What is causing the increase in airfare prices and is it better to make reservations for my summer vacation flight in advance?

Is your vacation trip potentially more expensive due to an in-flight incident and contamination of “powder metal”?

Some airlines are having trouble meeting their planned flights due to delays in Boeing aircraft deliveries caused by safety concerns and an issue with certain Airbus engines.

It is possible that air fares in Europe could increase by up to 10 percent, according to the CEO of the largest low-cost airline in Europe.

Is it advisable for travelers to book their summer flights now to prevent potential price increases? Or is there a possibility of their scheduled flights getting cancelled?

The following are the main inquiries and responses.

Returning to March of 2022, there was a sharp increase in the demand for flights in the UK. This was due to the lifting of the final requirements for Covid testing and quarantine, as people sought to make up for previously missed family trips, beach vacations, and city escapes.

The airline industry has been struggling to keep pace with demand – and at the same time carriers have been putting up fares to take advantage of the limited supply of seats. Fares went up by an average of one-sixth on Ryanair last summer – and many of us will have paid an awful lot more, typically 50 per cent up on pre-pandemic fares.

The most recent statistics from Eurocontrol show that air traffic in Europe is down by eight percent compared to the same time before the pandemic. This isn’t a major issue in February and early March as there is less demand for travel, but as we approach Easter, the airlines will see an increase in demand for flights.

Challenges encountered by the major plane manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing, are resulting in a shortage of short-haul airplanes for airlines to use on their anticipated flights. As a consequence, ticket prices will likely increase and options for flights will be limited.

These pertain to the most commonly used airplanes for European trips: the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320 series.

Despite efforts, Boeing has not been able to speed up the number of 737 Max aircraft being delivered due to a recent incident where a door plug detached from the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 during a flight departing from Portland, Oregon in January.

The plane safely touched down, however, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has raised concerns about quality control and is requiring stricter oversight for each aircraft. FAA administrator Mike Whitaker stated that they will not approve any requests from Boeing for increased production or additional assembly lines for the 737 Max until the quality control problems are resolved.

There are concerns among certain users of Airbus planes due to issues with Pratt & Whitney’s GTF engines. The manufacturer has identified a potential issue with contamination in the powder metal of certain important parts. This means the engines must be inspected earlier and require specialist teams to remove, disassemble, inspect, and reassemble them. This process could take up to two months for each engine.

This indicates that Wizz Air and Lufthansa, a German airline, will likely be required to keep many of their planes out of service for extended periods of time throughout the course of this year.

Simply put, airlines are taking advantage of the current situation by charging the maximum amount possible, especially since they suffered significant losses due to Covid. Additionally, due to the limited availability of seats, they are able to capitalize on the high demand. This reflects the basic principle of supply and demand at its highest level.

Currently, there are great deals available. For instance, on March 7th, you can travel from London to Tirana, Albania for £15 or less, covering a distance of 1,200 miles. However, during the summer, prices skyrocket and some flights, such as the one from Manchester to Malaga on July 20th, can cost almost £500 for a one-way ticket.

Despite the delivery and maintenance issues, British Airways, easyJet, and Jet2 are still profiting from the overall increase in airfare prices.

Wizz Air has already cancelled several routes for the summer, including the London Luton-Dubrovnik route. Other flights are also being reduced, such as my booked Wizz Air flight to Sarajevo in April, which has been cancelled. An alternative flight two days later was offered to me. Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary has stated that the airline may cancel flights on routes with multiple daily frequencies. For instance, they have up to six daily departures from Edinburgh to Dublin, and one of those could potentially be cut, with passengers being moved to an earlier or later flight. However, this may lead to an increase in fares for the remaining available seats.

Likely. It’s challenging to determine potential sources for additional capacity – planes are currently in high demand globally. There is a possibility that a scheduled flight may be cancelled, however, European air passenger laws protect your rights in such cases: according to the UK Civil Aviation Authority, airlines are required to transport you to your destination on the same day, if feasible, even if it entails purchasing a ticket from a different carrier.

It is not definite. Air New Zealand has expressed concerns about potentially grounding 25% of its fleet of 17 Airbus planes, stating that this problem could affect their services for up to two years. Furthermore, Boeing is currently unable to deliver planes at the necessary rate. While some planes may be in service for longer than initially intended, overall there is a higher demand for aircraft than the available supply, mirroring the increasing demand for travel compared to the limited number of available seats.

Source: independent.co.uk