Airfares under pressure
Soaring jet‑fuel costs are pushing airlines to cut routes and lift ticket prices — analysts say United has already trimmed flights as fuel surges. (slashgear.com) South Korea will see fuel surcharges triple in April, adding up to ₩200,000 (~$150) to fares and triggering panic buying; meanwhile Singapore Airlines is offering 25% off seat selection and 10% off student fares through April 16. (en.sedaily.com) (mainlymiles.com)
United will cut roughly 5% of planned flying over the next two quarters, according to a staff memo from CEO Scott Kirby dated March 20, 2026. (marketscreener.com) Kirby told employees United is modeling oil as high as $175 a barrel and said a sustained run above $100 a barrel would add about $11 billion to the airline’s annual fuel bill. (cnbc.com) IATA’s jet‑fuel monitor shows the global average jumped to about $197 per barrel for the week ending March 20, 2026 — roughly double late‑February levels. (businesstoday.in) U.S. domestic benchmark data tracked by Argus put average jet fuel near $4.02–$4.57 per gallon in late March, a sharp rise carriers factor into route and fare decisions. (airlines.org) South Korean carriers set April surcharges that lift Asiana’s one‑way maximum to 251,900 won and place the April calculation period at about 326.71 cents per gallon on the MOPS scale, prompting some cancellations. (en.sedaily.com) The April surcharge schedule could tack as much as 400,000 won onto some round‑trip fares on the longest routes, a figure the government and airlines have cited in recent briefings. (koreajoongangdaily.joins.com) Other carriers are responding similarly — Cathay Pacific raised fuel surcharges by 34% from April 1, and some European carriers such as SAS have announced large-scale schedule cuts as jet‑fuel costs spike. (scmp.com) Singapore Airlines is running a sales window from March 27–April 16, 2026 that the carrier and travel outlets say includes partner offers such as 25% off seat selection and a 10% student‑fare discount. (singaporeair.com)
