Transportation

Airline trade group CEO: ‘There will be a price increase on your ticket’

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by Max Rego - 05/07/26 9:37 AM ET

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by Max Rego - 05/07/26 9:37 AM ET

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Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Sununu (R), the CEO of Airlines for America, said Wednesday that airline ticket prices will increase as jet fuel costs rise.

Sununu told host Blake Burman on NewsNation’s “The Hill” that the cost of jet fuel has doubled since the U.S. and Israel launched the war with Iran. In response to the initial wave of strikes, the Iranian military imposed restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which rocked the global energy industry.

In March, U.S. airlines spent $5.06 billion on fuel, up more than 56 percent from February, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Sununu, the former Republican governor of New Hampshire, noted that airlines are exploring multiple avenues to avoid passing those higher costs on to customers. That includes increasing baggage fees and cutting flights, which multiple major U.S. carriers have already done.

“The airlines themselves will lose $12 billion this year, because they’re trying to avoid passing most of it off to the customer,” Sununu added. “But there will be a price increase.”

He later said that once the Strait of Hormuz reopens, the price of jet fuel will drop at a slower rate than was seen when it increased.

“It comes up fast and it goes down slowly because it’s a supply chain issue,” Sununu added. “So you have to get your supply chains, your fuels, you have to actually get the fuel from the oil fields to the refinery, to… the actual airports and whatnot.”

Sununu continued, “My guess is late summer, early fall, you’ll see the prices more back to normal.”

Airlines for America represents six commercial carriers, including American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, and three cargo carriers.

The collapse of Spirit Airlines may also put upward pressure on ticket prices, after the low-cost carrier shut down operations over the weekend after failed bailout talks with the Trump administration.

Spirit, though, only accounted for 3.4 percent of the market.

The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that President Trump’s advisers are concerned that Republicans will pay politically for rising jet fuel costs. The newspaper also noted that Sununu has warned the administration about the political implications of the surge, with less than six months to go before the midterms.

As for when Americans should book their summer travel plans, Sununu told Burman, “Right now.” Travelers should book domestic flights one to three months ahead and international flights three to six months ahead, according to CLEAR.

“If you’re booking a ticket, you should book 60 to 90 days out,” Sununu noted. “You should book in the same timeframe to get the best price. It’s always about 60 to 90 days. But yeah, definitely book now and don’t be afraid to book.”

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