Fuel Surcharge Can Go Up to P787 for Local, P6,208 for International Flights in Early April

(SPOT.ph) Planning your summer getaway? You might want to prepare for higher airfares, as fuel surcharges are set to jump in the first half of the month—with international add-on fees reaching as high as P6,208.98.

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) has raised the fuel surcharge level from Level 4 to Level 8 for both domestic and international flights from April 1 to 15, 2026, following the recent spike in global oil prices amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

With the adjustment, passengers who are booking within this period can expect higher add-on fees at checkout, even if base fares remain unchanged. Fuel surcharges will range from P253 to P787 for domestic flights and P835 to P6,208 for international flights—more than double the previous rates. For nearby destinations like Hong Kong and Vietnam, fuel surcharges start at P835. Flying farther—like to the United States and the United Kingdom—can amount to to P5,913, while the longest routes of over 14,000 kilometers can go as high as P6,208.

For context, fuel surcharge is currently at Level 4 this March, with fees ranging from P117 to P342 for domestic flights and P385 to P2,867 for international flights. The last time the Philippines was at Level 8 was in November and December 2022 at a time when travel demand was also picking up after the pandemic.

Also read: Why Are Domestic Flights Often More Expensive Than Flying Abroad?

To keep up with the volatility, the CAB is also changing how often these surcharges are reviewed. Instead of monthly adjustments, rates will now be updated every 15 days—at least for now.

“This is intended to cushion the impact of fuel price volatility and manage increasing costs. The more gradual and incremental implementation of fuel surcharge to be collected from passengers can be a way of softening the impact of higher fuel surcharge increases, and enable faster reduction when fuel prices decline,” CAB said in its latest advisory.

Fuel surcharges are extra fees that airlines charge to cover the changing costs of jet fuel. They are on top of the ticket price but can go up or down based on how much fuel costs at a particular time.

It’s worth noting that fuel surcharge isn’t automatically charged—it’s an optional fee airlines can impose, but in practice, most carriers do pass this on to passengers. Airlines that plan to collect the surcharge for this period will need to file for approval with the CAB.

Also read: EXPLAINER: Why Do We Have to Pay Travel Tax?