While oil prices skyrocketed, Cathay Pacific raised its fuel surcharges twice in a row. At their peak, they were nearly three times as high as before the outbreak of the war in Iran.
Recently, the surcharges (which apply to both cash and award tickets) were already slightly reduced. Now, another reduction has been announced. This brings prices back to late March 2026 levels. Here is a breakdown of the recent changes in table form:
| Route | Until March 17 | March 2026 | April – May | Current | From July 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long-haul | $73 | $149 | $200 | $174 | $149 |
| Hong Kong – South Asia | $34 | $69 | $93 | $81 | $69 |
| Other routes | $18 | $37 | $50 | $43 | $37 |
This means the rates are still twice as high as they were before the outbreak of the crisis. Meanwhile, the raw crude oil price is “only” about 25% above pre-war levels. Since Cathay more or less links its surcharges to the price of oil, further reductions should follow in the future.
It remains to be hoped that Lufthansa, KLM, and others will be fair enough to lower their surcharges accordingly. The Lufthansa Group also raised theirs twice in a row in the spring. Now they are so high—especially across the Atlantic—that redeeming miles has become almost entirely unattractive.
Source: Cathay Pacific | via Airliners.de