Holiday flights face fresh cost squeeze
Filipinos planning year-end vacations and family reunions face another hit to their travel budgets as airlines gain clearance to collect higher fuel surcharges starting in November, potentially adding as much as P1,635 to domestic tickets and P13,726.58 to international fares.
The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) has raised the fuel surcharge ceiling to Level 17 from Level 16 in the second half of October, allowing carriers to pass on higher fuel costs to passengers from 1 to 15 November.
Under the new rates, domestic travelers could pay an additional P34 to P100 per one-way flight, while international passengers face increases ranging from P112.34 to P835.29, depending on their destination.
Based on the CAB’s passenger fuel surcharge matrix, domestic flights will carry maximum surcharges ranging from P559 to P1,635, compared with P525 to P1,535 under the previous level.
For shorter routes of up to 200 kilometers, the ceiling rises to P559 from P525, while flights covering 201 to 400 kilometers may carry a surcharge of P798, up from P749.
Passengers traveling between 401 and 600 kilometers face a maximum charge of P1,112, while those flying between 601 and 800 kilometers could pay P1,416.
For longer domestic routes exceeding 1,001 kilometers, the surcharge climbs to P1,635 from P1,535, marking the biggest peso increase among domestic flight categories.
Passengers heading to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia and Brunei may be charged up to P1,846.10, while flights to China carry a ceiling of P2,506.52.
For flights to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Guam, the maximum surcharge rises to P2,553.19, while those traveling to Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and certain destinations in the Middle East and India could pay P2,871.83.
Meanwhile, flights to Australia and certain Middle Eastern destinations may carry surcharges of up to P6,352.23, while those to New Zealand, Honolulu and Ethiopia face a ceiling of P8,018.94.
Passengers bound for North America, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands could be charged as much as P13,072.93, an increase of P795.51 from the previous P12,277.42.
The highest surcharge of P13,726.58 applies to flights exceeding 14,000 kilometers, up P835.29 from the previous ceiling of P12,891.29.
Despite the higher ceilings, airlines are not automatically required to collect the maximum amounts.
“Airlines wishing to impose or collect fuel surcharge for the same period must file their application with this Office on or before the effectivity period, with fuel surcharge rates not exceeding the above-stated level,” the CAB said in a 27 October advisory.
Fuel surcharges are separate from base fares and allow airlines to recover part of their aviation fuel expenses, making them another factor in the final price passengers pay for tickets.
The regulator also prescribed an exchange rate of P63.01 to $1 for fuel surcharges collected in equivalent currencies.
The latest increase falls under the CAB’s interim 15-day adjustment mechanism, which allows fuel surcharge levels to be reviewed more frequently in response to changing market conditions.
The CAB said the temporary arrangement will remain in effect until conditions stabilize or the policy is revised or revoked.