British Airways details fuel surcharge hike

British Airways recently announced the hike in its fuel surcharge. The airline has increased the fuel surcharge over its long-haul Club World and First flights, and World Traveler and World Traveler Plus flights.

The airline released a statement where it mentioned that the fuel surcharge will increase by USD 14.3 per sector over its World Traveler and World Traveler Plus flights and USD 28.6 per sector over its long-haul Club World and First flights. There will be no increase in the fuel surcharge over the domestic or short haul flights.

Nick Swift, chief financial officer, British Airways, said, “It’s with real regret that we have to increase our long-haul fuel surcharge. As customers will know from the price at the petrol pumps, the cost of fuel has continued to rise significantly over the past three months. For us, fuel now represents over one third of our costs and particularly affects our long-haul flights. We are very aware of the wider economic pressures on our customers at the moment and we will bear the vast majority of the recent fuel price rise ourselves to keep this increase in surcharge to a minimum.”

The new surcharge will be applicable from 8th April 2011. The USD 14.3 per sector increase means that the fuel surcharge on the long-haul non-premium, World Traveler coach class flights less than nine hours will be increased from USD 107.2 per sector to USD 121.5 per sector. The surcharge for the flights in excess of nine hours will be increased from USD 125.8 per sector to USD 140.1 per sector.

Similarly, the USD 28.6 per sector hike will be made on the long-haul premium air tickets. This means that the surcharge on the First and Club World flights less than nine hours will be increased to USD 178.7 per sector from 150.0 per sector. The fuel surcharge on the air flights that will cover more than nine hours will be increased to 207.2 per sector from 178.7 per sector.