What Caribbean Airlines has announced
Caribbean Airlines is adding a per-sector fuel surcharge of between US$15 and US$25 to every ticket issued on or after 10 April 2026, according to the airline’s announcement reported by TTT News.
The surcharge applies to all regional and international routes, covering the carrier’s network from its Piarco (Port of Spain) and Kingston hubs across the Caribbean, the United States and Canada.
Caribbean Airlines has stated that the surcharge offsets only part of its rising operational costs, with the airline continuing to absorb a significant share itself, per the same announcement.
How much more you’ll pay per sector
The surcharge is charged per sector (per flight leg), not per booking, so a return ticket carries the surcharge twice, and an itinerary with a connection carries it on each leg.
Here’s what that means in practice:
- Short regional hops (for example POS to Bridgetown, Port of Spain to Georgetown): US$15 per sector, US$30 round-trip.
- Longer regional routes (for example Kingston to Port of Spain, Bridgetown to Montego Bay): typically US$15–US$20 per sector.
- International routes to the US and Canada (Miami, New York JFK, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Toronto): up to US$25 per sector, or up to US$50 round-trip.
A family of four flying round-trip Port of Spain–New York on the new surcharge regime will pay up to US$200 more than they would have on 9 April, before the surcharge took effect.
The exact amount on your itinerary depends on the specific route and fare class. Compare current live fares on Wego’s flight tracker to see what you’d pay today.
Routes and passengers that are exempt
Two groups are not affected by the new surcharge:
- Passengers who bought tickets before 10 April 2026 — existing bookings retain their original pricing, regardless of travel date.
- Domestic air-bridge flights between Trinidad and Tobago — the Piarco (POS) to Tobago (TAB) service is fully exempt, as confirmed in the St Vincent Times report.
That exemption matters because the Trinidad–Tobago air bridge is government-subsidised and carries the highest-volume domestic traffic in the Caribbean Airlines network.
Every other route in the airline’s network — including Caribbean intra-regional flights to Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Antigua, St Lucia, Grenada and onward — carries the surcharge.
What you can do right now
If you haven’t yet booked, you can still limit the damage with a few practical moves:
- Book sooner rather than later. With jet fuel still elevated and CAL in active talks with Trinidad’s government over further cost measures, another adjustment can’t be ruled out.
- Avoid unnecessary connections. The surcharge is per sector, so a non-stop ticket costs US$15–US$25 less than a one-stop itinerary on the same route.
- Consider the Trinidad–Tobago air bridge for domestic travel — those flights remain surcharge-free.
- Check the fare rules before you pay. Caribbean Airlines’ ticket cancellations and refunds page confirms a 24-hour free-cancellation window on tickets bought directly and involving at least one sector to or from the US or Canada, provided the booking is at least seven days before departure.
Frequently asked questions
Does the fuel surcharge apply to tickets I already bought?
No. Tickets purchased before 10 April 2026 are not affected, regardless of when you actually travel.
Is the surcharge added once per ticket or per flight?
Per sector. A return ticket carries the surcharge on each leg, and a connecting itinerary carries it on every flight segment, so costs scale with the number of flights.
Are Trinidad–Tobago air-bridge flights included?
No, they are fully exempt. Only regional and international sectors attract the surcharge; the domestic air bridge between Piarco and Tobago is not affected.
Will base fares also rise?
Not yet. Caribbean Airlines has kept base fares unchanged for now, but a base-fare increase is one of several measures the board has tabled with Trinidad’s Finance Ministry and remains under review.
Can I cancel if I don’t want to pay the surcharge?
Only within the 24-hour window. If you booked directly with Caribbean Airlines on a ticket including at least one US or Canada sector, and the booking is at least seven days before departure, you can cancel free within 24 hours. Outside that window, voluntary cancellations follow the airline’s standard (mostly non-refundable) fare rules.
Sources
- TTT News — Caribbean Airlines Introduces Fuel Surcharge From Today
- Nation News — CAL announces introduction of fuel surcharge
- St Vincent Times — Caribbean Airlines Implements Fuel Surcharge Amid Rising Global Costs
- CNC3 — CAL seeks new Govt bailout; fuel surcharge and airbridge subsidy removal under review
- Jamaica Gleaner — CAL announces introduction of fuel surcharge
- IATA — Jet Fuel Price Monitor
- Caribbean Airlines — Ticket Cancellations and Refunds
- Wikipedia — 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
- Al Jazeera — Iran says will attack any ship trying to pass through Strait of Hormuz (2 March 2026)
- US EIA — Strait of Hormuz remains critical oil chokepoint
Disclaimer: Wego strives to ensure all information presented in this article is accurate and up to date at the time of publication. Travel policies, prices, visa requirements, and conditions can change rapidly. We strongly recommend verifying critical details with official sources before making travel decisions. Wego does not accept liability for any inaccuracies, oversights, or changes that may occur after publication.
