Higher Jet Fuel Prices Could Melt Your Summer Travel Plans
Jet fuel prices doubled since the Iran war began, forcing airlines to raise ticket prices and possibly cut flights and services this summer.
Airlines need jet fuel to make their planes fly. Right now, jet fuel costs a lot more money than before. This extra cost could make plane tickets cost more for people who want to travel.
Some airlines already charge extra money for fuel on top of the regular ticket price. United Airlines says when the price of fuel goes up a lot, the price of plane tickets usually goes up too.
No one knows exactly what will happen yet. Airlines plan their flights and ticket prices many months ahead. They might lose money now but could try to make it back later with higher prices.
Airlines can make small changes to save fuel. They might carry less fuel on each plane to make it lighter. Choosing to raise ticket prices is a hard choice because fewer people might want to fly if prices go up too much.
Most airlines want to keep prices low for people going on vacation. They think people going on business trips can pay more because their companies pay for it. So vacation tickets might not go up right away.
If fuel prices stay high for many weeks or months, bigger changes could happen. Airlines might stop flying on some routes that don’t make much money. They could also start charging for bags again or ask people to pack lighter.
Experts say high prices will likely happen more now than before the war started, but they don’t know exactly how much prices will change.
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