If you're planning on flying soon, you'd be wise to pack your coping mechanism of choice. Getting to your final destination is not going to be a pleasant experience right now.

Because of the current federal government shutdown, which started Oct. 1—the longest in U.S. history—Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) employees are working without pay. To ease pressure on them and try to offset staffing shortages, the FAA announced today that, beginning tomorrow morning, it intends to decrease air traffic by 10 percent in 40 markets nationwide—or up to 1,800 flights and approximately 268,000 seats, according to an estimate by Cirium, an aviation analytics firm.

It's a "radical reduction over the next 48 hours," FAA administrator Bryan Bedford said at a recent press conference, adding that he'd never seen anything like the current conditions in his 35-year career in aviation.  

At Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) today, seven departing flights were already delayed—one by more than six hours—although none had been cancelled. 

“Following the FAA's decision to reduce air traffic, SRQ is closely monitoring the situation," SRQ leadership said in an emailed statement. "Our primary focus at SRQ remains on maintaining smooth operations for our travelers, even as airlines potentially adjust their schedules. We urge all passengers to check directly with their airline for the latest flight status.”

Meanwhile, an hour to the north, Tampa International Airport will be one of the 40 airports that will be forced to reduce its traffic. Orlando International Airport—with its nightmarishly long security lines even on a good day—was also on the FAA's target list. 

And travelers have been feeling the effects for days. Thirty-nine air traffic control facilities reported staffing limitations last weekend—a number that's likely "an undercount" and one that's "well above average" on weekends before the shutdown started on Oct. 1, according to AP News. 

Here's the List of Affected Airports 

1. Anchorage International
2. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
3. Boston Logan International
4. Baltimore/Washington International
5. Charlotte Douglas International
6. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International
7. Dallas (Love)
8. Ronald Reagan Washington National
9. Denver International
10. Dallas/Fort Worth International
11. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County
12. Newark Liberty International
13. Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International
14. Honolulu International
15. Houston (Hobby)
16. Washington Dulles International
17. George Bush Houston Intercontinental
18. Indianapolis International
19. New York (JFK)
20. New York (LaGuardia)
21. Las Vegas McCarran International
22. Los Angeles International
23. Orlando International
24. Chicago (Midway)
25. Chicago (O'Hare)
26. Memphis International
27. Miami International
28. Minneapolis/St. Paul International
29. Oakland International
30. Ontario International
31. Portland International
32. Philadelphia International
33. Phoenix Sky Harbor International
34. San Diego International
35. Louisville International
36. Seattle/Tacoma International
37. San Francisco International
38. Salt Lake City International
39. Teterboro
40. Tampa International

What to Do

Take a deep breath and recognize that your weekend travel plans could be changed with very little notice. (Now's also the time to lean on your CBD, medical marijuana, aspirin, lavender essential oil, anti-anxiety medication, weighted blanket and meditation techniques.)

Check flight statuses on your airline's app or the website of the departing airport. United and Delta have announced they'll offer refunds to passengers who postpone travel this weekend (even if those tickets aren’t normally refundable), and United said it would try to focus its cuts on regional routes vs. major hubs.

Remember it's not just human travel that's being affected—package deliveries could be delayed, too. The FAA's target market list includes distribution centers in Memphis, Tennessee, where FedEx operates, and Louisville, Kentucky, where UPS operates—and where there was also a deadly cargo plane crash that killed at least 12 people earlier this week.

Consider alternate forms of transportation. Is now the time to re-romanticize train travel? Amtrak offers local and cross-country routes from Maine to Florida and from Miami to California. The Brightline offers high-speed travel between Miami and Orlando (although The Atlantic recently called it a "death train," so weigh your options).