Virgin America adds first fuel surcharges
Wednesday June 11, 1:44 pm ET Virgin America tacks on first fuel surcharges of $10 short-haul and $25 long-haul one-way
NEW YORK (AP) -- Virgin America, the domestic airline launched last August, said Wednesday it would for the first time start adding surcharges of up to $50 roundtrip to reflect sharply higher fuel costs.
Passengers flying on short-haul flights, such as Los Angeles to San Francisco, will pay an extra $10 one way. Those on long-haul flights, such as New York to Los Angeles, will pay a surcharge of $25 one-way.
The surcharges take effect immediately.
"The volatility in the worldwide oil market has made it increasingly difficult for carriers like us to accurately or fairly factor fuel costs into ticket prices," Vice President of Planning and Sales Diana Walke said in a statement. "Our aim with these fuel surcharges is to reflect this volatility, regardless of whether fuel prices go higher or lower."
Burlingame, Calif.-based Virgin America said it now costs more than $300 in fuel alone to transport a passenger from San Francisco to New York and back, $100 more than at the start of the year.
Last week, the carrier increased some overweight baggage fees.
Virgin America already charge passengers $25 to check a second bag, but the carrier is not planning to add a charge to stow a single bag, spokeswoman Abby Lunardini said. AMR Corp.'s American Airlines will become the first major carrier to add a single-bag charge this month.
Separately on Wednesday, American raised its fuel surcharge by $20 per round trip on many routes, just days after it failed in another attempt to raise fares.
The increases came as oil prices turned sharply higher Wednesday, shooting to within range of last week's record high. Light, sweet crude rose to $4.93 at $136.24 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange in afternoon trading.
Also Wednesday, Virgin America said it will add one daily nonstop flight between New York's John F. Kennedy International and Las Vegas McCarran International airports starting Sept. 4.
Wednesday June 11, 1:44 pm ET Virgin America tacks on first fuel surcharges of $10 short-haul and $25 long-haul one-way
NEW YORK (AP) -- Virgin America, the domestic airline launched last August, said Wednesday it would for the first time start adding surcharges of up to $50 roundtrip to reflect sharply higher fuel costs.
Passengers flying on short-haul flights, such as Los Angeles to San Francisco, will pay an extra $10 one way. Those on long-haul flights, such as New York to Los Angeles, will pay a surcharge of $25 one-way.
The surcharges take effect immediately.
"The volatility in the worldwide oil market has made it increasingly difficult for carriers like us to accurately or fairly factor fuel costs into ticket prices," Vice President of Planning and Sales Diana Walke said in a statement. "Our aim with these fuel surcharges is to reflect this volatility, regardless of whether fuel prices go higher or lower."
Burlingame, Calif.-based Virgin America said it now costs more than $300 in fuel alone to transport a passenger from San Francisco to New York and back, $100 more than at the start of the year.
Last week, the carrier increased some overweight baggage fees.
Virgin America already charge passengers $25 to check a second bag, but the carrier is not planning to add a charge to stow a single bag, spokeswoman Abby Lunardini said. AMR Corp.'s American Airlines will become the first major carrier to add a single-bag charge this month.
Separately on Wednesday, American raised its fuel surcharge by $20 per round trip on many routes, just days after it failed in another attempt to raise fares.
The increases came as oil prices turned sharply higher Wednesday, shooting to within range of last week's record high. Light, sweet crude rose to $4.93 at $136.24 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange in afternoon trading.
Also Wednesday, Virgin America said it will add one daily nonstop flight between New York's John F. Kennedy International and Las Vegas McCarran International airports starting Sept. 4.
