Fuel surcharge confirmation has been increased! Many people are starting to stock up, and some have already placed orders for December. "Buy whatever you can."

The Qingming holiday and the May Day holiday are coming up back-to-back.

Many netizens have posted on social media saying

they are stocking up on plane tickets

before the fuel surcharge increases.

“I bought everything I could.”

Image source: Xiaohongshu

Some have even purchased

tickets for December 2026.

On March 25, Spring Airlines was the first to announce that starting from midnight on April 5, 2026 (inclusive), it will raise the domestic fuel surcharge based on the order time, with specific adjustment plans to be announced later. As of now, Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, and other airlines have not released any price adjustment notices. However, it is generally expected that other airlines will follow suit. Spring Airlines has only specified the adjustment time and has not disclosed the specific adjustment range. The industry speculates that the adjustment will follow the industry linkage mechanism, likely taking into account the recent increase in jet fuel costs.

The adjustment of the fuel surcharge will be based on the order time. Orders completed before midnight on April 5 will still be charged at the current standard, even if the flights take off on or after April 5.

Behind this price adjustment is the fluctuation of international oil prices leading to an increase in jet fuel costs. Since the end of February, shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has been restricted, causing a global oil and gas supply tightness. Additionally, the escalation of geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East has led to a spike in international crude oil prices, significantly increasing the cost of aviation fuel procurement. Data shows that the comprehensive procurement price of domestic aviation kerosene was about 5050 yuan/ton in early February, which had risen to 5680 yuan/ton by late March.

Jet fuel is the most critical fixed cost for airlines, accounting for 30%-40% of the total operating costs of domestic airlines, and its price fluctuations directly affect airlines’ profitability. For low-cost airlines, whose core competitive advantage lies in cost control, the pressure from rising jet fuel prices is even more pronounced.

Previously, several domestic airlines, including Spring Airlines, Juneyao Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, and Changlong Airlines, had announced adjustments to the fuel surcharges for international routes, with increases generally exceeding 50%, and some routes even doubling. Among them, Spring Airlines increased the fare from Shanghai to Kuala Lumpur and Penang from 180 yuan to 360 yuan. China Southern Airlines notified ticket agents that, affected by the adjustment of international fuel prices, it would adjust the fuel surcharges for international flights in batches, with increases of 100 yuan for flights from China to Southeast Asia, 270 yuan for flights to Australia, 150 yuan for flights to the UAE, 250 yuan for economy class flights to the USA, and 500 yuan for business class.

According to civil aviation industry regulations, the fuel surcharge for domestic passenger transport is linked to the basic price of aviation kerosene. When the comprehensive procurement cost of domestic aviation kerosene exceeds 5000 yuan per ton, airlines may charge a fuel surcharge as per regulations, and the 5th of each month is a fixed price adjustment window. Currently, the fuel surcharge standard adjusted on January 5 is still in effect, which is 10 yuan per person for flights under 800 kilometers and 20 yuan per person for flights over 800 kilometers.

According to data from the Qunar Big Data Research Institute, past “May Day” ticket bookings typically started two weeks in advance. This year, due to the anticipated rise in fuel surcharges, there has been a noticeable increase in passengers securing tickets for the golden week in advance, and it is expected that bookings for “May Day” and summer tickets will continue to grow next week.