With international fuel surcharges rising for the third consecutive month next month, the burden of purchasing air tickets for overseas travelers has increased significantly. Jet fuel prices, which had once shown signs of stabilization, have risen again amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East region, pushing fuel surcharges on long-haul routes past 400,000 won per one-way ticket.
According to the aviation industry on the 16th, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines will raise the fuel surcharge applied to international air tickets issued in November by four tiers, from the current Tier 23 to Tier 27. This marks the first time since June that the international fuel surcharge has reached Tier 27, a span of five months.
Korean Air's November international fuel surcharge is set at a minimum of 55,600 won and a maximum of 408,100 won per one-way ticket. Compared to this month's range of 49,000 won to 362,600 won, the minimum has increased by 6,600 won and the maximum by 45,500 won. For the longest routes, the increase rate reaches 12.5%.
Asiana Airlines will also raise its November international fuel surcharge to a minimum of 62,400 won and a maximum of 351,100 won per one-way ticket. Compared to this month's range of 53,400 won to 301,200 won, the minimum has increased by 9,000 won and the maximum by 49,900 won. The increase rate for the longest routes is 16.6%.
In particular, the burden on travelers using long-haul routes to destinations such as the United States and Europe is expected to grow. In reality, while return-trip fuel surcharges may be calculated differently depending on the country of departure, a simple sum of Korean Air's fuel surcharge for its longest route on a round-trip basis reaches 816,200 won. Calculated in the same manner, Asiana Airlines' amount is 702,200 won.
International fuel surcharges have experienced significant fluctuations since the beginning of this year. The surcharge, which peaked at Tier 33 in May, fell to Tier 27 in June, Tier 19 in July, and Tier 14 in August, driven by declining international oil prices. However, it rebounded to Tier 21 in September, followed by Tier 23 in October and Tier 27 in November, continuing a three-month upward trend. This means the applicable tier has risen by 13 levels in just three months.
International fuel surcharges are calculated based on the average price of Singapore jet fuel (MOPS) from the 16th of the month prior to the previous month through the 15th of the previous month. The average jet fuel price during the calculation period for November, from September 16 to October 15, was recorded at 414.03 cents per gallon. This represents a 9.7% increase compared to the 377.54 cents used as the benchmark for October.
As fuel surcharges rise for the third consecutive month, the burden on consumers preparing for overseas travel has also increased. Travelers on long-haul routes to the United States and Europe face not only base airfares but also fuel surcharges amounting to hundreds of thousands of won. Since fuel surcharges are applied based on the ticket issuance date rather than the departure date, the amount paid can vary depending on when the air ticket is purchased, even for the same flight.
An industry official said, "With the trend of rising fuel surcharges continuing due to unstable international situations in regions such as the Middle East, a slump in travel sentiment appears inevitable." The official added, "While airlines' financial burdens are growing as high oil prices persist, they are expected to engage in aggressive sales activities to secure cash, taking into account recent exchange rate trends."
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