Alaska Airlines is warning passengers to check the status of their flight before making their way to the airport. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will begin furloughing their air traffic controller as of Sunday and this could result in numerous flight delays on flights to and from Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, and Newark. These furloughs are the result of the sequestration and could result in ground delays of 50 minutes to two hours for departing flights, as well as a reduction of 30%-40% for flight arrivals at some airports.
Alaska Airlines does not plan to cancel any flights, but they are warning customers to arrive at the airport two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international flights. They are also warning the flight connections, particularly for passengers arriving from Canada or Mexico, could be difficult. Alaska Airlines Chief Operating Officer Ben Minicucci says they are warning customers out of concern for them and they have contingency plans in place to divert flights and shuttle passengers to and from nearby airports if delays occur.
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