Spring‑break travel mess
Long TSA lines and severe weather are snarling spring‑break travel across the U.S., and a power outage at Denver International Airport caused flight disruptions during the peak travel window. Global travel advisories and spotty staffing are driving delays and cancellations for travelers right now. (npr.org) (cbsnews.com) (travelandtourworld.com)
About 61,000 TSA employees have been required to work without pay since a Department of Homeland Security funding lapse began on Feb. 14, 2026, and many missed their first full paycheck in mid‑March. (federalnewsnetwork.com) TSA separations and unscheduled absences have risen; the agency reported roughly 305 employees left since the shutdown began and call‑out rates spiked — a Houston checkpoint recorded a 55% absence rate on March 14. (morningbrew.com) A March 16–17 storm produced a nationwide cascade of disruptions, with Reuters and FAA snapshots showing more than 12,500 U.S. flights delayed or canceled on March 16 alone. (usnews.com) Flight‑tracking data and airline reports indicated Chicago O’Hare, New York’s LaGuardia and Charlotte Douglas were among the origin airports with the highest cancellation totals as airlines and air‑traffic restrictions compounded staffing shortages. (flightaware.com) Denver International reported a power incident at about 9:20 a.m. MDT on March 18 that knocked out the concourse train to the gates and prompted an FAA‑listed equipment ground stop less than an hour later. (cbsnews.com) Airport officials said power to some systems was out for roughly an hour, Xcel Energy is investigating an isolated substation as the source, and the ground stop was lifted by about 11:30 a.m. as operations gradually resumed. (9news.com) DEN was processing roughly 80,000 passengers per day during the spring‑break travel window, and witness images reported passengers left waiting to board or access restroom facilities while trains and concourse services were impacted. (cbsnews.com) U.S. travel guidance shifted this month: the State Department updated its advisory for the United Arab Emirates and ordered non‑emergency U.S. government personnel to leave the UAE on March 2, 2026. (travel.state.gov) The U.S. Embassy in Mexico issued a March message reminding Americans to “travel smart” after localized violence on Feb. 22 and directed travelers to consult state‑by‑state advisories as spring‑break travel continues. (mx.usembassy.gov) Major carriers activated travel waivers for March 16–17 — including United, American, Delta and JetBlue — allowing fee‑free rebooking for specified origin/destination airports and travel windows. (visahq.com) The Department of Transportation requires prompt refunds for canceled tickets, and airlines told affected customers to use carrier travel‑alert pages or waivers for rebooking and refund options. (abcnews.com)
