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As the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran<\/a> squeezes global oil supplies, travelers have valid reasons to worry about the cost and availability of flights as they plan their late spring and summer trips. <\/p>\n The head of the International Energy Agency has warned that European countries could run low on jet fuel within weeks<\/a>, forcing the continent’s airlines and carriers that fly to Europe to significantly reduce flights. Many airlines have already raised checked bag fees or added fuel surcharges as the global price of jet fuel<\/a> increased from about $99 per barrel at the end of February to as high as $209 a barrel at the beginning of April. <\/p>\n In a sign of the conflict\u2019s ongoing repercussions for travel, Air Canada<\/a> said Friday it planned to suspend its service to New York\u2019s John F. Kennedy International Airport from June 1 until Oct. 25 to lower its fuel costs. Other airlines, ranging from U.S. carriers like United and Delta to Air France-KLM, SAS, Philippine Airlines and and Cathay Pacific in Europe and Asia, have reduced routes and either increased ticket prices or said they would hike them if the war keeps oil from passing through the Strait of Hormuz<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very hard for the airlines to make predictions in this environment, so they\u2019re going to be conservative, and that\u2019s why it\u2019s likely that their prices will remain elevated for some time until things really stabilize,\u201d said Shye Gilad, a former airline captain who now teaches at Georgetown University\u2019s business school.<\/p>\n With airfares and fees<\/a> on the rise, consumers still can make choices that determine how much of their travel budgets will get taken up by paying to get to and from their destinations. <\/p>\n While consumers may be tempted to see if the war ends before buying airline tickets, the \u201cwait-and-see” approach to booking flights is riskier this year, travel experts say, especially the longer the war goes on and the closer to summer and other peak travel periods it gets. <\/p>\n \u201cPresuming there is a lasting ceasefire \u2014 or better yet, peace agreement \u2014 it will take a few months for normal levels of jet fuel production and delivery to resume,\u201d airline industry analyst Henry Harteveldt, president of Atmosphere Research Group, said. <\/p>\n Iran’s reversal<\/a> on Saturday of its decision to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and President Donald Trump’s insistence on maintaining a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports illustrated the shakiness of prospects for oil flowing reliably again from the Persian Gulf and with it, an easing of the price pressure on airlines and their customers. <\/p>\n \u201cMy advice to travelers is this: If you find a flight whose schedule fits yours, with a fare you can afford, and on an airline you can at least tolerate, book it,\u201d Harteveldt said. \u201cBut \u2014 and I cannot emphasize this enough \u2014do not book a Basic Economy fare,\u201d the cheapest but also the most restrictive airline ticket class. <\/p>\n Along with charging for checked bags and seat selection, most North American airlines do not give refunds or travel credits to passengers with Basic Economy tickets if they don’t cancel their trips within 24 hours of purchase. Policies may vary, but spending more for a Standard Economy ticket provides more flexibility, according to Harteveldt. <\/p>\n Paying more up-front for a refundable ticket also prove advantageous because \u201cif the prices start to dramatically change, you can cancel and rebook for the better price,\u201d Gilad said.<\/p>\n Travel experts say that for now, longstanding booking guidance offers a baseline for how early to reserve a flight to get the lowest airfare: international flights are typically the cheapest about two to five months in advance, and domestic trips about three to six weeks out. <\/p>\n Last-minute bookings and other situations that typically command higher prices are likely to keep climbing, Gilad said.<\/p>\n \u201cRemember, especially if you\u2019re traveling on the major airlines, they\u2019re going to have more ability to adjust fares. If you book too close to your travel date, you\u2019re going to pay more,” he said. “The farther out you can book, the better.\u201d <\/p>\n Travelers who don’t want or need to reach a specific place at a specific time can find it easier to save on airfare. Shifting departure or return dates by a day or two \u2014 especially from peak weekends and holidays to midweek \u2014 often yields big price differences. <\/p>\n Choosing a different destination also may pay off. A flight from the U.S. may be significantly cheaper to one European city than another. Since budget airlines and trains connect much of Europe, and trains, an airport it cost less to get to can still provide easy access to a lot of other places. <\/p>\n Consumers not set on a certain arrival destination can try tools like Skyscanner\u2019s \u201cExplore Everywhere\u201d feature to look for less-expensive options. <\/p>\n Looking beyond the closest airport for departures also can make a meaningful difference. Major hubs tend to offer more flights and lower fares than smaller regional airports. <\/p>\n In some cases, booking a separate short flight or train to a hub will unlock a cheaper long-haul airfare \u2014 think Milwaukee versus Chicago\u2019s O\u2019Hare International Airport.<\/p>\n