26/04/2026
Get your holidays booked now!!
If you've got holidays planned this summer, British Airways just gave a pretty clear signal about what's coming on price.
The owner of British Airways confirmed this week that ticket prices will rise to reflect the sharp increase in jet fuel costs following the ongoing disruption to global oil supply chains.
The company said it was "not immune" to the fallout despite having bought a portion of its fuel in advance at fixed prices, a standard industry practice called hedging.
Even with that protection in place, the scale of the fuel price spike is too large to absorb entirely.
The practical implication is straightforward. If you haven't booked yet and you're planning to fly this summer, prices are heading upward and waiting is unlikely to work in your favour.
There's some more reassuring news mixed in.
Jet2, Virgin Atlantic, and easyJet have all said they expect to operate as normal for now.
British Airways itself confirmed it isn't currently seeing any disruption to actual jet fuel supply, just the cost of it.
The concern about physical shortages, flagged by the International Energy Agency as a potential issue within weeks, hasn't materialised yet.
The government has also quietly removed the "use it or lose it" rule for airlines at UK airports.
Normally carriers have to fly at least 80% of their allocated slots or risk losing them for the following year.
That requirement has been suspended so airlines can cancel flights without penalty if fuel shortages make it impossible to operate.
The fact that rule has been suspended tells you something about how seriously the situation is being taken behind the scenes.
For anyone travelling this summer, travel insurance and a clear understanding of your rights if a flight is cancelled is worth sorting sooner rather than later.
