Fuel surcharge increase a pain for holidaymakers

Holidaymakers were told to expect a flurry of price increases after one of Britain’s biggest tour operators announced a new fuel surcharge.

The warning comes as Thomas Cook added £160 to the price of a long-haul break for a family of four to cover the soaring cost of oil.

For short-haul trips, the levy will be £15 a person, while medium haul trips will cost an extra £25 each.

Analysts predicted other operators would soon follow suit – and urged travellers to book up quickly to beat the increases.

Neil Saunders, from consumer research firm Verdict, said: ‘If the oil price remains elevated – which there is every chance it will – then more companies will feel they’ve no choice but to pass across the cost to the consumer.’

The new surcharge will apply to all bookings which include travel on a Thomas Cook charter flight. The company blamed the increase of more than 40 per cent in the last year in the cost of jet fuel.

Oil prices have also surged ten per cent in the past month because of the turmoil in Libya, driving petrol prices to an average of more than 130p a litre.

Rochelle Turner, Which? Travel research director, said: ‘Holidays are expensive and I think this year is going to really drive that home for a lot of people.’

On Monday, a poll for Metro showed a quarter of people had cancelled holiday plans as the recession bites this year.



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