Emirates ticket prices to cost more from March 1

Emirates airlines will introduce a fuel surcharge on all tickets from Thursday (March 1, 2012) as a result of the spiralling oil prices, which touched $125 a barrel this week, recording a 10-month high. "Due to the current volatility of oil prices, Emirates is introducing a fuel surcharge, for all tickets issued on or after March 1, 2012, to reflect the substantial recent increases in our fuel costs," an Emirates spokesperson told Gulf News in a statement, adding that the increase will differ by markets and routes. Emirates stated that while the fuel surcharge would go up to as much as "Dh610 for first and business class" on routes from the UAE to the Americas, while the economy class increase will rest at "Dh170" on the route. "All surcharges are one-way," said the airline's spokesperson. Listing other increases, Emirates said the fuel surcharge on routes from Dubai to Africa, Europe, the Far East and Australasia is "Dh120 on economy class" and "Dh500 on first and business classes". Whereas, on the routes from the UAE to the GCC, Middle East and South Asian Subcontinent, the increase will be "Dh60 on economy class" and "Dh390 on first and business class" tickets. "Emirates has already incurred substantial costs by absorbing the recent price rises, but the surcharge gives us the ability to respond faster to market conditions, rather than a lengthier process of incorporating them into fares," said the Emirates spokesperson, adding that the changes will also give the airline the ability to "decrease prices quickly, where appropriate". "We will review the level of the surcharge on an ongoing basis, while remaining committed to providing our customers with excellent service and a strong value-for-money proposition," said the spokesperson. The last such surcharge increase by Emirates was almost a year ago - in April 2011, which the airline withdrew shortly after as the oil prices fell.