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Flight delayed again? Cancelled? Welcome to the club nobody wants to be in, but everyone gets to join eventually.
Whether you’re staring at a departure board full of red text or stuck in a cramped terminal trying to figure out your next move, airport delays are the worst. You’ve already done the hard part – planned the trip and gotten out of bed – and now you’re in travel limbo.
The good news is you have more options than you think. And depending on where you’re going and how far away it is, ground travel might be your ticket out.
What's Happening Right Now (November 2025)
If you’re reading this because your flight just got delayed or cancelled, you’re not alone. The ongoing government shutdown has created a perfect storm of airport chaos: air traffic controllers are working without pay, the FAA has ordered airlines to cut up to 10% of flights at 40 major airports, and delays are hitting 45-90 minutes (or longer) at hubs like Newark, Chicago O’Hare, Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Boston Logan.
Major airlines have already started canceling hundreds of flights through the weekend, and with Thanksgiving around the corner, it’s only going to get messier.
First Things First: Assess Your Situation
Before you spiral into gate-rage mode, take stock:
How far away is your destination? If you’re traveling under 400 miles, buses and trains can be legitimate alternatives to flying. Even for longer distances, they can still be useful for getting to a different airport or finishing a leg of your trip. Even if you don’t want to bus it from Boston to Miami, you still have options.
How urgent is your trip? If you absolutely need to be somewhere by tomorrow morning, your options narrow. (A 60 mph speed limit can only work so hard.) But if you have some flexibility with your arrival time, ground travel opens up a lot of doors.
Where are you, and where are you trying to go? Some routes have way more bus and train options than others. The Northeast Corridor? Covered. Rural Montana? Less so. But just like airlines, many ground travel providers have central hubs in large cities. If you can easily get to one of those, you may be in luck.
Your Options, Ranked by Distance
Under 200 Miles: Ground Travel is a No-Brainer
If your destination is close, skip the plane drama entirely. Buses and trains don’t deal with air traffic control, weather delays, or mysterious “mechanical issues” that keep you stuck on the tarmac for 90 minutes.
Your move: Search for direct bus or train routes from wherever you are (even the airport itself) to your destination. Cities like New York, Boston, DC, Philadelphia, and Chicago have tons of ground travel options that’ll get you there faster than rebooking a flight.
Many airports have intercity buses that leave right from the terminal.
No Uber required!
200-400 Miles: Still Faster Than You Think
This is the sweet spot where ground travel really shines. A bus from DC to NYC takes about 4 hours. A train from Boston to New York? Just over 3.5 hours. Compare that to rebooking a flight, getting through security again, waiting at the gate, dealing with potential delays, and hoping your checked bag makes it on the new flight. There’s no debate: ground travel wins.
Your move: Compare bus and train times against rebooked flight times. Factor in all the airport time: checking in again, security lines, boarding, taxiing, landing, baggage claim. Ground travel starts looking pretty good.
Money-saving hack: Last-minute flights are expensive. Last-minute bus tickets? Usually under $50 (depending on distance, ofc).
Over 400 Miles: Use Ground Travel Strategically
Okay, so you’re not taking a bus from Chicago to LA. We get it. But ground travel can still save the day if you get creative:
Option 1: Get to a Less-Chaotic Airport
If your current airport is a hot mess, take a bus or train to a nearby city with a bigger (or smaller, less congested) airport. Flights out of major hubs like Newark, JFK, or LAX might have more availability and better prices than regional airports.
Option 2: Finish Your Trip from a Layover
Stuck in a connecting city? If your final destination is within a few hundred miles, just take ground transportation the rest of the way instead of waiting for another flight. You’ll probably get there faster anyway.
Option 3: Start Your Trip with Ground Travel
If your home airport is the problem, take a bus or train to a nearby city and fly from there instead. Sometimes it’s easier (and cheaper) to avoid the chaos altogether.
What to Do Right Now
Step 1: Check ground travel options. Open Wanderu (or download the app if you haven’t already) and search your route. You might be surprised by how many buses and trains are available, and how soon they’re leaving.
Step 2: Compare total travel time. Don’t just look at the bus/train duration. Factor in how long it’ll take to rebook your flight, wait for the next available departure, and deal with any potential further delays.
Step 3: Book the option that gets you there fastest. Whether that’s a bus, train, or rebooked flight, the goal is the same: get out of that airport and on with your life.
Step 4: Grab snacks. Airport food is overpriced, and you’ve earned it.
Haven't Booked Yet? Start Smart
If you’re still planning, you’re in luck: you can skip the airport chaos entirely.
For shorter trips: Book ground travel from the start and avoid the airport altogether. No security lines, no gate anxiety, no surprises.
For longer trips: Consider which airports have better track records for on-time departures before you book. Sometimes it’s worth taking a bus or train to a more reliable hub.
Give yourself breathing room. Tight connections and same-day arrivals for important events are risky right now. Build in extra time or travel a day early if you can.
A Few More Things to Know
Buses and trains have way more flexibility than flights. Most bus carriers let you change your ticket up to 15 minutes before departure with no change fee. Try that with an airline. (Joking; please don’t.)
You’ll have a better luggage situation. Buses generally allow more baggage than planes without the fees. Just double-check the carrier’s policy before you book.
You can search by arrival station. If you need to get to a specific airport or terminal, use Wanderu’s station filter to find buses and trains that drop you off exactly where you need to be.
The Bottom Line
Flight delays happen. It sucks, but it’s not the end of your trip. For shorter distances, ground travel can get you there faster, cheaper, and with way less stress. For longer trips, it’s still a solid backup plan for getting to a better airport or finishing your journey from a layover.
Next time you’re stuck staring at a “DELAYED” sign, pull out your phone and check your options. You might be on a bus out of there in 20 minutes.
