What parents can do when a flight is delayed, canceled or grounded: rebook in the app, know when you're owed a refund, and keep kids fed, busy and sleeping at the airport. Written during the Nov. 13, 2026 FAA nationwide ground stop.
You're at the gate, the snacks are half gone, and every flight on the board just switched to delayed. Then the gate agent says it: nobody knows when we're leaving.
Here's the short version. Rebook in the airline's app before you get in line, keep the kids fed and moving, and know your rights: if your domestic flight is canceled or delayed 3 hours or more and you decide not to go, the airline owes you a refund.
What's happening with flights today (Nov. 13)
On Friday afternoon, Nov. 13, the FAA stopped all departing flights at U.S. airports. The FAA cited "extraordinary circumstances" and safety, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said a communication issue was affecting the country's air traffic control centers. The White House said there was no sign of an attack.
The FAA's advisory listed an estimated end time of 10 p.m. Central (11 p.m. Eastern, 8 p.m. Pacific), but that's an estimate, not a promise. Check the FAA's airport status page and your airline's app for the latest on your flight. Once planes start moving again, expect a long night of delays while airlines catch up.
What should you do first when your flight is delayed?
Get in the airline's app before you get in line. Most airlines let you see rebooking options and change flights right in the app or on their website, so you can grab a seat on a later flight while the line at the gate is still forty people deep.
If you do end up in line, call the airline at the same time. Whoever answers first, the gate agent or the phone, wins.
When you rebook, check that your family is still seated together, and take screenshots of the new confirmation and boarding passes. Apps can get slow when an entire airport is trying to rebook at once.
Then set up a home base. A spot near a family restroom and an outlet, with a window where the kids can watch planes, beats the packed seats at your gate every time.
Are you owed a refund if your flight is canceled or delayed?
Often, yes. Under Department of Transportation rules, if your flight is canceled or significantly changed and you decide not to take the option the airline offers, the airline has to refund you. That applies no matter what caused the problem.
A significant delay is 3 hours or more on a domestic trip, or 6 hours or more on an international one. The refund goes back to your original form of payment, and credit card refunds are due within 7 business days. The DOT's refund page has the details.
Meals and hotels are a different story. Airlines generally pay for those when the delay is their fault, like crew or maintenance problems. A ground stop ordered by the FAA usually doesn't count, but it never hurts to ask the gate agent nicely, and keep your receipts either way.
How do you keep kids busy at the airport?
Start with moving, not entertaining. Kids who've been sitting for hours need to burn off energy, so walk laps of the terminal, ride the moving walkways (hands held, please), and count the planes that are still landing. Plenty of big airports have a kids' play area past security, so check your airport's online map.
No toys left? I Spy works for little kids, and bigger kids can play the alphabet game with store signs and gate numbers. Tweens and teens will usually go for Would You Rather, especially if you let them write the questions.
A boarding pass and a pen are enough for tic-tac-toe, hangman or dots and boxes. Or have your kid write or draw the story of the day every plane in the country stopped flying. Their teacher will love it.
And yes, screens are fine. Save one new show or game for the hardest stretch, which is usually right before dinner or way past bedtime, and charge every device while you have an outlet.
What about food, naps and bedtime?
Buy a real meal early, even if it feels too early. A hungry kid at 8 p.m. is a lot harder to handle than an early dinner at 5, and the food court lines only get longer as more flights are delayed. Refill water bottles at the filling stations past security.
For babies and toddlers, ask an airport employee where the nursing room or family restroom is. When bedtime rolls around, change everyone into pajamas and do the usual book and song, even on a terminal floor with jackets for pillows. The familiar routine can help.
If it starts to look like an overnight, decide early. Hotels near the airport fill up fast when lots of flights are canceled, so book a refundable room as soon as it looks likely. You can always cancel it.
What to pack before Thanksgiving travel
Holiday travel is only a couple of weeks away, and a few carry-on basics make any delay easier: a charged portable battery, kids' headphones, a change of clothes for the littlest ones and more snacks than seems reasonable.
For more ideas, see our travel essentials for kids, travel toys for preschoolers on long flights and favorite travel toys and books for kids.
How we put this together
Details about the ground stop come from the FAA's advisory and reporting by CBS News and other outlets on Nov. 13, 2026. Refund rules come from the Department of Transportation's refund and delay pages. Flight status changes quickly, so check the FAA and your airline for the latest.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do if my flight is delayed and I have kids with me?
Rebook through the airline's app or website before you join the line at the gate, and call the airline at the same time if the line is long. Then set up near an outlet and a family restroom, buy a real meal early, and save a new show or game for the hardest stretch.
Do I get a refund if my flight is delayed by an FAA ground stop?
If your flight is canceled, or delayed 3 hours or more on a domestic trip (6 hours international), and you decide not to fly, Department of Transportation rules say the airline must refund you to your original form of payment, whatever the cause. Airlines generally don't have to cover meals or hotels for air traffic control delays, but you can ask.
What is an FAA ground stop?
A ground stop is an order from the Federal Aviation Administration that keeps flights from taking off, usually at specific airports and, rarely, across the whole country. Flights already in the air generally continue to their destinations, and departures restart once the FAA lifts the stop.
How do I keep a toddler busy during a long airport delay?
Get them moving first: walk the terminal, ride the moving walkways and watch planes land. Then rotate through simple games like I Spy, snacks and one saved-up show, and look for a kids' play area on your airport's online map.
Where can I check whether flights are grounded?
The FAA's airport status page at nasstatus.faa.gov shows ground stops and delays by airport. Your airline's app shows your own flight's status and rebooking options, and it usually updates faster than the gate screens.
