What the government shutdown actually means for travelers right now
Read today's edition of Gate Access • Feb 16, 2026
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Harmony’s Special Note
Happy Monday. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I was a guest on CNN over the weekend.
Today’s edition is a special one — it’s not every day CNN sends a black car to your door and whisks you off to their studio for live commentary.
This was a career-defining moment for me. Although I was extremely nervous, I hope I did you justice and made you proud to be subscribed to this newsletter.
I want to share a bit about what that experience was like and go a bit deeper into why this government shutdown is different and what you should expect if you’re traveling soon.
Behind the Scenes
On Friday evening, I was lounging after an eventful week when I received an email from a CNN producer.
Now, I get plenty of emails from fraudulent entities claiming to be brands or networks, so I was hesitant — but I read it anyway, and it was clearly authentic.
The producer invited me as a guest on First of All with Victor Blackwell to discuss how the partial government shutdown is negatively impacting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), among other agencies.
Sidenote: Watching Victor transition between two shows in a matter of seconds was a sight to see. Victor, if you’re reading this — please show me your ways!
If you were wondering why I was giving such a serious look at the beginning of the interview, it’s because I was told not to smile and to look straight into the camera for the introduction, ha!
Why This Shutdown Is Different
This shutdown is different because Air Traffic Control isn’t part of it, which isn’t good news for TSA.
If you weren’t reading this newsletter, you probably wouldn’t even know this was happening. Flights won’t be impacted. Travel will continue as normal.
Yet TSA officers will suffer in silence this time — and it could last even longer because negotiations with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are bundled into this deal.
Would you ride a roller coaster if you knew it had loose screws? Probably not.
This situation is no different. I believe travelers deserve to know when they’re moving through a system that is progressively becoming less safe with each day a shutdown lasts.
Travelers should have the opportunity to decide whether to continue traveling under these conditions, instead of being given the illusion that everything is normal. I’m not saying the system is unsafe. I am saying that we can’t be naive to think that officers are operating at 100% under these conditions.
Yes, they are trained and fully aware of the possibility of being in this situation. Still, TSA has a growing morale issue that is leading to a loss of senior personnel and an influx of younger applicants who are less dependable. This is a story for a different day.
For a deeper dive on why we’re here again, you can find the full article below.
Last Week's Release
One Last Thing
I know I have a bunch of new subscribers today because of my CNN interview, and I would like to thank you for trusting me to share this information with you.
When I left TSA in 2021 to pursue this work, it was the hardest choice I had ever made — but it’s been so rewarding. I’ll never get tired of saying thank you for being here.
The Gate Access podcast should be launching in March. I’m so excited for you to hear the conversation I’m going to have with a Customer Service Representative at a major airline and a Travel Agent.
This podcast is all about real, unfiltered conversations with airline and travel insiders. I’m asking the tough questions so you can walk away with useful, honest information.
If you have a question you’d like me to ask, drop it in the comments.