Another airline is lowering its unpopular fuel surcharge. Lufthansa announced this morning it will reduce its energy fee by $3 to $100, depending on the route. The move follows several unofficial fuel surcharge reductions we reported earlier today.
Clearly, energy prices are soaring. Americans are now paying a bit more than $4 a gallon for gasoline and it seems from media reports that gasoline is headed into the stratosphere. However other reports over the past few days seem to have gasoline prices dropping.
There are lots of articles suggesting that travel habits are changing because of the high cost of gas. Some are even suggesting that our suburbs are going to become crumbling wastelands because of $4-a-gallon gasoline. I don’t think so.
Gas prices have surged 2.9 percent in the past month and are a whopping 38 percent higher than a year ago. As of today, motorists are paying $4 per gallon. And that doesn’t just translate into more people carpooling, biking and walking.
With the daily media wailing about the price of gasoline in the United States, perhaps a look at what others are paying on the other side of the Atlantic might be enlightening. I know this doesn’t help with the sticker shock we’re feeling. But it’s a reality check that suggests there’s life after high gas prices.
The nationwide Lundgerg Survey pegs the average gallon of self-serve regular unleaded gas at $3.26 — up 7 cents in two weeks.
The nationwide average price of gasoline set another record Friday, according to the closely watched survey conducted for the motorist group AAA.
Pain is ever more acute at the pump for American drivers this week — and experts say it could worsen — as U.S. average retail gasoline prices neared a new high of almost $3.20 per gallon.