The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran has raised hopes the war will end soon and flows of jet fuel will return to normal, but a consumer expert warns air travellers could still see airfares rise. Before US President Donald Trump announced the route’s reopening, there were warnings of a looming shortage of jet fuel, leading to warnings of higher ticket prices and flight cancellations just as the summer holiday season neared.

International Energy Agency Director, Fatih Birol, said on Thursday that Europe has “maybe six weeks” of remaining jet fuel supplies. Jet fuel is the biggest cost for airlines, making up about 30% of overall expenses, according to the International Air Transport Association. Prices of the refined kerosene-based oil product roughly doubled since the war began on February 28.

Since then, none has passed through the strait, which accounts for 40% of Europe’s jet fuel imports. Airlines had been reacting with caution, acknowledging potential fuel issues while trying to reassure customers.

Some carriers have already passed costs on to consumers by increasing fees for baggage and other add-ons, embedding costs into ticket prices or raising fuel surcharges. A handful of airlines have cut flights.

Consumer expert, Martyn James, speaking before the reopening announcement, said it would not be in the interests of airlines to raise ticket prices and he expected them to do all they can to keep costs down.

Martyn, speaking on Thursday, told the Daily Express: “Even if the conflict is resolved tomorrow, we are going to see a huge jump in airlines competing for jet fuel. That will likely lead to higher prices. It will be more expensive to fly even if a solution to the conflict is found.”

He urged anyone who hasn’t yet booked their holiday flights to consider doing so soon before prices rise. The consumer rights expert said while there was currently no evidence of airlines profiteering, Brits should still be aware.

Martyn said: “Airlines can’t cancel a flight, offer a refund and re-advertise another flight at, let’s say, five times the price. That would be profiteering. Airlines would be foolish to do that. But I’m not saying it’s not going to happen.”

He suggested regulators would take a dim view if airlines did profiteer and they would be under greater scrutiny over the next few months just in case.

For anyone concerned about cancellations, Martyn said: “Don’t panic. Keep an eye on your emails and the airline’s app. Don’t cancel or agree to cancel your flight.

“If your airline says it will cancel, ask them to book you on another flight at the same price, either one of theirs or a competitor.”

By law, you have the legal right to a full refund or a replacement flight if your flight is cancelled.

If you are already part-way through a journey and don’t want a replacement flight, you have the right to a flight back to the airport you departed from.

According to ABTA, if your flight is cancelled and you are departing from the UK, your airline has to offer you the choice of a replacement flight at the earliest opportunity or a refund.

The same applies if your flight has been overbooked and there aren’t enough seats.

If your return flight to the UK is cancelled and you are travelling inside the UK or with a UK or EU airline, then you are entitled to either a replacement flight as soon as possible or a refund.

For those flying from outside the UK not with a UK or EU airline will need to check the terms and conditions of your booking to see what you are entitled to.

Martyn suggested that anyone who finds themself in a price dispute with a carrier can take things further by complaining to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme.

He said this is cheaper than going to court although the airlines get to choose which ADR they want to go with.

The expert said: “The simplest thing to do is make a formal complaint and go to the airline’s ADR scheme. They’re like an ombudsman. You can use this scheme to get a dispute looked at.

“Failing that, you have to threaten to take them to court. You can say to your airline, ‘I had a flight booked. You cancelled it, gave me a refund and offered me a flight at however many times the price’.”

The expert explained: “When you made a booking, you entered into a contract with the company. There may be reasons why they might be able to cancel, but they should not cancel and readvertise the price. But so far I have not seen evidence of that happening with airlines.”

For Brits looking to book a package holiday, Martyn recommended using a travel agent as they are usually part of trade association ABTA or the financial protection scheme, ATOL.

Martyn said: “If there’s a dispute, if you book a holiday through a travel agent, you’re covered by the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements.

“They will provide a certain degree of protection, for example, getting refunds under certain circumstances.”

He added travel agents can also offer mediation services and going with a travel agent means there is someone there to help in case any issues arise.

The expert recommended checking your booking documents, which should say whether you have entered into a package holiday agreement. Martyn said: “If it doesn’t say ‘package holiday’, you may not be covered.”

On compensation, he said if an airline gives you more than 14 days’ notice of a cancellation, they don’t have to pay any.

If they give you less than 14 days’ notice, you can get compensation in varying amounts, depending on your flight’s place of departure. Amounts can vary from £220 for shorter flights, to £350 or £520.

The boss of easyJet has issued an update on possible flight cancellations and pricier air fares for passengers as jet fuel prices soar.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East cost the budget airline around £25 million in higher jet fuel prices last month as the war in Iran caused oil prices to spike. EasyJet said the war has introduced “near-term uncertainty around fuel costs and customer demand”, with bookings down two percentage points for the three months to the end of June and September compared to a year ago. The airline said it expects to report a headline loss of between £540 million and £560 million for the six months to the end of March.

Last month, CEO Kenton Jarvis urged holidaymakers to book flights “as early as possible” as ticket prices could jump if fuel costs remain at this current level.

Asked this week about the impact on air fares, Mr Jarvis said “pricing remains competitive” and demand for flights in the three months to the end of September will be dependent on the late summer market and “what happens to the conflict in the next week or two”.

As for fears that airlines may be forced to cancel flights due to jet fuel shortages, Mr Jarvis said all the airports it serves are “operating as normal”.

He said: “We only ever in this industry have three to four weeks visibility (of jet fuel supplies), and that is the same as it was pre-crisis.

“We have visibility to the middle of May, and we have no concerns. What we’re seeing is airports and fuel suppliers working well to bring jet fuel to the airports.”

The budget airline previously said it buys its fuel in advance so it is “well-hedged” for the coming months, but if prices remain elevated, by the end of the summer, this could lead to more expensive air fares for passengers.

Mr Jarvis said airlines like easyJet worked on “thin” margins of £6 to £7 per seat, so there was a need to offset increased costs with efficiencies, but that would be difficult.

Jet fuel accounts for about a third of airline costs, and Air France-KLM and SAS have already said they will have to hike ticket prices, while Finnair has warned that jet fuel supplies may run out due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

In January, easyJet said it ​had hedged 84% of its fuel ​needs for the first ⁠half of 2026, 62% for the second and 43% for the first half of 2027, at an average cost of $715, $688 and $671 per metric ton, respectively.

For now, ​Mr Jarvis said he saw no issues with supply, and easyJet was dealing ​with fuel price ⁠volatility through “business as usual management through cost.”

The Iran war has already impacted holiday bookings, with easyJet noting an increased demand for destinations away from the conflict, with the eastern Mediterranean becoming less popular and demand increasing for destinations in the western Mediterranean.

Spain, the Canaries, Portugal, Malta and Greece are among the areas proving popular among holidaymakers, while there has been a “softening demand” for both Middle Eastern destinations, Turkey and Cyprus.

EasyJet said last month it hadn’t yet made any capacity changes, but it could reduce flight frequency on routes served by multiple daily flights. With the situation still “very unpredictable”, easyJet said it’s still unclear how the ongoing war in Iran could affect demand in the longer term.

Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell, said while the Middle East war is putting pressure on easyJet, it is “in good financial shape to withstand another period of disruption”.

He added: “So much depends on what happens next with the Middle East crisis. A swift resolution could remove cost pressures and trigger a flurry of bookings.

“A prolonged crisis could see demand dwindle further and a succession of cancellations if fuel supplies run dry or are rationed in various parts of the world.”