More Fueled Up Airfares

I have mentioned the skyrocketing fuel costs for some time now. A year ago, it would have seemed obscene to talk about a barrel of crude oil being $100 a barrel. And now it has surpassed that.

Earlier this week, I mentioned that several US carriers have started jacking up airfares in an effort to counteract higher fuel costs. But it is not just airlines in the US. It seems that airlines around the world are looking at fuel surcharges or hiking airfares to deal with fuel costs.

The reality is, for larger airlines, every time a barrel of crude goes up by $1, it's millions of dollars in extra costs for an airline. The cost is passed along somewhere - from laying off employees, buying more fuel-efficient aircraft, and increasing the cost of tickets. Seems to be a global reality.

Some of the headlines around the world regarding fares and fuel:
From Australia - Airline fares may soar on oil surge
From Canada - Air Canada, WestJet raise fares to offset rising fuel costs but not across the board
From New Zealand - Air NZ raises fares

image courtesy of Arlene Fleming