Rising geopolitical risk in the Middle East has sent international oil prices swinging, pushing up airline fuel surcharges on tickets. With May fuel surcharges expected to climb as high as Level 33, travelers planning overseas trips face higher costs. Travel companies are responding with full reimbursements of surcharge increases and broad discount campaigns to keep demand from cooling.
◆ “We’ll pay back the increase”: Modetour launches April-only fuel reimbursement
Modetour said it will fully cover May fuel-surcharge increases for customers who finalize reservations in April under a “fuel reimbursement” program. The move is aimed at easing additional costs that can rise after booking amid a strong-dollar, high-oil environment.
The program applies to the first 1,000 customers who book eligible products for Japan, China and Southeast Asia. No separate application is required. The company will automatically pay the difference between the fuel surcharge at the time of reservation confirmation and at ticketing as tour mileage in the month after departure. The mileage is valid for five years.
Modetour also expanded short-haul options, citing demand shifting to nearby destinations with lower overall costs. It created specialized categories for Southeast Asia; Japan; China/Hong Kong/Mongolia; and departures from Busan, Daegu and Cheongju. In April, reservation rates for China and Japan rose 16% and 2%, respectively, from a year earlier, the company said.
◆ NOL Universe ramps up “across-the-board price support” with daily coupons
NOL Universe is also rolling out promotions to prevent customer drop-off as fuel surcharges rise, offering discounts across airfare and overseas lodging.
Through Thursday the company will issue first-come, first-served 5% discount coupons each day at 10 a.m. for flights to Japan, China, Vietnam and Thailand. It is also offering an additional 10,000 won instant discount on all Japan and China routes, plus a 7% discount on overseas lodging reservations.
The company will also run limited-time deals through its live commerce channel, “NOL Live.” At 11 a.m. on Monday, it plans a one-hour Asiana Airlines special, offering viewers additional discount coupons of up to 30,000 won. NOL Interpark Tour will issue first-come, first-served 10,000 won coupons for all international routes twice daily, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Additional discounts of up to 10% will be available by route for payments made with major credit card companies, it said.
◆ High oil, strong dollar squeeze: Industry bets on direct savings
With signs that geopolitical tensions in the Middle East could persist, travel companies face a tougher outlook. Fuel-surcharge increases combined with a strong exchange rate have sharply raised travelers’ perceived costs.
In response, agencies are concentrating promotions on short-haul routes, where airfare burdens are typically lower than long-haul travel, and emphasizing simple, direct financial benefits to attract customers.
Jeong Hui-yong, a department head in Modetour’s marketing business division, said the reimbursement program was designed as a “practical, benefits-focused promotion” to help customers choose products more confidently despite higher fuel surcharges. Park Jeong-hyeon, head of NOL Universe’s aviation business division, said the company would “reduce customers’ travel burden and support reasonable choices” through its broad price-support measures.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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