Airfare pressure rising

U.S. jet‑fuel spot prices averaged $4.02 per gallon on March 23, 2026, according to the Argus US Jet Fuel Index tracked by Airlines for America. (airlines.org) Argus Media’s market analysis shows delivered jet‑kerosene in northwest Europe climbed to record levels above $1,600/tonne and says global jet exports fell more than 60% after the early‑March disruptions tied to the Iran conflict. (argusmedia.com) United Airlines told staff it will trim roughly five percentage points of planned capacity this year and warned oil could hit as high as $175 a barrel, a scenario that would raise its annual fuel bill by about $11 billion. (cnbc.com) Qantas has redeployed Boeing 787s from U.S. routes and moved A330 flying to international work, raising Perth–Rome to daily and Sydney–Paris via Singapore from three to five weekly services while rolling changes out from mid‑April through late July. (abc.net.au) Seattle’s Sea‑Tac was placed on alert after a November Olympic Pipeline leak prompted Governor Bob Ferguson to declare an emergency and authorize tanker trucking and “fuel ferrying” contingencies to keep jet fuel flowing to the airport. (governor.wa.gov) Local carriers and Port of Seattle officials said airlines were preparing contingency tankering and truck deliveries after the pipeline shutdown but reported no immediate operational outages at SEA while repairs and partial restarts proceeded. (king5.com) Industry executives and analysts note sustained high jet‑fuel and constrained connecting capacity through Gulf hubs have already prompted fare increases on some long‑haul routes and capacity reshuffles that support higher ticket prices into the peak season. (pbs.org)