Rising fuel costs increase fares and reduce flights

Air travelers face higher fares and reduced flight options as carriers grapple with persistently high fuel costs.

…U.S. airlines, barely out of the their deep post-9/11 slump, have been dealing with unexpectedly high oil prices since Labor Day by pushing up fares and trimming flights.


Average business fares on the USA’s top 280 routes have jumped 8% from a year ago, according to price tracker Harrell Associates. And leisure fare prices on those same prime routes are up 26% from a year ago. This week, Arizona-based US Airways imposed a $5 across-the-board fare increase on every ticket sold.

Whether that price increase sticks depends on other competitors matching it. But in general, fare increases will continue, because “people keep wanting to fly, even at these much higher prices,” says analyst Terry Trippler of travel website TerryTrippler.com.

USA Today