Air travel in Canada is set to get more expensive than it already is — thanks to the rising price of jet fuel.
For example, a round-trip on WestJet from Calgary to Montreal and back is currently about $340 before taxes.
But, that doesn’t include any luggage, or even a carry-on.
An aviation analyst says Canadians can count on fuel surcharges being added to ticket prices in the summer as the International Air Transport Association says the global price of jet fuel skyrocketed nearly 60 per cent over the last week.
“That’s uncontrollable, and you basically say ‘Either I raise my prices or I go out of business, and that’s a very real possibility,” said John Gradek, an aviation management analyst at McGill University.
He says the surcharge is necessary because airlines only have a three per cent profit margin on their flights.
However, Gradek expects the rise in air fare won’t make an impact to domestic travellers until around Victoria Day.
Karen Smith with Boulevard Travel Calgary says this is the time to book your vacations.
“Once they raise the prices, even if the war stops or slows down, it’s going to take a while for them adjust the fuel surcharges,” she explained.
Gradek adds that international flights have already raised prices due to the rise in demand.
“There’s been a significant cutback in terms of capacity,” he said. “The Middle East carriers have basically disappeared from the marketplace, they were carrying about 30 to 40 per cent of that traffic.”