A Wren Says

Another government shutdown is wreaking havoc on the airline industry. More specifically, the partial shutdown that paused funding for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has meant longer security wait times for passengers. Even more specifically, the TSA workforce who have not been paid for over a month are calling out or quitting. A long security line used to be 1 hour. Now, passengers expect to wait 4 hours or more. Some are wondering if it is worth it to travel at all during this time. Now imagine, you’re a CEO of an airline. What would you do?

Well, the heads of the major U.S. airlines decided to speak up. In an open letter published by the Washington Post, they told “Congress, to move forward on bipartisan proposals that will get federal aviation workers—including TSA officers, U.S. Customs clearance officers at airports and air traffic controllers—paid during shutdowns.”

It was public. It was direct. But was it enough?

Delta would later follow that with suspending special treatment for Congress at airports. Rather than the special escorts and the ability to skip the line, they’d have the exact same wait times as any other passenger. Perhaps that would be enough, if all of Congress flies Delta.

There is always a need for you to remain aware of the political landscape as it affects your business. There may come a point where you can’t afford to simply watch from the sidelines. However, that remains up to you to decide. When is it most beneficial to speak up on behalf of your business and your customers? When will staying quiet be the riskier move?