Overview
- Chicago’s aviation officials project 3.76 million checkpoint users between March 19 and 30, with O’Hare traffic up 13% and Thursday estimated as the busiest day at about 296,000 passengers.
- TSA officers have worked without pay since Feb. 14; Politico reports 366 resignations to date, and passengers in Atlanta have recently reported waits of up to two hours.
- TSA is not actively updating its website or MyTSA app during the shutdown, reducing the reliability of posted wait times and prompting advice to arrive early.
- Travel experts warn of rising airfares tied to higher fuel costs and urge booking well in advance as spring-break demand stays strong.
- Gas prices continue to climb, with AAA citing Illinois at $4.11 per gallon and Cook County at $4.34, and a 172-million-barrel strategic-reserve release has shown no clear effect on prices.