A warning to travellers:prepare to pay more to fly as soaring oil prices force airlines to consider adding their increased costs to air fares.
Oil prices this week have risen to near $120 a barrel, pushed higher by unrest in Libya that is affecting production and concerns about other oil-producing countries. Industry experts have warned this will hit airlines' profitability.
To recoup some of these losses they say the extra costs will be passed on to the consumer.
Emirates Airline has said it raised its fares by varying amounts depending on markets and routes.
"Like every commercially oriented business, Emirates regularly reviews its fares to reflect market dynamics including demand and rising fuel prices," Emirates said.
"We have an active fuel risk management programme but with such market volatility it is impossible to fully absorb the impact of soaring oil prices."
Apart from the volatility in the oil market, carriers globally are increasing the fuel surcharges that are added on to the cost of a flight alongside taxes.
"A few airlines have increased their fuel surcharges, which go into the fare," said Premjit Bangara, the travel manager at Sharaf Travel in Dubai.
"A fare consists of two components: one is the basic fare; and the other is the taxes and the fuel surcharges put together. They have done it very subtly.
"The summer season is going to start in about a month's time and I do anticipate an increase [in surcharges] for sure.
"The demand will definitely be up the next three months. Summer is a peak time for everyone here. Everyone wants to go home, for vacation, to escape the heat. There will definitely be a surge in bookings."
Other travel agents agreed customers were not being deterred from travelling by the price increase.
"Occasionally, some customers ask why prices have risen," said Albert Dias, the co-founder of Musafir.com, an online travel agency based in the UAE.
"My guess is that they are going to continue to look to raise prices, as they have done prior to the 2008, 2009 recession years, this year."
Mr Dias said in some cases he had seen increases of about 10 per cent in fuel surcharges from one day to the next.
