Brian Kelly warns travelers to demand refunds, not vouchers, as 5,600+ flights canceled after FAA ground stop

Detailed summary

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has lifted its nationwide ground stop, but ‘The Points Guy’ Brian Kelly says travelers still need to fend for themselves over the next…

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has lifted its nationwide ground stop, but travelers shouldn't expect air travel to return to business as usual quite yet.

Brian Kelly, founder of "The Points Guy," is warning passengers that the disruption could linger for several days, urging travelers to closely monitor their flights, carefully review airline offers and get their money back if they can skip the trip.

"The ground stop is over, but we're not out of the woods quite yet," he said in a recent Instagram announcement, telling travelers to look out for themselves.

The FAA issued the nationwide ground stop on Friday, Nov. 13, after a reported telecommunications outage disrupted air traffic control operations across the country. The unprecedented order halted departures for hours, leaving thousands of travelers stranded and triggering widespread delays and cancellations.

The ground stop was lifted at approximately 8:15 p.m. ET Friday, but the ripple effects continued into Saturday, Nov. 14, as airlines worked to reposition aircraft and crews.

By mid-afternoon on Saturday, flight cancellations had already surpassed 5,600 with over 16,200 delays, according to data from FlightAware. At the time of writing, cancellations have already extended into Sunday, Feb. 15, as well, with over 200 flights preemptively grounded and more than 1,100 delays.

"This morning, the system remains stable, and our airline partners are working through the operational recovery," FAA administrator Bryan Bedford said at a press conference with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Saturday.

Nonetheless, disruptions are likely to continue through the weekend as carriers work to restore their schedules.

"If you're at the airport, and you have not checked a bag, I personally would go home and start rethinking other plans," Kelly said in an Instagram post immediately following the news.

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