These 7 Airlines Are Taking Drastic Steps To Address Fuel Shortages

With the ongoing conflict in Iran and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz — the waterway responsible for supplying roughly 20% of the world's oil — fuel prices have been rising rapidly, and it's beginning to affect how we travel. It might be obvious that some people would consider cutting down on road trips with gas prices soaring. However, these recent changes are affecting air travel as well. 

While some carriers are raising fees on checked baggage to offset rising costs, high jet fuel prices and shortages are leading several airlines to take more drastic measures. These carriers include United Airlines, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, Air Canada, Virgin Atlantic, Japan Airlines, and Air New Zealand, which are cutting flights and routes, raising prices, and increasing fuel surcharges. Add in the fact that Spirit Airlines has recently shut down, leaving many travelers scrambling to grab tickets, and it's no wonder there is a lot of stress around air travel right now.

While many airlines are shifting things around — or planning to — some major carriers have already made big changes. United Airlines, voted one of the top five U.S. airlines in 2025, is one of them. According to The Independent, United CEO Scott Kirby stated that prices may increase between 15% and 20%. The airline has already cut some flights this year, and it's raising checked baggage fees for domestic flights and those to Mexico, Canada, and Latin America. Lufthansa announced in April that it's canceling over 20,000 flights for a six-month period, with others canceled outright. It also cut the use of the 27 Lufthansa CityLine aircraft. Turkish Airlines, meanwhile, has canceled more than 3,000 flights over 23 routes. 

Air Canada suspended some flights and routes that weren't performing well. Additionally, four daily flights to and from New York will be cut from June 1 through October 25. Virgin Atlantic eliminated some routes for the winter 2026 season and has already raised fuel surcharges by cabin class. Japan Airlines is raising fuel surcharges from $164 to $351 on tickets from North America to Japan sold from May 1 through June 30, 2026. Air New Zealand is cutting flights through the months of May and June, and raising prices on flights.

If you haven't bought plane tickets for your vacation yet, you may want to purchase them early so you get them before prices rise any more than they already have. Travel expert Samantha Brown suggests writing out a list of backup flight options in case yours is canceled in a recent Instagram post. Additionally, depending on gas prices where you live, you might want to drive or even look into public transportation. If the latter is an option, check out the clever public transportation app Moovit that can help you plan your route.