WASHINGTON – Travel woes become the latest poster-child for the longest government shutdown in history , as airlines cancel hundreds of flights and advocacy groups warning of a $5 billion loss the travel industry – and counting.

The chief executive of American Airlines said the growing cancelations will be “problematic.” An advocate for airports said airline travel is “reaching a breaking point.” And the U.S. Travel Association created a ticker tabulating the cost of the shutdown to the industry, which rattled along Nov. 7 above $5 billion.

"There's no political party that will win if Thanksgiving gets completely screwed up because of their politics – everybody loses," said Chris Sununu, CEO of Airlines for America, an advocacy group for companies with 2.7 million travelers on 27,0

See Full Page