Passengers on this Canadian airline now have to pay extra on certain bookings

Avid Porter Airlines flyers will now need to pay an extra fee on certain bookings. On Monday, Canada's third-largest airline announced a temporary fuel surcharge on all VIPorter flight redemptions due to the rise in global fuel prices. "We want to be transparent about why this change is necessary. Fuel represents the highest cost of airline operations, and this surcharge allows us to maintain the number of points required for redemption," Porter explained in a statement. The update kicked in on March 23, 2026, for all new VIPorter flight bookings. In an email to us, a Porter spokesperson said the surcharge is $40 per flight. It will be applied as a "Peak Surcharge" to each passenger, each way. Any existing bookings are unaffected. The carrier stressed that this fuel surcharge is expected to be temporary. "As oil prices stabilize and return to normal levels, we plan to return to standard pricing," reads the announcement. The spokesperson added that for standard bookings, base fares adjust to account for fuel prices based on the route. "Any changes vary by region and are included in the total price customers always see," they said. This comes after Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed earlier this month. It's a crucial passage way for one-fifth of the world's oil supply, and its shutdown has caused oil prices and, therefore, jet fuel costs to spike. Negotiations continue this week, with U.S. President Donald Trump extending the deadline for Iran to open the key waterway to an additional five days. Earlier this month, Canadian airlines told us how rising jet fuel costs could impact airfare. Air Transat was the first Canadian airline to have a firm response to skyrocketing jet fuel prices. The airline's chief financial officer, Jean-François Pruneau, stated the airline would increase fuel surcharges for Europe during the company's first-quarter earnings call. He added that this would be blended into the total price of flights. Air Canada and WestJet shared similar statements, saying that airfare typically fluctuates and adjusts to reflect higher fuel costs. Porter said they were not able to forecast ticket prices, but are monitoring the situation closely.

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