High Airline Prices Aren't Deterring Travelers As Sales Spike

Like automotive fuel, jet fuel prices have skyrocketed since US and Israeli missles landed in Iran two months ago. With the Strait of Hormuz still effectively shut despite ongoing talks, prices are set to go nowhere but up. Travelers, though, don't seem to care. A CNBC report shows airlines forecasting high profits in the second quarter of the year despite high prices for aviation fuel (or Avgas). Airlines have been passing costs on to consumers, but ticket sales show no signs of slowing.

The price spike comes at a time when prices for fuel are already trending upwards. Warm weather in the northern hemisphere and the arrival of spring always mean more people on the road and in the sky, looking to shake off the winter chill. In March, travel-agency ticket sales rose 12 percent from a year ago. Domestic economy ticket prices are up too, 21% from a year prior. The cheap seats aren't the only ones getting more expensive, either. Premium seats like Business and First Class tickets rose by 17% per trip. "... bookings have remained resilient amidst these changes, which is an encouraging sign," JetBlue Airways

CEO Joanna Geraghty said on an earnings call.

Jet Blue and Amewrican Airlines sais revenue would rise 11% and 16.5% in the second quarter, respectively. This is in spite of what Geraghty said was the second largest disruption to air travel since the pandemic. "It's possible especially given air ticket prices have grown well below general inflation since COVID" that fares stay high, saidUBS airline analyst Atul Maheswari. "As such, we think there is room for airfares to go up and stay higher. This could drive significant earnings growth and margin expansion for airlines in 2027 should jet fuel prices moderate. That said, we think demand would need to hold steady for airlines to maintain pricing next year."

What this means for travelers is simple: airlines will continue to raise costs and blame fuel prices, even after prices have come down. The end result will be price increases on economy seats most of all, as premium seats tend to already have wide margins airlines can lean on. Budget airlines, like Spirit, can flounder as a result of smaller margins on cheap flights, leaving many budget travelers without options.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 6:04 PM.