The companies and their customers pay expensive kerosene
The airlines benefit they "fuel surcharges", the taxes levied on air tickets depending on how the fuel prices to maintain their financial stability? While fuel prices soar, airlines are perhaps a little heavy hand on these adjustment variables.
Kerosene prices have not reached the heights of the summer of 2008. Indeed, its current price is 22% below their peaks at the time, according to Bloomberg. However, fuel surcharges companies exceed all records.
In early April, British Airways increased the amount of its overhead for the third time since the beginning of the year to 326 euros for a return long-haul business class and 191 euros in economy class.At Air France – which has also boosted its overall rates April 1 – the peak is reached: for a return flight on a journey of more than seven hours, she weighs 242 euros and 222 euros for a seven-hour flight while in 2008 the company had not been as severe vis-à-vis its passengers: the overload was then capped at 192 euros for a round trip on a journey of more than seven and 172 euro beyond.
According to the U.S. website bestfares.com devoted to travel, U.S. airlines are at least as eager, with loads of up to $ 420 for a round trip between the U.S. and Europe and even $ 580 US- U.S. and South America when in 2008 they did not exceed $ 390.Some consultants do not hesitate to speak of price increase in disguise, so that overloading should really reflect the evolution of fuel prices free credit report and score.
Reduction of flight plans
The energy bill has become the largest item of expenditure of airlines from and to personnel costs. The latter are desperate to cover their costs.
The president of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Giovanni Bisignani, does not hide his concern: "It's a disaster. We tablions, earlier this year on an average price of a barrel of 96 dollars, but these projections were too optimistic. In an economy as fragile as today, it is impossible to pass on fuel surcharges to passengers.But that decision is up to each company, "he told The Tribune last week.
U.S. companies that have published these days their first quarter earnings plunge again: Delta Airlines posted a loss of $ 318 million when it had lost $ 256 million last year. American Airlines posted a loss of 436 million dollars against 505 million last year. According to the American Transport Association, U.S. airlines should have their fuel bill to increase by $ 3 billion more this year.
To face this new crisis, these majors have set up plans for "capacity reduction" that result in deletions of flights.Delta Airlines announced and a decrease of 4% of its flight schedule in the second half and, like its competitors, it leaves the aircraft in its fleet the most fuel-efficient.