BA fuel surcharges rise again

(29 April 2008)

British Airways has announced that it will be raising its fuel surcharges from 2 May.

The new charges will be £13 per short-haul flight, an increase of £3. The charge for one-way flights of less than nine hours will become £63, a rise of £10. Flights of more than nine hours will be charged a further £15, making the surcharge £79.

The airline has said that the increases are necessary due to high oil prices – at just under US$120 a barrel, they hit a record on Monday.

BA said fuel costs had doubled since 2006 and it now accounts for a quarter of the airline's total costs.

This rise in fuel surcharges comes as Ryanair announced an increase in baggage and airport check-in charges from 5 May. Checked-in baggage will now require a €10 fee, while passengers will have to pay €5 to check-in at the airport rather than online.