Come March 1, 2019, travelers can expect to pay significantly more to fly into Europe from the United States when the base rate charged to each destination increases by 35 percent.
The Air Transport Association, the trade group representing airlines, announced the changes at a conference in Paris on Tuesday. The post-Brexit hike is actually the first for flights to Europe. Airlines across the Atlantic will see the largest increases with the biggest increases landing on transatlantic flights. U.S. Air, Frontier, American and United will see a five percent increase. Delta’s transatlantic flights will go up by 11 percent.
The rate hike is partly to make up for the sharp drop in demand from Eastern European destinations following Russia’s entry into the European Union. Europe has a high share of business travelers from the United States, and any increase is expected to drive up ticket prices.
There are other immediate changes that travelers may notice on arriving to their destinations. The airline industry has said they will begin to calculate luggage expenses based on weight. Previously, only checked baggage, like clothes, would be counted as part of the luggage amount.