Airline miles may not go as far as the Iran war drives up fuel costs and summer fares

Airline miles may not go as far as the Iran war drives up fuel costs and summer fares

NEW YORK: (May 23) First, the bad news. Users of credit cards that accrue airline miles and points toward various travel perks are likely to find their balances won’t take them as far this summer.

As jet fuel prices have jumped during the Iran war, so have the cost of airline tickets and fees for checking bags. Airfares in April were 21% higher than a year earlier, the Labor Department reported last week. Flights already are more expensive during the summer since there’s more demand.