Air passengers across Spain are being warned to keep a close eye on their bank accounts after Volotea confirmed it can change ticket prices just days before departure – even after bookings have been made.
The Spanish low-cost airline has rolled out a variable fuel surcharge that applies network-wide, meaning any customer flying with the carrier could be asked to pay more in the final week before travel.
Up to €14 extra per passenger
The policy, branded the ‘Fair Travel Promise’, allows Volotea to adjust fares in line with fluctuating fuel costs, as the war in the Middle East continues to drive volatility in global energy markets.
Under the system, passengers can be charged up to €14 extra per person, per flight if fuel prices rise. If they fall, the airline says it will refund the difference up to the same amount.
Volotea argues the approach avoids imposing ‘arbitrary fixed fuel surcharges’ and instead offers a more ‘flexible and transparent’ model.
Prices adjusted just a week before departure
Fuel costs are assessed using public market data seven days before departure, at which point the airline can revise the ticket price up or down.
Passengers are notified in advance and given the option to change or cancel their booking free of charge up to four hours before departure if they do not accept the adjustment.
Despite the potential for last-minute price hikes, the airline claims that 97% of customers have chosen to go ahead with their flights since the policy was introduced.
Cancellations already hitting routes
The wider impact of the Middle East conflict is already being felt across Volotea’s operations.
The airline has cancelled a number of routes in Spain, Italy and France due to what it describes as a ‘very significant’ short-term increase in fuel costs.
In Spain, affected services include flights from Asturias to destinations such as Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Tenerife, Las Palmas and Mallorca, with cancellations currently focused on mid-April.
The company says the disruption is linked to ongoing geopolitical instability, which is pushing up the price of kerosene.
