House byline
Travel correspondent
Antonio Rizzo is a house byline for InfoHandle’s Travel desk.
Carriers expect roughly 2.6 million flyers on the Monday holiday based on last year’s TSA volumes, with full Real ID enforcement at checkpoints and normal NYSE hours even as federal banks stay closed.
The FAA’s PackSafe rules keep lithium power banks and spare batteries in the cabin—and bar recalled or damaged packs from any baggage until the battery is removed.
Hurricane Isaias closed Pensacola, Destin, and Panama City airports with hundreds of cancellations Friday; Delta and American extended weather waivers through Sunday while DOT rules entitle passengers to cash refunds if airlines cancel and travelers decline credits.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection stopped routinely stamping passports at primary inspection Oct. 1, so international arrivals should pull their I-94 online to confirm admission dates and visa categories.
Frontier Airlines now charges $149 per passenger per direction to change or cancel Basic and Standard fares booked on or after September 25 when travel is within 59 days of departure—Economy bundles still change free.
Bureau of Transportation Statistics data put the average domestic itinerary fare at $445 in the second quarter of 2026, up 2 percent from the first quarter in inflation-adjusted terms.
Airlines are enforcing six-month passport validity rules more strictly ahead of winter break, while CBP shifts entry proof to electronic I-94 records instead of routine ink stamps.
Hopper puts the average domestic Thanksgiving round-trip at $402, up 31% from 2025, while the August CPI showed airfare up 23.4% year over year as carriers pass through jet-fuel costs.
Latitude Air Ambulance said its crew, patient and escort aboard Heartbeat 104 are presumed lost after the Gulfstream vanished en route from Bermuda to Boston.
New Transportation Department rules taking effect Oct. 19 remove ten delay causes from the “airline-controlled” bucket, narrowing when carriers must offer cash refunds or hotel vouchers.
Day three of the federal funding lapse leaves TSA screeners and controllers working without pay as October leisure travel collides with longer checkpoint lines and paused Global Entry interviews.
The FAA warned that Gulf Coast thunderstorms could trigger ground delay programs in Texas and Florida this weekend, snarling connections through DFW, IAH, MCO, and MIA.
Chicago’s October 9-12 stretch combines the Bank of America Marathon, the Columbus Day parade, and arena concerts, squeezing hotels and CTA service across the city’s busiest fall weekend.
Aviation groups say the Dec. 11 spending deadline could collide with Thanksgiving week if Congress repeats unpaid TSA and controller work rules from earlier 2026 shutdowns.
The State Department still quotes four-to-six-week routine passport processing as airlines advertise fall fares, leaving last-minute international planners to choose expedited fees or scarce agency appointments.
Travelers on a United flight from Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport to Newark reported TSA agents conducting gate-level ID checks and bag searches before boarding during heightened New York security weeks.
Travelers without REAL ID-compliant licenses can pay a $45 TSA ConfirmID fee for identity verification before screening, but payment does not guarantee passage and must be completed online before arriving at the airport.
Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine is expected to become Imelda as it nears the Bahamas, and a Fujiwhara tug-of-war with Humberto is keeping the Southeast's early-week forecast — plus flight waivers and cruise itineraries — in flux.
The CT scanners now running at many US checkpoints have lane openings of about 24.5 by 16.5 inches. A rollaboard packed past its published dimensions can be wider than that — and the difference is usually paid in the security line, not at the gate.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed a failed communications switch and a construction-cut backup fiber at the FAA’s Philadelphia center for Monday’s Northeast air-traffic blackout, as airlines canceled nearly 100 more flights Tuesday with planes and crews still out of position.
Southwest Airlines added six Denver–Reagan National round trips during congressional shuttle week as lawmakers shuttle between Colorado district work and Capitol votes, tapping beyond-perimeter slot waivers while DCA security lines lengthen.