Quite a mouthful, that title.  But so necessary right now.
Thanks to your votes to the question posed to my Facebook page, today’s post is what won out. Â And given that I’ve traveled right before and after the government shutdown, I’m speaking from personal experience.
And I’m pleased to report that it’s not bad.
- TSA officials and luggage checkers are, thankfully, deemed “essential personnel” by the US government. Â That said, expect delays – particularly in smaller airports. Â I flew through Philadelphia International yesterday and breezed through TSA PreCheck in no time. Â My mother, who doesn’t have the same perk, got through security within 10 minutes. Â (Bear in mind that mid-week, afternoon flights tend to have the lightest traffic, so plan to book this time, if you can, for travel during the shutdown). Â As always, plan to get to the airport around 30 minutes earlier than usual to get through a less-staffed security checkpoint.
- Border control lines have gotten increasingly worse over the years (especially since the last furlough), and they’ll continue to do so. Â Plan on being stuck in line to clear customs when returning to the good ol’ USA while the government is in shutdown (unless you have Global Entry). Â Keep a paper magazine, newspaper, or book on hand – they’ll ask you to turn off electronic devices while in line. Â Really.
- Passport and new Global Entry / TSA PreCheck applicants – I wish I had better news for you. Â These gigs, unfortunately, are deemed “non-essential” and have been tightened due to the shutdown. Â Expect delays on your applications until these employees get back to work. Â Outsourced agencies for passports can’t help you here, as it depends on the State Department – which are unfortunately furloughed.
If your eyes just glazed over the above bullet points, know this – get the airport 30 minutes – 1 hour early, pack carry-on (and I can help with that!), and don’t expect any new passport or Global Entry/TSA PreCheck applications to be processed on time.
Your turn – have you traveled lately? Â How was your experience? Â COMMENT below and share your travel stories, and any tips you may have when it comes to traveling during a government shutdown.
