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Summer flights cost more: record Japan surcharges, US fares up 15%, Canadian routes cut

Holiday flights this summer cost more on both sides of the Pacific. Travel Voice reported on June 22 that ANA and JAL will raise fuel surcharges "to the highest levels ever" for tickets issued from July 1 to August 31. A one-way trip from Japan to Europe or North America will carry 65,000 yen per person, Hawaii 40,400 yen, Thailand and Singapore 33,500 yen, and South Korea 7,400 yen. Travel Voice said both carriers settled on a 25,000 yen standard rather than 28,000 yen, reflecting a government subsidy for aircraft fuel.

In the US, TravelPulse reported, citing Points Path, that domestic cash fares for June 1 to September 20 are up roughly 15% and international ones 12%. Tuesdays were 17.6% cheaper than Sundays, and the cheapest dates cited were August 1, 14 and 26.

"Summer 2026 is shaping up to be one of the pricier travel seasons we've seen in recent years." — Julian Kheel, Points Path, via TravelPulse

In Canada, The Canadian Press, carried by MoneySense in April, reported fuel surcharges of $25 to $60 per ticket on some flights, a rise in Air Canada's first checked bag fee to $45 from $35, and the suspension of Toronto and Montreal flights to New York's JFK from June 1 to October 25. An Air Canada spokesman said jet fuel prices had doubled since the start of the Iran conflict, and KLM and Lufthansa were also cutting flights.

How each outlet framed it

• Travel Voice — route-by-route surcharges for Japanese travellers.
• TravelPulse — fare data and the cheapest days to fly.
• The Canadian Press / MoneySense — fewer flights and extra fees.

What we don't know yet: Whether fares ease later in the summer. Kheel told TravelPulse that with demand still strong, airlines have "no incentive to lower prices".