Airlines Get Higher Fuel Bills Just as Busy Summer Flying Season Approaches

More travelers are packing airplanes, but it's getting more expensive to fly them.

Jet-fuel prices have climbed 15 percent this year, and have surged around 60 percent over the past year, according to S&P Global Platts, presenting airlines with a growing fuel bill just before the summer travel rush, the busiest time of year.

Airlines have a few options to handle the spike in their biggest expense after labor: cut service or raise fares. That amounts to a game of chicken. Airlines don't want to risk losing customers to a competitor with better fares or a more robust schedule.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/20/airlines-face-higher-fuel-bills-as-summer-flying-season-approaches.html