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Airline capitalizes on jet fuel worries, raises airfare from $564 to $4,359

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Airline capitalizes on jet fuel worries, raises airfare from $564 to $4,359

SFGATE contributor Jim Glab rounds up air travel and airport news for our weekly column Routes

By Jim Glab, Freelance Writer
March 14, 2026

In this week’s air travel news, the Iran war is expected to produce quickly rising airfares as carriers face higher fuel costs; Transportation Security Administration lines are getting much longer at some airports as unpaid TSA officers stop showing up for work; the Department of Homeland Security finally resumes processing of Global Entry members at U.S. airports; Alaska Airlines is set to reshuffle its California routes next week, including a big boost in SFO-LAX capacity; American Airlines is slated to pull out of Santa Maria; JSX plans to resume Napa County-Southern California flights in April, including a new addition; Los Angeles International’s huge consolidated car rental center finally opens; and Clear brings its biometric e-gates to San Jose Mineta.

In addition to the airspace closures, international flight cancellations and reroutings caused by the Iran war, air travelers now have another big concern: sharply rising airfares due to higher fuel costs. Since Iran virtually shut down the vital Strait of Hormuz this week — through which tanker ships carry 20% of the world’s supply — crude oil prices have skyrocketed, and jet fuel prices in some markets have reportedly doubled. U.S. jet fuel prices jumped by 58% during the first week of the war, and United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said the impact on airfares will “probably start quick,” according to CNBC.

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The U.K. newspaper the Independent this week noted that the sharp rise in oil prices came after some major producers in the Gulf States cut back production due to the shipping disruptions. And it cited an analysis produced by Deutsche Bank that warned of an impending crisis for the world’s airlines if the situation isn’t reversed soon: “Absent near-term relief,” Deutsche Bank said, “airlines around the world could be forced to ground thousands of aircraft while some of the industry’s financially weakest carriers could halt operations.” The Independent said some long-haul airfares between Asia and Europe have already posted massive increases; as an example, it cited the cost of a March 11 Korean Air flight from Seoul to London that jumped from $564 to $4,359 in just a week.

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March 14, 2026

Jim Glab
Freelance Writer
Jim Glab is a freelance writer.