Virgin Atlantic last night followed British Airways in imposing a fuel surcharge of £5 for a return flight on tickets bought in the UK.
Virgin said it had made the decision reluctantly and in light of the soaring price of oil - which reached new highs in recent days - and the actions of competitors.
Virgin said: "As a long-haul carrier, our fuel costs represent a higher share of our costs, so we are hit harder than other airlines. Also, as a proportion of our fares, the surcharge is lower - around one per cent of our average ticket prices.
"We had hoped to avoid adding a surcharge but the rising price of oil has left us with no choice. We will keep the surcharge under review and adjust when appropriate."
BA announced its increase last week. Yesterday, Dutch airline KLM and Belgian carrier SN Brussels announced increases of about £5.40 on return flights.
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