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Airline Ticket Prices to Jump in June

Rising fuel costs and a ban on scores of charter flights are set to push airline ticket prices up starting June 1. The price hikes are expected to hit regular flights and charter flights alike, causing tour prices to go up by at least 10 percent.

Fuel prices have gone up by about 20 percent in the last quarter, forcing airlines to increase fuel surcharges.

It is already much more expensive for airlines to refuel at Russian airports than elsewhere in Europe, where fuel is almost entirely imported — a peculiar fact given that Russia leads the world in oil production.

The Federal Air Transportation Agency's ban on scores of international charter flights will also have an inflationary effect on prices by reducing competition for passengers and giving federal players a de facto monopoly on certain sectors.

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