DALLAS - It could cost you more to travel next spring and summer: US Airways will add a 5 percent surcharge to all US flights on or after May 8, it said yesterday - to protect the airline in case fuel prices or other costs increase.
Separately, Delta, Northwest, and United confirmed they raised the surcharge on some busy days in March and April to $30 each way from $20, and to $50 on the day after the Super Bowl.
Most major airlines have been losing money this year, and they are scrambling to get revenue from bag-handling fees and surcharges. Airlines have also been cutting unprofitable flights, which saves money but reduces the number of seats available.
“The number of seats they’ve cut is allowing them to do crazy things,’’ said Tom Parsons, chief executive of the discount travel site Bestfares.com. “They added bag fees and nobody blinked. They’ve got $150 [itinerary] change fees, and now the surcharges.’’
Parsons said consumers should expect higher prices next year, whether they are called fares or surcharges.
“There were a lot of bargains in 2009, but it looks like that’s not going to happen in 2010,’’ he said.
It was not clear yesterday whether higher surcharges would stick, though. American and Continental had not matched them, Parsons said.