Volotea has decided to eliminate the surcharge linked to the increase in fuel costs for all new reservations made from this Wednesday, June 10. With this, the airline considers concluded, after almost three months of application since March 16, the measure it had implemented in response to the impact of the military conflict in the Middle East on fuel costs.
In a statement released yesterday, Tuesday, the company recalled that this temporary initiative, called 'Fair Travel Promise', has been widely accepted by its users, as 97% of customers chose to maintain their reservations and continue with their travel plans.
As explained by Volotea's CEO, David González, the decision was based on a "very simple" idea: "to ensure that our customers paid a fair price for fuel, not one euro more, while keeping fares as accessible as possible."
González also added that the airline will continue to absorb any possible increases in fuel costs internally and will maintain its policy of "unlimited" flexibility on all tickets, "at no additional cost" to passengers.
The surcharge mechanism took as a reference the market prices of fuel, obtained from public sources, seven days before the flight's departure and, depending on this evolution, adjusted the final price of the tickets. If the fuel price fell below the established reference level, the company would refund customers the difference up to that amount.
Looking ahead to the summer season, and in line with other Spanish airlines, Volotea has insisted that it does not foresee cancellations or disruptions to its operations during the summer months.
In parallel, in Italy this practice is under scrutiny by the authorities, as the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) has recently opened an investigation for possible unfair commercial practices. In Spain, the initiative has also drawn criticism from Facua-Consumers in Action and Asufin, who have described it as an "abusive and contrary" or "illegal clause."