By Janet H. Cho
Spring breakers looking to avoid the chaos at the nation's airports are considering driving to their destinations instead.
Shares of Hertz Global Holdings are up nearly 13% at $4.93 in midday trading on Thursday, after the car rental company said it has seen a 15% bump in searches on its website.
Avis Budget Group's shares are up more than 15%, above $143.
Hertz said that the surge in search traffic to its website signals that travelers are considering other ways or back up plans to reach their destination. One in three customers are currently renting cars specifically for road trips and driving vacations, it added.
Many travelers are likely hoping to avoid the long airport security lines caused by a shortage of Transportation Security Administration officers amid the continuing partial government shutdown.
Tens of thousands of TSA officers and other government employees under the Department of Homeland Security have been working without pay since the latest shutdown began Feb. 14. More than 450 officers have quit.
President Donald Trump has ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to 14 airports, but their presence hasn't shortened the hourslong airport security lines.
Travelers who drive will encounter higher gas prices, approaching an average of $4 a gallon nationwide. GasBuddy says gas prices are averaging $3.986 a gallon on Thursday.
Hertz announced it was offering up to 25% off the price of last-minute reservations and one-way car rentals at thousands of airports and neighborhood locations.
Write to Janet H. Cho at janet.cho@dowjones.com
This content was created by Barron's, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. Barron's is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 26, 2026 13:24 ET (17:24 GMT)
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