Thanksgiving travel

Air travel in early November has been relatively smooth, largely because airlines have been operating with lower passenger loads than usual for this time of year. The reduced “load factor” has given carriers a buffer to absorb recent scheduling hiccups, staffing shortages, and occasional technical glitches without causing major disruptions...

The looming federal shutdown has turned the holiday travel season into a source of anxiety for millions of Americans hoping to fly home for Thanksgiving. With the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) already operating on a skeletal staff, airlines are scrambling to adjust schedules, and passengers...