Trump H-1B order spurs fare surge, 4Chan blocks India-US bookings
What's the story
After US President Donald Trump announced a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa applications, which was later clarified not to apply to current holders abroad, flight prices from India to the United States skyrocketed. The price of a one-way ticket from New Delhi to New York's JFK airport jumped from around $420 (₹37,000) to between $794 and $908 (₹70,000-80,000). This sudden spike in fares led many Indians to rush their bookings.
Online campaign
Online forum users reserve flights to US from India
Users on the online forum 4Chan launched a campaign called "Operation Clog the Toilet," aiming to block Indians from returning to the US by reserving seats without completing purchases, thereby contributing to the fare hike. A post on 4Chan read: "Indians are just waking up after the H1B news. Want to keep them in India? Clog the flight reservation system!"
Campaign details
How 'Operation Clog the Toilet' works?
The instructions for "Operation Clog the Toilet" advised users to search popular India-US flight routes, start the checkout process, but not complete it. The goal was to hold seats for about 15 minutes and block others from booking. One user claimed they had "100 seats locked," showing how big this operation was on 4Chan.
Fee clarification
White House clarifies H-1B visa fee
The White House clarified that the $100,000 fee would not apply to current H-1B holders abroad. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on X: "Those who already hold H-1B visas and are currently outside of the country right now will NOT be charged $100,000 to re-enter." Major employers like Amazon and Microsoft asked their employees to return immediately, which increased demand for US-bound flights from India.