Japan Airlines, ANA raise summer fuel surcharges

Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways have both published updated fuel-surcharge schedules for international flights from Japan, putting a concrete price on a cost increase that summer travelers will see on long-haul tickets. JAL said the revised surcharge applies to tickets issued between May 1 and June 30, 2026, while ANA said its current surcharge table also runs through June 30. Both carriers tie the extra fee to the recent average price of Singapore kerosene-type jet fuel, rather than folding it into the base fare. JAL said the change covers international passenger tickets bought in Japan between May 1 and June 30, 2026, and cited “fuel prices rising to an abnormally high level.” ANA describes the fuel surcharge as a separate fee charged when oil-price jumps make it difficult for the airline to absorb fuel costs through its own operations. (press.jal.co.jp) ### How much are the airlines actually charging? JAL published route-by-route figures rather than a broad statement about higher fares. On itineraries between Japan and North America, the carrier listed a fuel surcharge of $351 per person for each segment from or to Japan for tickets issued between May 1 and June 30, 2026. JAL listed the same $351 figure for Japan-Europe routes. (press.jal.co.jp) JAL’s published table also showed lower charges on shorter regional routes, including $79 for Japan-East Asia and $179 for Japan-Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. That means the increase is most visible on long-haul travel to North America and Europe, where the surcharge alone adds several hundred dollars before airport taxes and other fees. (jal.co.jp) ANA’s English-language fuel-surcharge page confirms that the current application period runs from May 1 through June 30, 2026, and that the amount is set per passenger, one way. ANA’s detailed fare table for 2026 shows route-based surcharge levels for Japan-origin itineraries and says the next revision for tickets issued in July and August will be announced in the second half of June. (jal.co.jp) ### Why are the fees being changed now? JAL said its surcharge levels are based on the two-month average price of Singapore kerosene-type jet fuel. The airline said the average for February and March 2026 was $146.99 per barrel, equivalent to 23,076 yen using the average exchange rate for the same period. ANA said it is also linking the surcharge to the Singapore kerosene market and has updated its reference period so the fee reflects more recent fuel-price movements. (ana.co.jp) ANA said the surcharge for a given application period is based on the two-month average market price immediately before that period. JAL also said a Japanese government subsidy tied to emergency mitigation measures related to the Middle East affected the level ultimately applied for May-June ticketing. (press.jal.co.jp) Even with that adjustment, the carrier kept the surcharge at what it described as a high level because fuel-market prices remained well above initial expectations. (ana.co.jp) ### Does this mean fares to Asia are rising too? JAL’s published schedule shows yes, but by smaller amounts than on trans-Pacific and Europe routes. The airline listed $79 for Japan-East Asia, $105 for Japan-Philippines and Vietnam, and $215 for Japan-Hawaii, Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka. ANA’s international booking pages also note that displayed fares include fuel surcharges, insurance surcharges and other applicable taxes and fees, and that the total is recalculated at ticket issuance. (press.jal.co.jp) That means the surcharge is not a separate optional add-on for travelers; it is part of the final ticket price. ### What about the reported cuts to China flights? (jal.co.jp) Travel And Tour World said summer flights between Japan and China were being cut by more than 50% because of stricter airspace charges, but that claim was not confirmed in the airline materials reviewed. ANA’s current China booking page continued to show available flights and fares to cities including Beijing and Shanghai as of May 18-19, 2026. (ana.co.jp) JAL’s and ANA’s official surcharge notices focus on fuel-pricing formulas, application periods and route bands, not on a published China capacity reduction. Without a carrier statement or schedule filing confirming that figure, the verified part of the story is the surcharge increase itself. ### When is the next change due? ANA said in its fuel-surcharge timetable that the next revision for tickets issued in July and August 2026 will be announced in the second half of June. (flights.ana.co.jp) JAL’s current published surcharge notice covers tickets issued through June 30, 2026, and says the planned level remains subject to government approval. (ana.co.jp) (press.jal.co.jp)