Cathay Pacific to Increase Fuel Surcharges on All Flights

Cathay Pacific has announced a significant increase to its fuel surcharges, effective for all tickets issued on or after March 18, 2026.

The Hong Kong–based carrier is essentially doubling fuel surcharges across all route types, citing soaring jet fuel prices driven by the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. For anyone holding Asia Miles or planning to book Cathay Pacific flights on points, this is a meaningful hit.

The New Surcharge Rates

Here’s how the new fuel surcharges compare to the current rates:

Route Type	Current Surcharge	New Surcharge	Increase
Short-haul	HK$142 (~C$25)	HK$290 (~C$52)	+104%
Medium-haul	HK$264 (~C$47)	HK$541 (~C$97)	+105%
Long-haul	HK$569 (~C$102)	HK$1,164 (~C$209)	+105%

These surcharges apply per direction, meaning a round-trip long-haul itinerary could now carry over C$400 in fuel surcharges alone. That’s a substantial chunk of the total ticket cost – and it applies equally to paid fares and award tickets booked through programs that pass on carrier-imposed surcharges.

Cathay Pacific attributed the increase to jet fuel prices having “approximately doubled since March amid the latest developments in the Middle East.”

What This Means for Award Bookings

This is where it really stings for points and miles enthusiasts.

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles passes fuel surcharges through to award tickets in full. So if you’re redeeming Asia Miles for a long-haul Cathay Pacific flight – say, Hong Kong to Vancouver in business class – you’re now looking at roughly C$400+ in surcharges on a round trip, on top of the miles required.

This compounds what’s already been a tough stretch for Asia Miles members, following last year’s devaluation of long-haul business class awards. Between higher mileage requirements and now doubled surcharges, the cost of booking premium Cathay Pacific flights through Asia Miles has increased dramatically.

The silver lining? Not all loyalty programs charge fuel surcharges on award tickets. If you’re looking to book Cathay Pacific flights without getting hit by surcharges, two programs stand out:

• American Airlines AAdvantage – can book Cathay Pacific as a oneworld partner without charging carrier-imposed surcharges
• Alaska Mileage Plan – also a oneworld partner that typically avoids surcharges on partner bookings

More broadly, if surcharges are a concern across your travel planning (not just for Cathay), programs like Avianca LifeMiles and United MileagePlus are also worth keeping in your toolkit, as they generally waive surcharges on partner redemptions within the Star Alliance network.

For a deeper dive into which programs do and don’t charge surcharges, see our guide on how to avoid fuel surcharges on award bookings.

Other Airlines Raising Prices Too

Cathay Pacific isn’t alone. A wave of fare and surcharge increases is sweeping across the industry as airlines respond to the spike in oil prices:

• Qantas is raising international fares by around 5% on average, with European routes running at over 90% load factors
• Thai Airways has announced an overall fare increase of 10–15%
• Air India is phasing in fuel surcharges across domestic and international routes starting March 12
• Air New Zealand is raising fares by an unspecified amount, with further adjustments possible
• Hong Kong Airlines has already increased surcharges, including a 35% hike on long-haul destinations
• SAS has introduced temporary fuel-related price adjustments
• Finnair has cancelled all flights through Doha and Dubai through the end of the month, and says the turmoil in oil markets will be reflected in ticket prices

It’s worth distinguishing between airlines raising base fares (like Thai Airways and Qantas) versus those hiking fuel surcharges specifically (like Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong Airlines). The latter is particularly painful for award travellers, since surcharges are charged on top of miles-based redemptions – effectively eroding the value of your points.

What Canadian Travellers Should Do

If you have any pending Cathay Pacific bookings you’ve been sitting on – whether paid or award – ticket them before March 18 to lock in the current surcharge rates.

For future bookings, this is a good reminder to be strategic about which loyalty program you use. Redeeming through Asia Miles has always come with the downside of full surcharges, but a doubling of those surcharges makes the case for alternatives even clearer. AAdvantage and Alaska Mileage Plan both offer a way to book Cathay Pacific flights without the surcharge hit.

For more on booking Cathay Pacific with points, check out our guide to 7 brilliant redemptions with Asia Miles and our overview of the Asia Miles multi-carrier award chart. And for a broader look at whether surcharges should change your booking strategy, see Convenience vs. Cost: Is It Worth Paying Fuel Surcharges?

Conclusion

Cathay Pacific doubling its fuel surcharges is a significant development for anyone who regularly books Cathay flights on points. The long-haul surcharge alone is jumping from ~C$102 to ~C$209 per direction – meaning a round-trip premium cabin redemption through Asia Miles now carries roughly C$300 more in cash costs than it did last week.

The window to lock in the current rates closes on March 18, 2026. Beyond that, the best mitigation strategy is to book through programs that don’t pass on surcharges – a move that was already advisable and is now even more compelling.