Airfares are going up as jet fuel prices 'spike' due to the war in Iran. Here’s how travelers can avoid sky-high airline prices

On March 8, 2026, the price of oil reportedly jumped 15% as news reports detailed both reduced production in the Gulf region due to the war, as well as the strategic Iranian blockage of the pivotal Strait of Hormuz oil transport corridor (2). Oil prices did level off on March 9 (3), with President Trump declaring that the conflict in Iran is "very complete, pretty much."

But until the conflict is officially over, such dramatic shifts in the price of oil could pose immediate, and expensive, consequences for both travelers and the global aviation industry.

"Airlines began increasing airfares this week as spot jet fuel prices started to spike," Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst, told CBS News on March 6 (4).

Meanwhile, James Noel-Beswick, head of commodities at the oil market intelligence firm Sparta (5), warned that jet fuel shortages could mean that “we're weeks away from maybe flight cancellations or delays due to lack of jet fuel, rather than months.”

All of which leaves prospective American travelers in a state of uncertainty — both in terms of whether their travel plans will get off the ground, and whether they’ll be able to afford them if they do.

How the war in Iran is impacting airline prices

As Harteveldt noted, the impact of the rising cost of jet fuel on airline prices is already being seen around the world — including one report that showed how a Korean Air flight from Seoul to London jumped from $564 to $4,359 (6).

Harteveldt did explain, in a separate interview with ABC News, that airlines could choose to direct their price increases more toward first class and away from regular economy seats (7), knowing that those who purchase the latter “are already price-sensitive customers, and even a small increase could impact a decision to take the trip.”

That said, Atul Maheswari, an analyst at Swiss wealth management firm UBS (8), told Barron’s that “Airlines have recently provided positive updates on demand for Jan and Feb. As such, the environment is conducive for passing along fare increases.”

And the airlines are eager to retain customers and recoup their losses in the face of increases in jet fuel prices that — if they remain elevated throughout 2026 — could cost Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines up to $5.8 billion combined, according to Reuters (9).

Forced re-routings to avoid airspace near conflict-affected areas, as well as “additional technical stops, crew and staff overtime, and higher accommodation and handling expenses,” add to that rising cost, global credit agency Fitch Ratings wrote in a recent analysis (10).

And Deutsche Bank analyst Michael Linenberg cautioned that “Absent near-term relief, airlines around the world could be forced to ground,” while financially struggling airlines could “halt operations” altogether (11).

How to avoid being grounded by high airline prices

For those still itching to take to the skies this year, travel industry experts offer some advice to (hopefully) help avoid massive airline markups.

Book far enough ahead: Many, like travel search and comparison site FareCompare, recommend booking your trip several weeks in advance to try and lock in the best fare possible. The site adds that if you’re looking to summer travel, book between two and six months ahead depending on if you’re considering a domestic or international trip.

Flexibility could save you a fortune: Another common pearl of wisdom is that if you can budge on the day, week or even month of your trip — including to avoid peak travel seasons — the price difference could save you hundreds on airline fares.

Buy a one-way ticket: Scott Keyes, who cofounded the flight deal tracking site Going, told CNBC that “There are times where one airline might have the cheapest outbound flight and a different airline might have the cheapest return flight” — in which case, booking one-way flights to your destination and back, rather than round-trip, could prove more affordable (12).