Flight fuel surcharge level downgraded for April ‘23

Travelers should expect lower airfares in time for the Holy Week break next month as the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) downgraded the fuel surcharge level for April.

In an advisory on Wednesday, the CAB announced that the passenger and cargo fuel surcharge for domestic and international flights was adjusted to Level 6 for April 1 to 30, 2023.

The fuel surcharge level in April is a notch lower than the current level.

Under Level 6, passengers will be charged P185 to P665 in fuel surcharges for domestic flights and P610.37 to P4,538.40 for international flights, depending on the flight distance.

Under Level 7, the current level, the fuel surcharge for domestic passenger flights ranges from P219 to P739 depending on the distance, while for international passenger flights originating from the Philippines, the fuel surcharge ranges from P722.71 to P5,373.69.

Fuel surcharge is an optional fee, apart from the base fare, that airlines may pass on to passengers to recover costs incurred due to the volatility of jet fuel.

In a statement, AirAsia Philippines said the development “is expected to cushion the effects of the volatile movement of fuel prices in the world market.”

“AirAsia Philippines will continue to work within the guidelines set by CAB on this matter,” it said.

“AirAsia Philippines will continue to reassure its guests that it will remain true to its promise of affordable world-class flights this 2023 as we soar towards full recovery,” it added.

Philippine Airlines said it would “faithfully comply with the lower fuel surcharge matrix that will be applied for tickets that will be purchased next month.”

PAL expands services; targets SMEs

As it marks its 82nd year, flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) on Wednesday shared its plans to continuously expand services, especially now that the industry is recovering from the pandemic.

For one, PAL will continue boosting its cargo services, which the airline’s president, Stanley Ng, said kept the business afloat during the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. Aside from cargo services, PAL also used its fleet for repatriation flights as well as in transporting Covid vaccines at the height of the pandemic.

“We will soon roll out a new feature called Port-to-Door Ser- vice, where cargo customers can have their shipments delivered to them, hassle free. We are proud of this innovation, because it will be very useful for SMEs (small and medium enterprises),” he said in a press conference.

Ng said the new service will make shipment and last mile delivery seamless and convenient.

Expansion of global and inter-island connectivity is also in the pipeline.

Nonstop flights between Manila and Perth, Australia will be offered starting March 27.

Daily flights between Seoul, South Korea and Kalibo in Aklan province will resume in April, although Ng did not specify the spe-