Airfares climbing — book
Airfares for spring and summer 2026 are already rising — United’s CEO warns fares could jump as much as 20% if current jet‑fuel prices persist. Experts and trackers are urging travelers to book now to avoid steeper increases as oil costs and geopolitical tensions push pricing up. ( )
Argus’s U.S. jet‑fuel index averaged about $4.02 per gallon on March 23, 2026 — roughly double the ~ $2.50 per gallon level reported the day before the Iran war began. (airlines.org) Cathay Pacific announced it will roughly double fuel surcharges for tickets issued on or after March 18, 2026, raising long‑haul sector fees to about US$149.20 per sector. (airtraveler.club) Air New Zealand said it will cut roughly 5% of its schedule — about 1,100 services — through early May in response to surging jet‑fuel costs and has suspended its earnings guidance for the second half of 2026. (money.usnews.com) Weekly airfare trackers reported a sharp uptick in prices in mid‑March, with data showing fares rising noticeably over the prior seven days on major U.S. and transatlantic routes. (thepointsguy.com) Jet fuel typically makes up roughly one‑fifth of airlines’ operating expenses, and U.S. carriers’ average fuel cost in January was about $2.36 per gallon before the recent spike. (cnbc.com) The Energy Information Administration raised its 2026 jet‑fuel forecast by about 37% amid the supply shock, while industry monitors such as IATA and Argus are updating price indices that airlines and analysts are using to reset fares and surcharges. (argusmedia.com) Travel‑industry analysts tracking booking windows now flag June and July as the most at‑risk months for higher ticket prices, noting August is presently showing relatively lower fares in their models. (thepointsguy.com)
