Airlines’ fuel prices have risen about 20% in 2026 largely due to the Iran war, and United CEO Scott Kirby expects airfares to stay at such levels into 2027. That would happen even though he expects fuel prices to drop by next year.
However, Wall Street has some doubts about whether these elevated airfares will stick because major carriers expect to impose capacity increases later this year.
Corporations are likely to think twice about sending employees out on the road if the airfare sticker shock persists.
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SKIFT PODCAST NETWORK
Google gives you 10 links. AI gives you three. New Skift Research from the State of Travel report shows AI is fundamentally narrowing the discovery funnel and properties that never competed against each other are now going head to head. In this clip from Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast, Skift Research Head Seth Borko breaks down why Blue Ridge and the Adirondacks are now competing for the same guest, what it means for operators when AI curates instead of lists, and why getting into that shortlist of one to three results is becoming the most important distribution challenge in travel.
SKIFT TRAVEL 200
How are public travel companies performing around the world? The Skift Travel 200 pulls the data you need to know to understand the market. Paid subscribers get full access here.
