What to do if the FAA cuts or cancels your flight

• This could lead to hundreds of daily flights getting cut, with hundreds of thousands of travelers impacted, per aviation analytics firm Cirium.
• "You will see mass flight delays," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Tuesday. "You'll see mass cancellations."

State of play: Airports are already telling customers they can rebook or cancel their flights free of charge to avoid the anticipated chaos.

• The U.S. Travel Association warned there may be a potential Thanksgiving travel meltdown if the shutdown continues.
• 60% of Americans are already reconsidering their travel plans due to the travel uncertainty, per a U.S. Travel release.

Here's what to know in case your flight is affected by the FAA cancellations.

Which airports are affected by the shutdown

Zoom in: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Ronald Reagan Washington National and Dallas/Fort Worth International are among the busiest airports that will potentially see cuts, per multiple reports.

• The reductions will reportedly impact four of the major airlines — Delta, United, American and Southwest.
• Many airlines expect to see the cuts begin on Friday, Nov. 7.

Will my flight be canceled?

It's unclear how many flights will be impacted daily.

• A 10% reduction could impact hundreds of daily routes in and out of the country's busiest airports, per data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.

What to do if your flight is canceled or delayed

Generally, the major airlines have already been explaining to customers what might happen to their flights if there are reductions.

• Airlines say they're being proactive to tell customers about any cancellations or delays they face.
• Most are offering free refunds if flights are canceled or rebooked without penalty. This includes basic economy and non-refundable tickets in many cases.
• "Each airline has its own policies about what it will do for customers on bumped or cancelled flights," the FAA said on its website. "There are no federal requirements."

What they're saying: Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle said travelers should book backup tickets on other carriers if they want to avoid delays.

• "If you are flying Friday or in the next ten days and need to be there or don't want to be stranded I highly recommend booking a backup ticket on another carrier," he said, listing his own company, Frontier, as an example.

United's refund and rebooking plans

United plans to send updates through the company's app, website and push notifications if its flights change.

• Anyone flying on United — "even if their flight isn't impacted" — is eligible for a refund if they don't wish to fly, the company said. They will also offer rebooking options.
• United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said in the statement that the airline plans to give customers "several days' advance notice" to "minimize disruption."

• "We will focus our schedule reductions on regional flying and domestic mainline flights that do not travel between our hubs," Kirby said.

Delta refund and rebooking plans

Delta said in a statement it is allowing customers to cancel, change or refund their flights without penalty during the impacted travel period.

• Customers can check the airline's website and app for updates.
• "Delta expects to operate the vast majority of our flights as scheduled, including all long-haul international service, and will work to minimize customer impact while keeping safety our top priority," the airline said.

American Airlines rebooking guidelines

American Airlines said that it's still waiting for more information from the FAA before flight changes are made. However, the company will contact impacted customers when reductions are made.

• The company said most travelers won't be impacted. But travelers should check the airline's website and app for the latest updates.
• "We continue to urge leaders in Washington to reach an immediate resolution to end the shutdown," the airline said.

Southwest automatic rebooking

Southwest said it will rebook travelers automatically in most cases.

• Customers who are rebooked and decide not to travel are eligible for a refund. Travelers can also rebook their flights, or explore other options.
• Southwest is also asking customers who can't travel on their new flights to rebook "at least 10 minutes" before the new flight's departure.

More from Axios:

SLC airport braces for shutdown chaos as flight cuts loom

Flight reductions coming to Charlotte airport amid government shutdown

Staffing shortages mire air travel as shutdown stretches on