Fuel Surcharges and Price Increases: Which Airlines Have Announced New Costs?
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With gas prices rising, select airlines have started raising prices and attaching additional fuel surcharges to some or all of their flights.
To help you navigate these changes, we’ve gathered a list of the airlines that have announced new fuel surcharges and price increases in this article, and we’ll continue to add to the list as information becomes available.
Fuel Surcharges and Fare Increases
In early 2026, gas prices started rising significantly and as a response, some airlines have begun raising their fares and/or adding additional fuel surcharges.
Read on to see which airlines have announced changes/increases so far.
Canadian airlines
At the time of publication, the following Canadian airlines had announced fuel surcharges or price increases:
- Porter Airlines: $20 fuel surcharge (reduced from $40 to $20 per direction on June 24, 2026)
- Air Transat: Incresed fuel surcharge blended into fare cost for flight to Europe, and raised fares on peak travel dates and select route. (Source: CBC)
- Air Canada: According to a spokesperson, Air Canada pricing « has been and continues to be adjusted to reflect these higher fuel costs. » (Source: CBC)
Additionally, according to many news sources and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) prices for flights with WestJet, Flair, Sunwing, and other more regional Canadian airlines have already started to rise in response.
Non-Canadian airlines
Beyond Canada, here are some notable airlines that have either announced fuel surcharges and/or increased fares:
- Cathay Pacific: Significant increase to fuel surcharges. The airline has stated that it will monitor fuel prices and adjust surcharges every two weeks.
- Air New Zealand: Fares raised per one-way economy fares by NZ$10 on domestic routes, NZ$20 on short-haul services, and NZ$90 on long-haul flights.
- Qantas: Differing fare increases across many routes.
- Scandinavian Airlines (SAS): Airline has introduced « temporary price adjustments. »
- Thai Airways: Airfares announced to increase by 10-15%.
- AirAsia: Temporarily raising fares and fuel surcharges.
- Air India: Phased increase of fuel surcharge, from $4 to $50 USD depending on the route.
- Hong Kong Airlines: Announced increase of fuel surcharges by 30%+. (Source: South China Morning Post)
- Air France/KLM: Air France and KLM have significantly increased surcharges on Flying Blue award flights.
(Some information sourced from EuroNews.)
What Can You Do To Limit the Impact?
Unfortunately the cost of air travel is going up across nearly all airlines, so you can expect the next flight you book to be more expensive than in previous years.
That said, there are still a number of ways you can stretch your travel budget:
- Shop around: Before you commit to paying a pricey fare, make sure that you’ve compared the cost to other airlines that fly the same route.
- Be flexible: If you’re able to be flexible on the dates you travel, you may be able to find lower fares by shifting your travel schedule a little. If possible, it can also be worthwhile exploring alternative arrival and departure airports as fares and surcharges can change significantly with these factors.
- Use airline loyalty points: Using airline loyalty points can help you save significantly on the cost of your airline tickets (though you will likely still be on the hook for the taxes and fees).
- Save on hotels: If you can’t save on your flights, using currencies from other rewards programs can help you save money on other parts of your trip. For example, hotel currencies like Marriott Bonvoy points and Hilton Honors points can get you free hotel stays.
- Save on other travel expenses: With the right flexible currency, like Scene+ points, TD Rewards points, RBC Avion points, NBC à la Carte points, BMO Rewards points, CIBC Aventura points, and American Express Membership Rewards points, you can save on all types of travel expenses.
Bottom Line
The cost to travel by air is getting more expensive this year as a response to the increasing price of fuel. Travellers looking to booking tickets from March 2026 forward will unfortunately be met with steeper fees and higher price tags.
However, you can still find many ways to save on travel expenses by using the right credit cards and strong rewards programs.
You can also sign up for our newsletter to make sure you keep up-to-date on travel news and announcements.
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FAQs
Why are the cost of flights going up in 2026?
The cost of flights are going up in 2026 as a reflection of the increasing cost of airline fuel due to the conflict in the Middle East.
To help absorb some of the increased fuel costs, some airlines have added transparent fuel surcharges, while others have blended these additional costs into their overall fare pricing.
Are Canadian airlines raising the cost of flights?
Yes, pretty much all Canadian airlines have either raised their fares or added a fuel surcharge to help compensate for the increased cost of fuel in 2026.
What are airline surcharges?
Airline surcharges are additional fees that airlines charge on top of the base fare to cover things like fuel, airport costs, and other expenses.
To learn more about why these exist and how they’re imposed, we recommend checking out our guide to airline surcharges and ticket pricing.
Do fuel surcharges apply to award tickets?
Yes, depending on the airline. Paying for a ticket with points doesn't always cover carrier surcharges, which are then added to the taxes you pay in cash. For example, Cathay Pacific states that a fuel surcharge is included on all its tickets, per flight sector, irrespective of fare type. As of September 2026, it's $246.10 CAD per sector between Hong Kong and North America, and the airline reviews it every two weeks (Cathay Pacific's official page). Before redeeming your points, check the total amount you'll pay in cash.
Does a surcharge increase affect a ticket that's already issued?
Generally, no: taxes, fees and surcharges are paid when the ticket is issued. For example, Aeroplan's Flight Reward Policy states that taxes, fees and charges must be paid at time of ticketing, and that voluntary changes may be subject to additional taxes, fees and charges (Air Canada's official policy). If you change an award ticket during a period of rising surcharges, check the new amount before confirming.
