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The FAA cut 4 percent of flights at 40 major airports Friday, and plan to increase the cancelations to 10 percent by next week. It comes as the government shut down enters its 38th day. Travel experts at Johnny Jet offered tips to keep your travel plans on track. Check flight status early and often Founder of Johnny Jet Travel, John DiScala, says to download the app for the airline you're traveling with and make sure they have your contact information. Doing so ensures "if your flight does get canceled, you'll know right away," says DiScala. Plus, here's a look at how you can track flight cancellations and delays at Midway and O'Hare Airports in Chicago. Travel between hub cities "At this time you don't want to be on a regional jet. Chances are that will get canceled," he said. "You most likely want to drive if you're only going a short distance." DiScala said if you need to be somewhere you can book a second ticket on another airline, and make a connection through a hub city. "That way if your original ticket is canceled and you can't get on another flight you can use this backup." Book morning flights "You definitely want a morning flight. Those have the greatest chances of going out on time," he said. Flight crews and the plane are typically already at the airport in the morning, and are subject to fewer delays and cancelations. "Once the rolling delays come in not only will your plane be delayed but the crew might not be there," he said. There are also more options for rebooking throughout the day. Move quick to rebook "If you're in the airport get in the customer service line, get on the app and start using the chat function," DiScala said. "Or call the airline while you're in line and see if you can get ahold of someone faster to get on the next flight." What about holiday travel? Experts at GasBuddy say with Thanksgiving travel just a few weeks away some travelers might opt out of the uncertainty in the air, and trade it for the roads. "The longer the shut down continues, the more flights that are cancelled, the more people that may end up hitting the road to get to their Thanksgiving destinations," said Petroleum expert Patrick De Haan. “I do expect a very busy holiday in terms of Thanksgiving. As long as this shut down persists more Americans will eventually end up on the nations thoroughfares, and it could have a slight impact on gas prices." Overall De Haan said Chicago-area gas prices are still set to be around the same price as last year's fall holiday travel season. What about refunds? The Transportation Department said all airlines must issue full refunds to customers impacted. Here's how airlines responded:
