Virgin Atlantic increases fuel surcharge

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.