Pedro Fiol, president of the Aviba travel agencies association in the Balearics, has expressed concern at a way in which airlines in the US are looking to cover the increased cost of fuel. Rather than putting up fares, they are putting up charges for baggage - "up to $10".
"Analysts says this is 'more palatable' for passengers, but in practice it significantly increases the cost of travel for families and travellers. Fuel is a global market, and any geopolitical tension ends up impacting, sooner or later, the operating costs of the airlines that fly to and from our region. In the Balearics, flying is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Air travel is not just an economic activity, it is the umbilical cord that connects us to the mainland and the rest of Europe. Behind each flight there are not only tourists. There are students, workers, patients who must travel for medical reasons, and families whose lives are divided between the islands and the mainland.
"Any sustained increase in the cost of fuel, and the way in which airlines decide to pass it on to the customer, affects us particularly acutely. This is because it could increase the cost of tickets and also because it could lead airlines to reconsider the continuation of routes they don't deem profitable enough. What worries me most is that certain routes to and from the Balearics could be considered dispensable if the numbers don't add up.
"When fuel prices rise, airlines have three main options for responding. One is to pass on the increase to ticket prices directly. The second is to raise the prices of services such as baggage, seat selection, changes, etc. The third is to adjust the route network, concentrating on the most profitable routes and abandoning the weakest ones.
"The last option could be the most damaging. Fewer routes mean less competition and, in the long run, higher prices and fewer timetable options for residents. And this spiral, if not corrected, calls into question a principle that should be non-negotiable: connectivity as an essential service for the citizens who live in the Balearics.
"Mobility between the islands and the mainland must be treated as a strategic issue, not just a commercial one. Where the market alone does not guarantee minimum connectivity, public service obligations and existing mechanisms to ensure essential routes must be strengthened.
"This isn't about creating alarm, but rather about anticipating events. At Aviba we believe that this international context should serve as a warning and an opportunity to act proactively."