Compared to airport lounges like The Club or Amex’s Centurion Lounge, Minute Suites have far fewer included amenities. You should not, for example, expect complimentary snacks, soda, or alcoholic beverages — though they’re available for an extra cost.
Instead, the biggest perk is having a secluded retreat away from the hustle and bustle of the airport terminal.
Although we could have easily returned home for the night, staying in the Minute Suites room meant we didn’t have to worry about making it back in time for our early-morning departure or dealing with the hassle of going through security again.
We set our alarm for 3:50 a.m. and woke up just a short walk from our gate in Concourse B, which made the wake-up call somewhat more manageable.
The pricey experience felt worth the cost in this situation, but I don’t think I’d splurge on a private room regularly — especially during the day when I have access to other lounges.
However, when dealing with unexpected overnight delays, it’s a convenience I’d definitely pay for again.
Air travel is facing disruption due to long lines at airport security checkpoints.
Sunday and Monday saw hourslong waits at several airports, as Transportation and Security Administration officers missed their first full paycheck since the partial shutdown began.
At Houston’s Hobby Airport, travelers were warned to expect security lines stretching up to three hours. Delays were also reported at New Orleans, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, and Miami International.
A political dispute over federal funding for the Department of Homeland Security has led to TSA officers working without pay.
Airport operations had largely avoided major disruption until Sunday, when some staff did not show up to work.
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While disruption seems to have moderated on Tuesday, travelers are being advised to arrive early and allow extra time to clear security, as wait times can shift depending on staffing levels and peak travel periods.
Here’s how you can stay prepared
One simple way to monitor conditions is to check the website of the airport you’re flying from.
Many airports, including major hubs like Atlanta, Houston, JFK, Newark, Philadelphia, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Denver, post live wait times on their websites.
These can also provide more specific insights. For example, DFW’s website shows the wait times at each checkpoint.
On Tuesday morning, all these airports had average wait times of under 30 minutes.
Most US airports also frequently update their own websites with travel advisories for passengers. For instance, on Tuesday morning, Houston Airports, which manages both Houston Hobby and George Bush International, has a notice telling travellers to arrive early.
You can also use the MyTSA mobile app. It provides estimated wait times in 15-minute intervals based on average checkpoint data.
It should be noted that the app says it sometimes uses historical data if the live data cannot be retrieved. The TSA also says it is not “actively” managing its sites during the partial shutdown, and so the app may not always be updated.
Alternatively, flight-tracking websites like Flightradar24 and FlightAware can also give insights into airport conditions.
FlightAware has a “Misery Map” which shows flight delays at airports around the country, which could be affected by the security lines.
Flightradar24 also shows the average delay for departing flights if you select an airport.
TSA PreCheck lanes remain open nationwide, though the agency has warned they could be suspended at individual airports if staffing shortages worsen.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Peter Wozny, head of legal at Btomorrow Ventures, the corporate VC arm of British American Tobacco. This piece has been edited for length and clarity.
I was flying home to Europe over the weekend from a business trip in China, connecting through Qatar, when my journey took an unexpected turn.
I landed in Doha in the early hours of Saturday morning, made my transfer, and boarded the onward flight. We took off as normal at 9:15 a.m. local time.
About an hour later, everything changed. As we approached the airspace between Israel and Iran, the plane abruptly turned around and headed back to Doha.
When we landed, we sat on the tarmac for roughly 90 minutes as the crew tried to figure out the next steps. Eventually, they sent us back into the terminal.
By then, anxiety had started to spread. Passengers were glued to their phones, reading reports that war had broken out that morning.
Peter Wozny boarded a flight to Warsaw at Doha’s Hamad International Airport early on Saturday morning.
Courtesy of Peter Wozny
Stranded in Doha
Inside the airport, it was chaotic.
Since I was traveling for work, I headed to the Al Mourjan Business Lounge, where I ran into my friend Stuart. We ended up waiting there for a few hours, trying to figure out what was happening.
While we were sitting there, we started hearing loud bangs outside. At first, I wasn’t sure what they were. Then it became clear they were missiles being fired. That’s when it really hit me — it felt ominous.
Stuart McClure and Peter Wozny at Doha’s International Airport’s lounge on February 28.
Courtesy of Peter Wozny
Qatar Airways moved us to the Fraser Suites in Doha’s West Bay area. It wasn’t great, so I decided to book my own room at the Mondrian Doha, where I’ve been staying since Sunday. It’s about $220 a night.
The authorities have said stranded passengers will be able to claim refunds for their hotel stays from Saturday until the airports reopen.
Once this is all over, I’ll need to submit expenses for flights, taxis, food, the hotel, and even basic things like toiletries and clothes.
For the first four days, we didn’t have our suitcases. I just had the clothes I was wearing and a rucksack with my work laptop.
The explosions woke me up
From the hotel, which overlooks Doha’s port, you can hear the explosions. You’ll be sitting there, and suddenly there are these loud bangs outside. Then you look up and see flashes lighting up the sky. It’s scary.
On Saturday night, I actually slept through most of the noise because I was exhausted.
But at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, the noise woke me up. On other days, it’s sounded more distant, more muffled.
Sunday was noticeably quieter. From what I understand, Qatar has been intercepting missiles over the Gulf before they reach land. It’s not that they haven’t been fired — it’s that they’re being taken out at sea.
Even so, you can still hear them.
Stuart McClure and Peter Wozny in their hotel room on Tuesday.
Courtesy of Peter Wozny
It feels a little bit like Covid
It feels a bit like lockdown. I’m stuck, and I don’t know what’s going on. I look out on the streets, and there are barely any cars driving around.
I feel nervous. A bit unsettled. I do feel safe, but I just don’t know what’s happening.
I’m generally a glass-half-full person, but all my plans have been turned upside down. I don’t know whether it’s going to be a few more days or a few more weeks stuck out here.
Peter Wozny and other flight passengers received alert messages upon returning to Doha.
Courtesy of Peter Wozny
Reassuring friends and family
The hardest part has been friends and family constantly checking in. They’re obviously concerned and want to get updates.
They’re reading things in the news, and there’s misinformation out there. So you’re constantly responding to messages and telling everyone you’re OK.
That’s intense. But when you’re sitting in the hotel, and you’re just hearing explosions around, or you’re looking up, and you just see all the light, the sky kind of lighting up, it’s also a bit scary.
Peter Wozny is shown in the Mondrian Doha Hotel on Monday.
Courtesy of Peter Wozny
From my company’s perspective, the guidance has been straightforward: stay in touch, keep people updated, and don’t leave the hotel unless necessary.
Beyond that, we’re just waiting to see whether the situation escalates.
The last update from Qatar Airways was that there won’t be any flights out of Doha until at least Friday.
I’m now considering getting a car and driving to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, and then flying to London from there.
For now, I’m just hoping it doesn’t escalate further, that no one gets hurt, and I can head home soon.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kunal Trehan, a luxury interior designer. It has been edited for length and clarity.
We arrived in Dubai on February 20th to expand our business into the UAE, fully expecting to fly home to the UK on February 28th at 10:20 p.m. local time.
On Saturday, the day we intended to leave, we decided to chill by the beach connected to our hotel. Around midday, we heard what sounded like an explosion — a very faint but deep sound. My partner and I assumed it was demolition until an hour later, when people started messaging me on WhatsApp asking if I was OK. I couldn’t understand what they were worried about.
Kunal Trehan and his partner are stuck in Dubai after the airport closed.
Courtesy of Kunal Trehan
I quickly opened the Qatar Airways app and saw that our flight had been canceled. I started to freak out a bit, wondering if something was going on and how we would escape.
We heard more explosions
As we sat on the beach, still trying to figure out what was happening and what to do next, we could hear more explosions and see accompanying clouds of smoke in the distance. We rushed inside, with me telling my pragmatic self to stay calm and not to panic.
In the evening, more explosions could be heard. We could see the orange light of missiles racing across the sky. We didn’t know where they were being launched from or who was launching them.
I was getting increasingly nervous after looking at the news and social media online. Hotel staff told guests to come inside from their balconies and close their room curtains. Everyone obeyed.
By this point, the sky had become a large plume of smoke over the Fairmont hotel. In the lobby, people were notably panicked. It felt quite claustrophobic, unsettling.
We got emergency alerts on our phones
At midnight, my partner and I got ready to head to sleep when we heard yet another explosion. We opened our curtains, and it looked as if a missile was headed right towards us. Our phones started alarming with the emergency government message to take shelter. “What the hell do we do?” I asked my partner.
Kunal Trehan received emergency alerts on his phone.
Courtesy of Kunal Trehan
Hotel staff knocked, told us to gather our passports and valuables, and to make our way to the basement. The basement was a concrete-floored area. People were perched on the ground, the elderly in chairs. The staff was doing what they could to calm people and make them as comfortable as possible, providing pillows and blankets.
Even the staff, many of whom are locals, were alarmed. They’ve told us that they haven’t experienced this before. We’ve tried to calm others, to make sure they’re OK.
For three hours, we stayed in the basement, but eventually made our way back to the room as my sciatica was flaring up. We had two hours of sleep in our room before we were woken by another explosion around 9 a.m. on Sunday.
We are advised to stay inside the hotel
The hotel has continued to advise people to stay inside — although we know we aren’t directly being attacked, we are caught in the crossfire of a war, and who knows what could fall from the sky. We’ve followed the advice given to us and done what we can to stay safe.
Kunal Trehan had to take shelter in the hotel’s basement.
Courtesy of Kunal Trehan
We’ve asked to move hotel rooms to a first-floor room. If our hotel gets hit, we’d rather be able to get outside quickly. My partner and I keep reminding each other that, for right now, we are relatively safe.
But whereas yesterday, I felt a sense of purpose in helping others, today, I’m feeling very flat. We are incredibly fortunate, yet completely out of control, and have no idea when we will be able to get home.
We are paying $670 a night at the hotel
Fortunately, we have the funds to continue paying for our hotel room, which is about $670 a night, and to eat and buy necessities. Our meal tonight — just mains and water — came to about $120. We haven’t been told that any of this will be reimbursed by our travel insurance company.
Kunal Trehan and his partner moved to a first-floor room in case they need to evacuate.
Courtesy of Kunal Trehan
Over and over, my partner and I speak of how lucky we are. Lucky that we are safe. Lucky that we have money to stay here. Lucky that we didn’t attempt to go to the airport. And yet, we are still so worried. So many emotions — from fear to gratitude.
Our friends and family are so worried for us — we have had hundreds of messages asking how we are. No matter how much we tell them we are safe, their worry continues, and we can hear it in their message and voice notes.
We are hoping to fly out on Thursday, but nothing is set in stone. Just another thing out of our control for now.
I thought I was on track — until the year everything fell apart.
Just weeks into January 2023, I was blindsided by an unexpected breakup. In the months that followed, I moved through my days on autopilot, watching the year continue to unravel.
That May, I was laid off from my job coordinating large conferences and corporate travel. I took a position at a family-run wedding business that was building out its travel department. I told myself things were starting to look up.
But between a 90-minute commute, sitting at a desk all day, and performing mundane tasks not listed in my job description, I began to spiral instead of heal.
Almost every day, I’d retreat to my car at lunchtime and break down in tears, overwhelmed by how unhappy I was.
The “American dream” began to feel like a trap
Since I was a kid, I’d treated success like a checklist built from American expectations I absorbed through school, TV, and social media. It seemed simple enough: Stay in line with peers, get married before turning 30, and buy a big house to raise a family in.
It was becoming clear that this narrative might not align with the life I wanted for myself.
Later that same year, I dealt with a toxic roommate, a serious health scare in my family, and a car accident. Then, just days before the New Year, I got one final surprise: another layoff. This time, however, I felt relief.
Walking out of that office for the last time allowed me to stop chasing a version of success I knew would never satisfy me.
Distance changed the pressure I was living under
As 2024 began, I set a clear goal for myself to sublet my apartment, sell my belongings, and board a one-way flight to South Korea by April 15. My plan was to begin an eight-month journey across Asia and Australia. After four months of careful planning, I boarded that flight.
Starting the trip with a friend in Seoul made the beginning — and the 15-hour flight over — feel safe and manageable. When she boarded her flight back to the US, and I headed off to Thailand alone, that distraction disappeared. I was officially left alone with my own thoughts.
Early on in Southeast Asia, I questioned what I was doing and where it would all lead. I cried in hostels and had panic attacks on the back of motorbikes. My anxiety was triggered by the blasting music of Bangkok’s Khao San Road and Ho Chi Minh City’s endless traffic.
Strum escaped the pressure she’d been living under while traveling through the mountains in northern Vietnam.
Provided by Macie Strum
The more I took note of my surroundings, the less the world around me matched the urgency in my head.
As I traveled the Ha Giang Loop in Northern Vietnam by motorbike, I realized that my idea of success was built upon a level of pressure that didn’t exist up in these Vietnamese mountains. Local life didn’t revolve around strict deadlines and productivity scales. Instead, it centered on routine, family, and staying present each day.
As I moved through each country, I connected with travelers of every age and background, many of whom were unemployed, exploring new paths, working online, or simply figuring things out as they went. Some were meticulous planners; others lived day to day.
In the jungles of Malaysian Borneo, I met a fellow American who was also redefining her life after a heavy breakup. I remember the first night we met, we talked for hours about life, expectations, and the fear of what would come next.
We ended up traveling together to Kuala Lumpur, meeting again in Penang, and later in Bali. Seeing her in so many different places reminded me how many others were navigating the same uncertainty.
It reframed my view of travel — not as a break from real life, but as an active part of it. For the first time, uncertainty no longer felt like failure.
She’s building her career in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Provided by Macie Strum
I’ve redefined success
When that trip came to an end, I felt no pull toward the life I’d left the year before.
I returned to the US briefly, but chose to keep traveling to explore what alternative versions of success could look like for me.
In 2025, that decision took me to 17 European countries. As I explored, I found myself falling in love with one of the continent’s most misunderstood regions: the Balkans.
Today, I live in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, building a career as a freelance journalist without sacrificing my ability to travel. While the life I’m creating may not match the version of success I was raised with, it’s more aligned with how I want to live: flexibly, deliberately, and with purpose.
While I don’t know exactly what comes next, that no longer scares me the way it once did.
Do you have a story to share about living abroad? Contact the editor at akarplus@businessinsider.com.
Passengers flying from Japan to Europe endured a 14-hour-long flight to nowhere on Tuesday after an engine issue.
All Nippon Airways Flight 223 left Tokyo around 11 a.m. and was scheduled to land in Frankfurt, Germany, about 14 hours later.
However, over six hours into the journey, it turned around while flying over the Arctic Ocean, north of Alaska.
Flight-tracking data shows how the Boeing 787 then headed back to the Japanese capital.
It took another eight hours to reach Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, where Flight 223 touched down around 1 a.m.
The plane diverted due to a “low engine oil level,” an ANA spokesperson told Business Insider.
Engine oil differs from jet fuel and is used to lubricate and cool the moving parts inside the engine.Returning to Tokyo, the airline’s main hub, would mean more resources for maintenance and repair.
The spokesperson added that the flight departed again on Wednesday morning, with a change of aircraft and crew.
Data from Flightradar24 shows the new plane departed at around 7:30 a.m. and is supposed to land in Frankfurt around 1 p.m. local time. That’s about 20 hours later than passengers initially expected to get there.
“The safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority,” the spokesperson said. “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to our customers by this extensive delay.”
Since the plane turned around roughly halfway through a huge journey, it was a particularly gruelling flight to nowhere — but not the longest.
Last June, a Qantas flight to Paris returned to Perth after 15 hours. It was mid-flight when Iran launched strikes against a US air base in Qatar, closing some of the world’s most congested airspace.
And in 2023, Air New Zealand passengers had a 16-hour flight to nowhere after an electrical fire in a terminal at New York’s JFK Airport.
Air travel is showing more signs of recovery after Winter Storm Fern pummelled the country over the weekend.
There were around 1,300 canceled flights within, into, or out of the US as of 6:20 a.m. ET on Tuesday, according to data from FlightAware.
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport led the charge with 276, followed by Charlotte Douglas with 138.
While more flights are likely to be canceled throughout the day, there were about 4,000 such cancellations early on Monday. The day ended with 6,250 canceled flights, per FlightAware.
That compares to Sunday’s 11,618 canceled flights.
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Sunday marked the worst day for air travel since the early days of the pandemic in March 2020, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Monday.
He added that the government expects flight schedules to return to normal on Wednesday.
“This storm is unique,” he said. “You get the ice, and you get the snow, and on top of that, we have now a cold weather snap that comes after it.”
Airport and airline workers have also struggled to get to work due to the state of the roadways.
On Monday evening, Heather Garboden, American Airlines’ chief customer officer, wrote to customers saying the storm “continues to present travel challenges across the country.”
American has been the most-affected airline each day, including over 1,900 cancellations on Sunday, per FlightAware.
Garboden added that five of the airline’s nine hubs were “significantly impacted,” including its largest at DFW, which saw “record-setting” weather conditions.
And as the storm affected cities that don’t generally experience such cold, many areas lacked the infrastructure to handle the heavy snow and ice.
This, in turn, has “led to staffing issues as team members, plus vendor and federal partners, struggle to make their way on the roads,” she said.
Airlines have waived change fees so that passengers have more flexibility to avoid disruption due to the storm.
However, while American’s waiver covers travel through Thursday, United Airlines’ is through Wednesday, and Delta Air Lines’ only continues through Tuesday.
