The federal government shutdown has entered its second week, and already shortages of air traffic controllers have strained operations and disrupted flights at some U.S. airports. The situation may well get worse if the shutdown continues and employees start to miss paychecks. And there is no way to predict what airports might have problems on any given day. So be sure to check your flight's status before you head to the airport. If your flight is canceled, airlines will rebook you on a later flight. If you no longer want to take the trip, you should be able to get a refund. But each airline's policies can differ, and airlines are not required to pay cash compensation.