What the CEOs of the 3 biggest US airlines are saying about the Iran war's hit to travel and ticket prices

Tech Insider : Business, Economy, Travel
CEO of United Airlines Scott Kirby speaks at the Punchbowl News Conference at Union Station on March 10, 2026 in Washington, DC.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby.

Heather Diehl/Getty Images

United Airlines 'tactically pruning' flights amid high fuel prices due to the Iran war

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
A United Airlines 767-300ER is seen at a gate with the Manhattan skyline in the background at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, on March 18, 2026.

Mass TSA absences mean flying is a crapshoot right now

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
Airline passengers wait in long lines outside the terminal to get through the TSA security screening at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Sunday, March 8, 2026
Passengers waiting in lines outside the terminal at Houston Hobby Airport on March 8.

Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

A TSA official said some US airports may be forced to close as security agents stop showing up for work

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
Security lines are getting so long amid staffing shortages at facilities like Houston's Hobby Airport that TSA officials may consider closing some airports.
Security lines are getting so long amid staffing shortages at facilities like Houston's Hobby Airport that TSA officials may consider closing some airports.

Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

Unpaid TSA staff are calling out in big numbers. Here are the 5 airports where the problem is worst.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
Airline passengers wait in long lines to get through the TSA security screening at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Sunday, March 8, 2026.
Passengers wait in line at Houston Hobby Airport on March 8,

Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

Over 300 TSA agents have quit during the shutdown, and travelers could feel it for a while

Tech Insider : Business, Economy, Politics
TSA agent
TSA agents are leaving their jobs.

Aaron Schwartz / AFP via Getty Images

Southwest is pulling the plug on flights from Chicago O'Hare and Washington Dulles

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 jet flies past the U.S. Capitol dome as it comes in for a landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Tuesday, May 7, 2024.
A Southwest Airlines jet flies past the Capitol as it prepares to land at Reagan National Airport.

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Spirit Airlines plans to shrink its fleet to fewer than 80 jets. It once had over 200.

Tech Insider : Business, Economy
Spirit Airlines plane at Fort Lauderdale.
Spirit Airlines plane at Fort Lauderdale.

Pedro Portal/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Charts show how the Iran war has pushed ticket prices sharply higher on 3 major US airline routes

Tech Insider : Business, Style
The departure gate of Terminal 1 at JFK International Airport is seen in New York on August 15, 2025.
Delta Air Lines' service from New York's JFK Airport (pictured) to London Heathrow is up from $285 to $553 over a month.

CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

Tips to catch your flight as TSA lines stretched for hours at some US airports

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
Long security lines at Houston Hobby Airport.
Flying this month? Budget extra time at the airport and consider investing in expedited security lanes.

Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

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