Attention, Passengers: High Airfares May Be Here to Stay

Airfares soared because of the war with Iran. It’s looking increasingly likely that prices won’t come down anytime soon.

Tensions in the Middle East have risen in recent days, pushing up oil prices. But even if the war ended and fuel costs fell, ticket prices could remain stubbornly high.

Travelers, particularly affluent ones who buy high-end seats, have been undeterred so far by the higher prices. Other costs for the airlines are up. And they are facing less competition. Spirit Airlines, which once offered tickets for less than $100, shut down this spring, and other low-cost carriers are struggling.

“It’s expensive to fly airplanes,” Scott Kirby, the chief executive of United Airlines, told Wall Street analysts in a conference call on Wednesday. Most companies in his industry will lose money this year, so fares will have to remain high, he said. “I think the tide has to rise for everyone or those airlines simply won’t exist.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/24/business/airlines-ticket-prices.html