Those who have been perusing flight search engines to book their upcoming trips have surely noticed airline fares slowly increasing in recent months. And things aren’t necessarily looking up for travelers hoping to hit Europe for the summer months.
Projections indicate jet fuel supplies could start running short as early as mid-May for airlines offering frequent flights to Europe. TravelPulse reports airlines are struggling against “skyrocketing fuel costs tied to the war in Iran,” an issue that has affected airlines globally.
In recent months, airlines have hiked up fares via fuel surcharges and extra checked bag fees, and some airlines are canceling flights to make up for rising operational costs. Carriers including KLM and Lufthansa have both begun shifting flight schedules, cutting thousands of flights hoping to conserve fuel and cut costs. Over the next six months, Lufthansa plans to cut over 20,000 flights.
Chief Commercial Officer of United Airlines, Andrew Nocella, says flight prices have been raised five times since the U.S. first bombed Iran this year at the end of February. United remains one of the U.S.’s top four biggest airlines, and still, the carrier intends to cut lower-demand flights from the 2026 schedule.
According to an analysis from Kayak, international airfares have increased from around $776 to $1,064. Compounding this issue is a 70% rise in global jet fuel prices, as per the Platts Jet Fuel Price Index.
“There is a level of uncertainty here that we have not seen since Covid when it comes to travel,” travel expert from Going.com Katy Nastro told the NYT. “This will be a challenging year for the average traveler hoping to take an affordable summer vacation.”
