Fuel Surcharges Up Again: Air India, IndiGo, Akasa (Oct 2026)
Updated as of 9 Oct 2026. New fuel surcharges apply to tickets booked from 6 Oct (IndiGo) and 9 Oct (Air India, Air India Express and Akasa). Tickets you already hold aren’t affected unless you change them.
All four Indian airlines have raised fuel surcharges in the same week, a month before Diwali. Jet fuel (ATF) went up about 13% on 1 October, and the airlines have passed it straight on. Here’s what each one now adds, and why this makes a points booking look even better.
Domestic: what you now pay extra, one way
| Distance | IndiGo (from 6 Oct) | Air India / AI Express (from 9 Oct) | Akasa (from 9 Oct) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 500 km | ₹375 | ₹400 | ₹375 |
| 501–1,000 km | ₹600 | ₹600 | ₹600 |
| 1,001–1,500 km | ₹900 | ₹850 | ₹900 |
| 1,501–2,000 km | ₹1,150 | ₹1,200 | ₹1,150 |
| Over 2,000 km | ₹1,300 | ₹1,200 | ₹1,150 |
International: what you now pay extra, one way
| Region | Air India (was) | Air India (now) | ≈ ₹ now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle East | US$50 | US$55 | ₹5,320 |
| Europe and UK | US$125 | US$135 | ₹13,060 |
| Australia | US$200 | US$210 | ₹20,310 |
| North America | US$200 | US$215 | ₹20,790 |
For a family of four flying Delhi–London return on Air India, the surcharge alone is now about ₹1.04 lakh (8 flights × ₹13,060).
What it means for your points
- Award tickets get relatively cheaper. Fixed award charts don’t move when cash fares do, so every point you redeem is now worth more. Air India economy Delhi–London is still 35,000 Maharaja Club points one way.
- Watch the cash part of an award. Air India hasn’t usually added its fuel surcharge on Maharaja Club awards, and Star Alliance programmes like Aeroplan, United and Turkish don’t add it on Air India flights. Always check the taxes line before you transfer points.
- IndiGo BluChip awards may carry the surcharge in cash. Check the total before you redeem.
- Change fees bite harder. Changing an old ticket can re-price it with the new surcharge, so avoid date changes on cheap tickets booked before the hike.
We’re checking (by 12 Oct 2026): the exact taxes on a Maharaja Club award and an IndiGo BluChip redemption after this change. We’ll update this post with screenshots.
What to do
| You are… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Flying for Diwali (8 Nov) and haven’t booked | ✅ Price an award first. If none, book cash now; fuel is still rising |
| Holding Air India, Aeroplan or KrisFlyer points | ✅ Use them for long-haul, where the surcharge is biggest |
| Already booked | ✅ You’re protected. Don’t change the ticket unless you must |
| Paying cash abroad | ✅ Use a zero-forex card if booking a foreign airline in its currency |
DealUni take: this is the latest of several surcharge changes since March, and it won’t be the last while jet fuel stays high. Expensive cash fares are exactly when points pay off most. For the full playbook, read Airfares Up in 2026: How Indian Travellers Can Fight Back.
Tel mehenga, ticket mehenga; points ab aur bhi keemti. (Fuel’s dearer, tickets are dearer; your points are worth even more now.)
Sources: Air India press release (8 Oct 2026); IndiGo and Akasa revisions as reported by ANI and Free Press Journal. Award price from Air India Maharaja Club. FX: US$1 = ₹96.71 (DealUni sheet, 8 Oct 2026).
