Domestic airport construction fees and fuel surcharges nearly match ticket prices — what act are the airlines putting on?

Sticker shock at checkout

Shoppers are seeing low “bare” fares in booking apps, only to reach checkout and discover the price has almost doubled. It has been reported that after multiple carriers raised fuel surcharges effective May 16, notices show a levy of 90 yuan per passenger for routes under 800 km and 170 yuan for routes over 800 km; add the fixed 50‑yuan airport construction fee and a typical >800 km round becomes at least 220 yuan of surcharges — often almost equal to the naked fare. Who really pays for the ticket: the fare or the add‑ons?

Service downgrades and uneven treatment

Anger over fees is compounded by complaints about falling onboard and ground service. It has been reported that Lucky Air (祥鹏航空) boarding gates in Kunming have inspected 20‑inch carry‑on cases and in some cases required passengers to pay 200–300 yuan to board. Passengers also describe shrinking amenities on full‑service carriers, paid seating, simpler meals or “no meal” listings, and steep penalties for voluntary changes or cancellations. When carriers cancel flights for operational reasons, the legal framework allows for refunds or rebooking, but passengers say getting compensation for consequential losses — missed connections, extra nights, disrupted itineraries — is difficult in practice.

Why fuel surcharges exist

Why levy a separate fuel surcharge instead of simply raising fares? Domestic ticketing uses a “base fare + dynamic discount” system where refund and accrual rules are tied to the base fare. It has been reported that fuel surcharges are fully refundable on refunds, so factoring cost into a dedicated surcharge is administratively simpler and can be less punitive for passengers than raising the base fare. In short, surcharges are both a cost‑pass‑through tool and a workaround inside China’s complex fare system — imperfect, but for now a practical compromise.

Industry pressure and geopolitical context

The rises are not arbitrary profit grabs, carriers say; they point to rising jet‑fuel costs driven by geopolitical tensions that pushed international oil prices higher since February. International low‑cost carriers have already felt the pain — Spirit, for example, recently failed to survive sustained fuel pressure — and media estimates suggest prolonged oil at $90–$105 per barrel would impose roughly a 20% extra cost on airlines. Domestically, China’s big carriers reported healthy quarterly results, helped by reduced jet fuel prices in Q1 and peak travel demand, but market observers warn the true test is now. Consumers are bristling. Are airlines doing what they must to stay afloat — or are passengers being turned into a cash buffer?