BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — The partial government shutdown continues to have an impact on travelers.
TSA staffing shortages have prompted several large airports to close security lanes.
More officers, working without regular paychecks in the government shutdown, are calling out sick. And some travel experts say with no end in sight, that could mean a remix to the way you fly.
Some of the biggest airports are reporting long lines at security check points.
In Atlanta, people trying to get through TSA at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport waited over an hour.
"For the first time we have heard of TSA delays that may be impacted by the partial government shutdown," said Bill Neuman, who runs Travel One based in Bloomington, Minnesota.
He says start preparing for slow lines, as other airports face closing security checkpoints.
"We, too, have heard the feedback that a couple of airports have shut down terminals," he said. "Now keep in mind they shut down the TSA check points at 11 in the evening, so it's really not during business hours."
Neuman has some tips for travelers.
"Get to the airport early and for those people that have pre-check or have clear it is going to be an advantage to get through TSA checkpoints," he said.
Neuman does not recommend purchasing trip insurance.
"Trip insurance, the industry uses a term of 'times of peril,'" he said. "So trip insurance applies in things like hurricanes or labor strikes, but trip insurance is not a good strategy for delays at TSA lines."
We haven't heard of passengers missing their flights due to the delays. But if this continues, preparing is critical.
"The my TSA App, which travelers can download and put in the airport that they're traveling to and see really immediate feedback about delays or wait times for both TSA pre-check lines and normal TSA lines," he said.
What happens if we are in this same position 30 days from now?
"Thirty days from now it might be different," he said. "The delays for the last couple of weeks have been negligible. We are starting to hear some feedback today if the partial government shutdown carries on for another couple of weeks, or another 30 days, the delays may be more significant."