Jet Fuel Prices Soar, Hitting Airlines & Travelers

0:00It's April 9th. I'm Corey with The Story, and this is Vancouver News Today, local news powered by AI. Volatile oil and jet fuel prices are slamming airlines worldwide, all thanks to the Middle East War choking the strait of Hormuz. Prices spiked over $119 a barrel recently, then dipped below $95 after a short ceasefire but shot back up with fresh. Tensions. Jet fuel hit $209 a barrel last week, double what it was in late February. Airlines are playing it safe, hiking checked bag fees and tweaking fares with a lag that can take months to hit passengers. Delta expects $2 billion extra in cost this quarter alone, while United warns of $11 billion yearly if prices stay high. That's more than their best profit year ever. Travelers are feeling the burn, especially budget folks and business types. One guy from California is skipping long trips for local hangouts to dodge disruptions. A Seattle woman delayed her family visit to Paris, because round trip tickets doubled

1:02to about $1,400. Carriers like Cathay Pacific, Jacked fuel surcharges 34%, and Air India added up to $280 on some flights. Schedules are getting cut 5% globally this April, hitting the Middle East hardest but spreading to Europe, Asia, and even North America. Big airlines have tools like dynamic pricing to handle this better than low cost ones, but the wild swings mean no quick fixes. Everyone from economy to premium is paying more, and with uncertainty hanging, your next trip might cost way more or just not happen.