By Janet H. Cho

Your spring break travel could be unforgettable, in all the wrong ways.

A record number of travelers, hourslong waits to get through airport security checkpoints, and higher gasoline pump prices could create plenty of travel headaches.

"I can't remember a spring break like this since the pandemic. There's so much uncertainty," syndicated travel columnist Christopher Elliott told Barron's. "I've been telling readers of my email newsletter to do their homework before they leave, even if it's to a place they think they know, like Mexico."

Airlines for America projects that a record 171 million passengers will fly over the spring break travel period from March 1 through April 30. That's up 4% from 2025. A4A estimates that U.S. airlines added 2% more flights and 2% more seats in anticipation of the increased demand.

Record numbers of people are flying just as tens of thousands of Transportation Security Administration officers are working without pay during the ongoing partial government shutdown, disrupting staffing at several airports and leading to hourslong security lines.

TSA officers who received only partial paychecks at the end of February faced their first payday with no pay this week because of the shutdown, according to Chris Sununu, president and CEO of Airlines for America. "More than 300 TSA employees have left the workforce since the shutdown began" on Feb. 14, he said.

"If you have any trips planned for spring break and summer, buy your plane tickets now," said aviation journalist and travel blogger Benét J. Wilson. "Prices are only going to get higher. If you've been hoarding airline miles, start using them instead of paying higher fares."

Wilson points out that the long airport lines are causing people to miss flights. She's got a few other tips, including getting PreCheck and Clear, which are TSA programs designed to speed travelers through security checkpoints. "Pack patience and grace," Wilson said. "Gate agents and flight crews are doing their very best. They can't control weather, flight delays, mechanicals, and other things that interrupt our travel."

People making last-minute spring break plans will find that airfare prices have spiked since the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran began on Feb. 28. Jet fuel prices have more than doubled, according to a Deutsche Bank analysts' report.

Last-minute domestic airfares increased by single digits for nearly all airlines during the first week of March compared with the previous week, with the cost of transatlantic flights and flights to Hawaii rising by double digits, Deutsche Bank said.

One-way 21-day advance-purchase fares jumped by double to triple digits, from 14.8% for Allegiant Travel Co. to 56.7% for Alaska Air. Transcontinental airfare prices more than doubled, Caribbean flight prices spiked 57.9%, Florida fares rose 42.9%, and transatlantic flight prices increased 39.4%.

AAA says flights to top domestic spring break hot spots such as Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Los Angeles, and Tampa average about $815 for roundtrip airfare.

Flights to the most popular Caribbean and international destinations like Rome, Paris, Cancun, Amsterdam, and London are slightly cheaper than last year, averaging around $1,300 roundtrip.

Airfares are rising because airlines use an estimated one billion gallons of jet fuel per quarter, or about 25% to 30% of their expenses, and jet fuel prices have increased by $1.20 to $1.50 a gallon this month, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. Although it's hard to predict what will happen with summer airfares, he told Barron's that the $700 tickets he booked for a trip to Italy this summer now cost $850.

For the majority of people who will travel by car, gasoline pump prices are averaging $3.625 a gallon, up nearly 70 cents a gallon from last month's average of $2.941, according to GasBuddy.

De Haan said that drivers looking to save money should leave a little earlier for their destinations, drive more slowly, take advantage of fuel company or convenience store loyalty programs, or use the GasBuddy app that shows real-time pump prices to comparison shop.

For example, AAA members who sign up for Shell Fuel Rewards before April 30 can get 35 cents a gallon off of their first fill-up at participating stations, on top of 10 cents a gallon for AAA Fuel Rewards members.

Eric Rosen, director of travel content for The Points Guy, says TSA PreCheck members should make sure their Known Traveler Numbers are attached to their reservations for faster security processing. He said that because the TSA website isn't being updated during the shutdown, travelers should check their airline apps and airport social media accounts for the latest updates. He added that some credit cards offer discounts or rebates on gas purchases.

AAA recommends that travelers going overseas for spring break enroll in the U.S. State Department's Safe Traveler Enrollment Program, which tells the federal government where you're going and enables it to send you security updates. It says travelers should also consider buying travel insurance from a trusted travel agent, but noted that many policies don't cover acts of war. It says people should download the free Mobile Passport Control app to get through customs more easily when they return.

One bit of good news is that Global Entry, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection program that allows "pre-approved, low-risk" travelers returning from international destinations to get expedited clearance through customs, was reinstated on Wednesday after the Department of Homeland Security suspended it on Feb. 21.

Travel columnist Elliott said that although most of his readers are fairly sophisticated travelers who have already factored in what's happening in the Middle East, some are looking at medical evacuation and security memberships now, like Medjet or Global Rescue.

"But I'm not seeing a lot of cancellations," he said.

Write to Janet H. Cho at janet.cho@dowjones.com

This content was created by Barron's, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. Barron's is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 14, 2026 03:30 ET (07:30 GMT)

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