Etihad cuts fares sharply

Etihad Airways has cut some long-haul fares by as much as 50% for travel in May and June 2026, breaking with a broader pattern of rising ticket prices. (msn.com) Reports published on April 5 and April 6 said the discounts cover routes from the United Kingdom to Sydney, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Tokyo and the Maldives, with London-Sydney economy returns starting at £688 and business class at £2,465. (travelandleisureasia.com) The sale is aimed at departures in May with returns in June, before fares rise again for the peak Northern Hemisphere summer season. One report said the booking window targets travel completed before July 1, 2026. (aviationa2z.com) The cuts land as jet fuel prices move the other way. The International Air Transport Association said the global average jet fuel price rose 7.1% week on week to $209 a barrel in its latest update. (iata.org) Other airlines in Asia-Pacific have been adding fuel surcharges or lifting fares instead. TTG Asia reported on March 27 that carriers across the region were passing on higher fuel and dollar-linked operating costs to passengers. (ttgasia.com) Coverage of Etihad’s move tied the discounts to weaker demand for travel through the Middle East during the current regional conflict. Several outlets said the airline was using lower prices to fill seats on connecting traffic through Abu Dhabi. (msn.com) That makes the sale less a broad price reset than a targeted push at a soft patch in the market. The cheapest fares reported so far are concentrated on specific city pairs and a narrow May-June window. (msn.com) For travelers, the immediate effect is simple: some of Etihad’s longest routes are briefly pricing below the levels rivals have been charging this spring. For the airline, the test is whether lower fares can keep planes full without waiting for demand to recover on its own. (aviationa2z.com)