligible for a refund, even if their flight is not impacted by the reductions. This refund policy includes tickets that were originally non-refundable, as well as basic economy fares. “Even with these schedule reductions, United and its United Express partners will still offer about 4,000 flights per day to fly our customers to their destinations,” Kirby said. “And because of the early November timing, our flights have more seats available than before the summer, meaning we should be able to find seats for many customers even if their flight is canceled.” United Airlines operates the following eight hubs across the U.S., according to the company’s website: Chicago - O’Hare International Airport Denver - Denver International Airport Guam - Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport Houston - Houston/George Bush Intercontinental Airport Los Angeles - Los Angeles International Airport Newark - Newark Liberty International Airport San Francisco - San Francisco International Airport Washington, D.C. - Washington Dulles International Airport
