Long-haul travellers will have to pay more for economy-class airfares this Christmas season, with some return flights costing over HK$32,000 (US$4,110) due to higher demand, rising operational costs and staff shortages, industry players have said, adding they expect prices to fall next year as capacity returns.
Lily Agonoy, managing director of Jebsen Travel, said passengers could expect rising economy-class airfares to destinations such as London, New York, Sydney and Vancouver compared with last year, with prices ranging from HK$3,650 to HK$32,640, while short-haul airfares had largely returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Ticket prices for the class have soared by up to 43 per cent compared with long-haul trips in December 2019.
“Flights to London have seen a significant increase in prices. Higher fuel surcharges and increased taxes, along with a rise in demand due to more people travelling, have contributed to this increase,” she said.
“Airfares to New York have also increased. The limited number of outbound flights from Hong Kong has driven up prices.
“Overall speaking, rising operational costs, increasing fuel prices and staff shortages have caused airlines to raise airfares.”