Rising fuel prices threaten to push travel costs higher for drivers and flyers

Gas analysts are expecting prices to hit $2 per litre after an escalation in the conflict in the Middle East.

Gas analysts are expecting prices could hit $2 per litre this week after an escalation in the conflict in the Middle East. And it’s not just car travel that’s expected to take a hit.

At Trudeau Airport, travellers are walking a fine line between spending time on vacation and spending on tickets.

“Well, it can be expensive. We realize that,” one traveller said.

“I already got my ticket for September,” another added.

The escalation of attacks around vital shipping channels in the Strait of Hormuz comes with a rise in the cost of gas and jet fuel.

“We had 40- to 50-cent increases in litres gas for automobile. You know, the price of aviation fuel has doubled,” said John Gradek of McGill University.

On certain tickets, Porter Airlines has already put in a fuel surcharge of $40, telling CTV News fuel represents the highest cost of airline operations and the charge is “expected to be temporary.”

“Porter is introducing a temporary fuel surcharge on all VIPorter flight redemptions. This adjustment will be applied as a ‘Peak Surcharge’ to each passenger, each way,” the company said in a statement, adding, “there is no surcharge for standard bookings.“

“They always have a habit of kind of rolling into the regular fare somehow, someway. It’s very rare I’ve seen those fuel surcharges really disappear,” Gradek said.

Some travellers with short hops say next time, they’ll drive.

But it’s not much better on the ground. Around Montreal Sunday afternoon, prices were already at $1.93.

“This is the week. Get prepared because we are probably going to go over the $2-a-litre mark over the next 24 to 48 hours,” said Dan McTeague of Canadians for Affordable Energy.

And prices are just going to increase. On April 15, stations across Canada will switch from a winter to a summer blend of gasoline, which means it will cost even more.

“The components used in the summer blend are a little bit more sophisticated and more costly. So for $2 next week, in two weeks we have $2.10, if nothing else changes,” McTeague said.

After Porter’s fuel surcharge, McTeague expects other Canadian carriers to follow. He says the best time to book your summer vacation was two months ago, and if you didn’t:

“Staying at home or hitchhiking seems to be the best option as we head into summer 2026.”