United is raising first and second checked bag fees by $10 for customers traveling in the US, Mexico, and Canada and Latin America beginning with tickets purchased Friday, April 3.
Since Iran virtually shut down the vital Strait of Hormuz this week - through which tanker ships carry 20% of the world's supply - crude oil prices have skyrocketed, and jet fuel prices in some markets have reportedly doubled. U.S. jet fuel prices jumped by 58% during the first week of the war, and United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said the impact on airfares will "probably start quick."
Jet fuel alone accounts for somewhere between 25 and 35 percent of airlines' costs. The next stop is higher ticket prices. It's already happening, to some degree. Several airlines, including Air Asia and Hong Kong Airlines, have explicitly said they're adding to their usual fuel surcharges.