Overview
- Volotea has told customers they must pay an extra fuel charge added after purchase, with notices citing denied boarding if the fee is not paid.
- Under its published Fair Travel Promise, the airline reviews fuel prices seven days before departure and may add up to €9 per passenger, per flight, or issue a small refund if prices fall.
- Volotea’s contract says buyers authorize it to charge the same payment method for any increase and refers to a methodology with thresholds and limits that critics say is not clearly explained.
- Commentators argue EU rules require the full, unavoidable price at booking and note French law treats fuel surcharges as part of the ticket price for standalone flights, making retroactive add-ons likely unlawful.
- Observers contrast this approach with industry norms, where airlines hedge or absorb fuel swings and do not raise prices after sale, and they note a Spanish Supreme Court ruling on post-booking airport-tax changes does not cover fuel costs.