VIRGIN Atlantic has upped fuel surcharges to offset
historically high crude oil prices in a move tipped to trigger
widespread rises in coming weeks.
This week the carrier increased its surcharge by £6 to
£16 per sector.
Brent crude oil prices passed $56 per barrel this week –
their highest price in the past 12 months – after dipping as
low as $38 last December.
Excel Group chief operating officer Steve Tomlinson said if oil
prices stayed at current levels, more rises were inevitable.
“Oil price rises are a cost and they must be worn somewhere
down the line.”
The Excel Group, which controls charter airline Excel and seat-only
operator Freedom Flights in the UK, currently charges a £7
surcharge on all direct-sell tickets.
A Virgin spokeswoman said the carrier’s latest fee rise
represented 5% of its average ticket price. She estimated fuel
costs equalled about 25% of Virgin’s average ticket
price.
Virgin is still reviewing surcharges and will adjust them “when
appropriate”.
British Airways was “reviewing the situation” as Travel
Weekly went to press.