Going on holiday in 2026? Prepare for some changes – not all of which may be especially convenient.
EES checks mean that lines have built up in some airports. And since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amidst the US-Iran conflict, jet fuel prices have doubled.
That means some airlines have planned to run fewer routes, and others are charging more than usual for their fees.
Airline UK, which represents multiple big-name airline carriers in the UK, has said “Airlines continue to operate normally and are not experiencing issues with jet fuel supply,” though Goldman Sachs has since said the UK is the “most exposed” to jet fuel shortages.
The UK Department for Transport recently temporarily suspended rules that say airlines have to use at least 80% of their allocated slots to ensure they’re not given away the next season.
Here’s what some of the most popular airlines in the UK have said so far about what fuel they have left and how much, if anything, they expect their fees to rise by:
EasyJet
EasyJet and EasyJet holidays recently reassured customers that it won’t add new surcharges on its flights or package holidays, adding that “easyJet currently sees no disruption to its jet fuel supply and all flights and package holidays continue to operate normally.”
Garry Wilson, CEO of easyJet holidays, said: “Our operations remain unaffected, so customers can be confident that not only will their holiday go ahead as planned, but there will be no surprise extra payments”.
British Airways
A spokesperson for IAG, which owns British Airways, has said: “We are not seeing jet fuel supply interruptions, but fuel prices have risen sharply and, despite our hedging strategy, which gives some shorter-term mitigation, we are not immune to the impact.”
But The Independent’s travel expert, Simon Calder, has said he doesn’t foresee huge price hikes soon.
“BA will not come after you for more cash, and the airlines can charge only what the market will bear. And judging from some of the prices on offer, that isn’t a lot,” he said.
TUI Airways
They recently told customers their “holiday price is fixed, with no fuel surcharges added by TUI”.
Ryanair
Michael O’Leary, the company’s boss, has said that his company has very strong relationships with fuel suppliers that mean he doesn’t expect much of a price shift in the coming weeks.
He has also told Reuters, “We think the risk of a supply disruption is receding... A month ago, we were saying we’re all fine until the end of May. The fuel companies are now saying they’re seeing no supply disruption risk until the end of June.”
In fact, he said “weaker” than usual demand in June to September may lead to lower fares, oil prices permitting. The company has said it won’t hike fees based on fuel charges.
Virgin Atlantic
They have already added surcharges to their trips following the ballooning cost of jet fuel.
These range from £50 on a return economy class ticket to £360 on a business class one, the BBC said.
Jet2.com
The company said they have “ruled out” surcharges.
The CEO of Jet2, Steve Heapy, said: “customers booking with Jet2 know that they are locking in their price without additional cost surprises later and we strongly believe that is the right thing to do by them.”
Air France-KLM
Air France-KLM has said it plans to run fewer flights overall.
The Independent has also said long-haul cabin fares will rise by €50 (about £43 as of the time of writing) per round trip, too.
KLM has cut flights to and from Schiphol Airport.
American Airlines
American Airlines has said it will cover the rising cost of fuel with rising fares for customers.
It’s cut some benefits for first-class passengers, per The Independent. For domestic and short-haul international flights, it will charge an added $10 (£7.30ish as of time of writing) fee for your first and second checked bags.
After that, your third checked bag on those flights will cost you $150 (£110-ish as of time of writing).
Qantas
The Aussie airline has said it expects to spend millions more on fuel than expected and has delayed a planned buyback.
The Guardian has said it will scale back capacity in its Qantas and Jetstar domestic network by roughly 5% in May and June. Fares have also risen.
Melbourne to Hamilton Island (a Qantas route), Melbourne to Coffs Harbour (a Qantas route), Sydney to Busselton (a Jetstar route) and Darwin to Gold Coast (a Jetstar route) have reportedly been temporarily suspended.
“The group has taken action to mitigate the impact of the conflict in the Middle East, including international network changes, capacity adjustments and fare increases,” a spokesperson said.
Aer Lingus
Like British Airways, Aer Lingus is owned by IAG, which has talked about the possibility of “pricing adjustments to reflect these higher fuel costs”.
However, they said they have been able to hedge costs in the short term.
Singapore Airlines
The company is expanding despite the rise in fuel costs, per S&P Global. It has reportedly won’t increase surcharges, though fares may rise.
Air Canada
It’s cutting 38 daily flights to New York’s JFK International from 1 June to 25 October as fuel costs soared.
Lufthansa
The German airline said on 21 April that they would cut 20,000 flights over the next six months. They added that some flights, like those from Frankfurt to Bydgoszcz and Rzeszów in Poland and Stavanger in Norway, have been cancelled for good.
Delta Airlines
The US operator aims to cut capacity by 3.5% and increase baggage fees to offset rising fuel prices. Per the Independent, this will mean an increase of $10 (£7.35) on first and second checked bags, and a $50 (£37) increase on the third.
Air India
Due to restrictions on airspace as well as rising fuel costs, Air India is reducing its long-haul schedule through July 2026, according to AeroTime, which said the cuts will affect 100 flights linking India with Europe, North America, Australia and Asia.
Wizz Air
A spokesperson told Travel Weekly, “Wizz Air does not anticipate any disruption related to fuel supply and is working closely with its partners to ensure seamless operations throughout the peak travel season”.
The company has said it will run its full summer schedule. And the company’s CEO, József Váradi, said last month, “I don’t think we’re going to run out of fuel.
“There are multiple suppliers, and multiple suppliers might be in different positions, so you may not get jet fuel from one guy, but you may get jet fuel from another guy.
“But the ultimate measure, obviously, is that if there is really no fuel anywhere, then you will have to cancel [flights].”
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