Flying This Spring Will Cost You More — And Test Your Patience

Bad timing doesn't even begin to cover it.

Spring break is here, millions of Americans are heading to airports, and the travel industry is getting hit from two directions at once. A government shutdown has gutted TSA staffing just as the busiest travel week of the year kicks off. Meanwhile, the war with Iran has sent jet fuel prices through the roof — and airlines are already passing that pain straight to your wallet.

There's no quick fix in sight for either problem.

The Security Line Situation

By now you've probably seen the videos. Terminals packed wall to wall. Lines snaking through entire airports. Travelers missing flights. This is the reality at major airports across the country right now — and it's only going to get worse before it gets better.

The DHS partial shutdown, which began February 14, has left roughly 50,000 TSA workers reporting to work without pay. As of last week, those workers missed their first full paychecks. More than 300 have quit since the shutdown began. Callout rates have more than doubled at several major airports, with some facilities losing over half their frontline staff on certain days.

TSA workers are classified as essential employees, meaning they're legally required to show up even when the government isn't cutting them checks. But essential doesn't mean financially immune — these are real people with rent, groceries, and kids in daycare. Some are sleeping in their cars at the airport to save gas. Some have lost their housing entirely.

So yes, the lines are long. And the people staffing those lines are doing it for free right now.

Earlier this week, the Trump administration announced that ICE agents will be deployed to airports to help manage surging security lines caused by the ongoing partial government shutdown.

Now Add a War

If the TSA mess wasn't enough, the war with Iran is doing serious damage to the cost of flying.

Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted global oil supply chains, and jet fuel prices are feeling it hard. As of last Friday, a gallon of jet fuel was sitting at $3.99 — roughly double what it cost at this same time last year, according to the Argus U.S. Jet Fuel Index.

To put that in perspective: a Boeing 747 burns around 60 gallons of fuel per minute. A three-hour flight eats through approximately 10,000 gallons. Do that math across an entire fleet, every single day, and you're talking about a financial gut punch that airlines cannot simply absorb quietly.

"Airlines can accept lower profits or raise their fares — and I expect they would do a bit of both," said Jan Brueckner, economics professor emeritus at UC Irvine. "Consumers will feel the Iran war's oil price hike not only at the gas pump but also in the airfares they pay."

That's already happening. Cathay Pacific announced it's doubling its fuel surcharge on all tickets starting this week — jumping from $72.90 to $149.20. Air New Zealand has already raised prices and suspended its 2026 earnings guidance entirely because the jet fuel market is simply too volatile to predict. Airlines including Hong Kong Airlines, Qantas, SAS, Thai Airways, and others are making similar moves.

American carriers are largely not hedging their fuel costs — meaning they have no locked-in prices to fall back on. They're absorbing the market rate in real time, and that cost goes somewhere. Spoiler: it goes to you.

Advance ticket prices for flights at the end of March are already up significantly week-over-week across most major U.S. airlines — some as high as 56%. Spirit Airlines saw a jaw-dropping 124% spike on certain advance fares. Last-minute domestic tickets are climbing too, with increases ranging from under 1% to nearly 14% depending on the carrier.

Deutsche Bank analysts put it bluntly in a recent research note: absent near-term relief, airlines worldwide could be forced to ground thousands of planes — and the financially weakest carriers could stop flying altogether.

Should You Book Now or Wait?

Honestly? Nobody knows.

Industry experts are reluctant to give concrete advice because the variables — how long the Iran conflict drags on, when Congress funds DHS, how long fuel markets stay this volatile — are all genuinely unpredictable right now.

"Put on your seat belt, keep buckled, and then we'll see how volatile this market will be," said Louise Burke, senior vice president at Argus Media.

Not exactly a confidence-inspiring forecast.

What is certain is this: if you're flying this spring, build in extra time at the airport, check your airline's social media for real-time line updates since the TSA app is currently down, and brace yourself for ticket prices that look nothing like what you paid last year.

Two crises. Zero easy answers. Welcome to spring travel 2026.

Curious for more stories that keep you informed and entertained? From the latest headlines to everyday insights, YourLifeBuzz has more to explore. Dive into what’s next.