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Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

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When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all

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Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer

1

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

2

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all

3

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
airfare

It’s going to cost even more to fly soon

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
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By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 20, 2021, 10:50 AM ET

With the holiday travel season looming and the airline industry still recovering from the pandemic and a hesitant passenger base, airfares are about to increase—and there’s not much anyone can do about it.

United’s CEO on Wednesday said jet fuel prices are increasing at a rate the industry hasn’t seen for more than 18 months—and he expects to pass those costs along to passengers.

“Higher jet fuel prices lead to higher ticket prices,” Scott Kirby, CEO of United, told CNBC. “Ultimately, we’ll pass that through.”

Kirby didn’t note how big an increase the carrier could be facing.

Higher fuel costs are hardly restricted to United. Other carriers are now facing prices that are 25 cents more per gallon than in the third quarter and 37 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. While they have not announced plans to pass those costs along, it’s likely.

The increases come as more people prepare to fly for Thanksgiving and the holiday season this year. The availability of the COVID-19 vaccine and the lifting of stay-at-home orders are all the excuse some people will need to gather with loved ones.

Average domestic airfares for Thanksgiving were already expected to jump 23% from 2020’s average, with Christmas travelers facing a notable 71% jump from last year, according to travel app Hopper.

A fuel cost bump would send those even higher.

Worse news? The window to buy tickets at the lowest rates has already passed, and the current window for moderate rates is about to close. Prices, on average, go up another 40% after Halloween, with additional spikes the week of the holiday in question. 

More must-read business news and analysis from Fortune:

  • China isn’t the only economy decoupling from the U.S.
  • What you need to know about the Delta Plus COVID variant and the danger it poses
  • Mortgage rates may spike 30% next year, according to a new forecast
  • How high Goldman Sachs predicts home prices will go in 2022
  • 4 things to know about stimulus checks in 2022 and beyond

Subscribe to Fortune Daily to get essential business stories delivered straight to your inbox each morning.

About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

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