Pricy airfare, airport chaos test travelers' willingness to fly this year
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Travelers are weighing whether they'll fly later this year, considering higher airfares and airport chaos
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TOKYO/NEW YORK — Genevieve Price considers herself a great flight hacker. The 35-year-old naturopathic doctor based in San Diego usually buys basic economy tickets when she visits her family in New Jersey and then uses her Alaska Airlines frequent flier status to pick a seat, something that's usually not allowed for those no-frills fares. "I like to travel a lot," Price told CNBC at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, where she was returning from Rome. But Price said she has her limits, and is planning to cap the spending she does on future flights, such as no more than $900 to Rome, where her partner is from. Consumers' willingness to fly is being put to the test this spring as soaring fuel prices are leading to higher airfares . Cathay Pacific, SAS, Finnair and others are among the carriers that have already raised fares. Travelers also have to contend with hourslong airport security lines in the U.S. because of the second government shutdown in half a year that's hitting the Transportation Security Administration, leaving many frustrated. Fuel and fares Fuel at major U.S. airports was going for $3.98 on Wednesday, up nearly 60% since before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. The conflict has meant crisis for the aviation industry, particularly in the Middle East, where airspace closures have forced carriers to cancel flights and take longer and costlier routes. Airlines will brief investors starting early next month on the longer-term impacts, but they immediately started raising airfare or increasing fuel surcharges on tickets to help cover the rising costs. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told reporters at a company event in Los Angeles this week that airfare could go up 20% this year. Customers appear willing to keep booking even though carriers are passing those high fuel costs along to travelers, he added. Other airlines have also said demand has held up. Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian told a JPMorgan industry conference earlier this...
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