Rising expectations for fuel costs: TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that users are purchasing tickets in advance, with orders for long-term flight tickets increasing by more than 30% compared to the same period last year.

Recently, due to the continuous impact of the Middle East situation, international oil prices have been fluctuating at around $100, and many global airlines have been raising international ticket fuel surcharges. Against this backdrop, domestic consumers' expectations for domestic airlines to raise fuel surcharges are growing stronger, and many netizens have started booking tickets for trips two weeks or even a month in advance. Data from TONGCHENGTRAVEL platform shows that as of March 20th, the volume of domestic flight bookings made more than 30 days in advance has increased by more than 30% compared to the same period last year. Monitoring data from the TONGCHENGTRAVEL platform shows that starting from March 1st, there has been a noticeable increase in the booking popularity of long-term domestic and international flights compared to the same period last year. Specifically, for domestic flights booked 8 to 14 days in advance (the time from ordering to travel, the same below), the volume has increased by nearly 20% year-on-year, while the volume of bookings made more than 30 days in advance has grown by over 30%; as for international flights, the volume of bookings made more than 30 days in advance has also increased by over 20%. The person in charge of the TONGCHENGTRAVEL travel business group stated that it is currently the peak season for spring outings, and with the expectation of rising fuel surcharges continuing to strengthen, consumers' willingness to plan their trips in advance has significantly increased. Some consumers who have already planned their trips choose to book in advance to lock in their travel costs and enjoy discounts, as they anticipate that the fuel surcharge will likely be significantly increased; while others are simply considering locking in discounts by booking tickets in advance for future travel needs. It is reported that the current fuel surcharge on domestic routes is still based on the existing standards, which are 10 yuan for routes under 800 kilometers and 20 yuan for routes over 800 kilometers, with the next adjustment window scheduled for April 5th. Many institutions predict that if international oil prices continue to remain high, the fuel surcharge for domestic routes may be raised to around 50 yuan at that time. It is worth noting that many airlines, such as Hong Kong Airlines, CATHAY PAC AIR, Juneyao Airlines, have already raised fuel surcharges on some international routes, with increases ranging from 15% to 50%, and there is a possibility of further increases in the near future. In fact, even excluding the factor of fuel surcharge increases, due to the release of demand for family vacations during the spring break and the travel heat for the Qingming and May 1st holidays, ticket prices have gradually entered a slow upward trend recently. TONGCHENGTRAVEL platform data predicts that during this year's Qingming holiday period, the average price of domestic flights is expected to increase by around 17 yuan compared to the same period last year, while the average price of international flights is expected to increase by about 48 yuan. In this situation, TONGCHENGTRAVEL suggests that consumers should consider their own travel plans and arrange their trips as early as possible to get a more cost-effective travel experience.