A scramble for seats is unfolding on India-US routes after airfares spiked dramatically in the wake of Washington’s sudden announcement of a $100,000 (₹88 lakh approx.) charge on new H1-B visa petitions. Even though the White House clarified the steep levy applies only to fresh applications and not renewals, panic has already set in. Moreover, ‘Operation Clog The Toilet’ is believed to be a reason for the rising airfares on India-US routes.
India-US Flight Tickets Soar Following H1-B Visa Fee Announcement
According to DNA India, thousands of Indian professionals abroad are rushing back to their jobs in the United States, unsure of how the rule could affect their status.
Tickets that just a week ago hovered near ₹40,000 are now pushing past ₹80,000. Travel portals report a rush unlike anything seen outside of peak holiday seasons, with demand driven largely by orders from major tech companies. Firms such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta told employees stationed abroad to return quickly, fearing paperwork snarls and compliance headaches if staff remained overseas.
What Is ‘Operation Clog The Toilet’?
Then came a bizarre twist. On the anonymous message board 4Chan, a cluster of users hatched what they dubbed “Operation Clog the Toilet.” Their aim: jam the system so H-1B workers couldn’t secure flights. The method was crude but disruptive: search for US-bound flights, place tickets in the checkout cart, let the booking hold the seat for 10-15 minutes, and then abandon the purchase.
On the surface, no transaction takes place. But according to travel industry executives, these H1-B visa phantom create ripples. Airline pricing software interprets the sudden wave of frozen seats as soaring demand, triggering automatic fare hikes. A senior official at a global booking platform explained that a burst of incomplete reservations can skew the algorithm and push prices higher in real time.
For Indian nationals, who account for roughly 71 per cent of all H1-B visas, the timing could hardly be worse. Flights are full, fares are climbing by the hour, and confusion over the order’s scope has only deepened anxiety. Officials in Washington later stressed that the new fee is a one-time charge, due only when companies file brand-new petitions in the upcoming lottery cycle. Current visa holders and those applying for renewals remain unaffected, as stated by DNA India.
Also Read: US Imposes Nearly ₹90 Lakh Fee On H-1B Visa Application; Launches ‘Gold Card’ Residency Program
Still, the uncertainty is worrisome. The Indian Embassy in Washington has rolled out a round-the-clock emergency helpline, urging nationals to use it only for urgent cases. For now, with planes running at near-capacity and ticket searches hitting record highs, analysts expect volatility to persist until airlines and passengers can breathe again.
Cover Image Courtesy: davidschultz/unsplash (Representative Image)
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