Spring break travel will be busy, unpredictable and more expensive due to war and partial government shutdown

Nationally, 171 million passengers may fly this spring break, according to the industry group Airlines for America.

“The spring break travel period is usually one of the busiest”

Chicago Sun-Times

That’s 4% higher than last year.

Chicago Sun-Times

More than 3.76 million passengers are expected to pass through Chicago’s airports, O’Hare and Midway, March 19-30, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation.

O’Hare, which has seen periodic long security lines in recent days, was preparing for 13% more passengers than last year’s spring break.

Thursday was spring break’s busiest travel day at O’Hare, with an estimated 296,000 passengers passing through O’Hare’s gates, according to the Aviation Department.

Wait times at airport security lines have been more unpredictable due to the shutdown and absenteeism among employees who have gone unpaid for weeks.

On recent days, passengers reported waiting up to two hours in line at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, according to the Associated Press.

Chicago Sun-Times

Travelers were advised to arrive three hours early to airports in New Orleans and Austin, Texas.

Many airports have reported wait times in line with normal conditions, making it difficult for travelers to know what to expect.

TSA is not actively managing its sites during the shutdown, meaning the wait times listed on the MyTSA mobile app may not be accurate, the AP reported.

Experts say the estimated wait times listed on third-party websites tracking TSA lines may also be outdated during the shutdown if they rely on publicly available data.

Many airports maintain their own security line trackers, but that’s not the case in Chicago.

O’Hare and Midway do not have their own security wait-time trackers, according to a city aviation department spokesperson.

City officials continue to recommend travelers arrive two hours early for domestic flights, and three hours before international flights.

Airlines for America said it is worried travelers could be used as a political football in the current government shutdown, as Congress fails to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which funds the TSA.

The shutdown, which began Feb. 14, is the third funding lapse in a year and has left about 50,000 TSA agents working without pay.

Last fall, the Federal Aviation Administration cut flights at certain airports, including O’Hare, as some air traffic controllers, unpaid during an earlier government shutdown, failed to show up to work.

Gas prices.

“The spring break travel period is usually one of the busiest”

Chicago Sun-Times

Airport delays are not a problem for those traveling by car.

But drivers will face higher gas prices due to the U.S.-Israel war in Iran and the decreasing supply of oil from the Middle East.

In Illinois, the average gallon of gas costs $4.11, according to auto club AAA.

It was even higher in Cook County, where it was $4.34.

That’s above the national average of $3.91.

A year ago, the average national cost was $3.10.

Last week, the White House said it was releasing 172 million barrels of oil from the country’s strategic reserves.

But the announcement had no apparent affect on the cost of gas, which continues to rise.

Higher gas prices are already affecting driving habits.

Demand for gasoline dropped 5% last week, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Travelers face a combination of higher volumes, security delays, and rising fuel costs this spring break, with officials advising early arrival and caution about security wait times.