In most years, May brings steady flight schedules and a wide choice of departure times, with fares that have not yet reached peak summer levels. However, May 2026 is not unfolding in a typical way.
Most of the changes visible this month come from the same source. Jet fuel prices have risen sharply, and airlines are adjusting both schedules and fares in response. At the same time, new aircraft are entering service, and some routes are expanding, which adds another layer of variation.
For business-class travel, May is no longer a neutral month. It is a mix of cost-driven adjustments, selective upgrades, and uneven availability that depends on the exact route you choose.
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Executive snapshot: What is shaping May 2026
For time-sensitive travelers, these are the key signals defining business-class travel this month:
- Fuel pressure is driving route adjustments: Jet fuel prices have more than doubled since late February, prompting airlines to reduce flights and adjust schedules.
- Prices have increased earlier than usual: Surcharges and fare increases are already in place by May, narrowing the window that typically allows for better summer pricing.
- Availability varies by route: Some destinations face cancellations and reduced connectivity, while others are seeing new long-haul services.
- Premium cabins are improving: New business-class products are entering service, but only on selected aircraft and routes.
Fuel prices are reshaping airline networks
Jet fuel is driving many of the decisions airlines are making in May 2026. Prices rose from about $99 per barrel at the end of February to $209 in early April, forcing carriers to adjust how they operate.
- Delta Air Lines announced it would reduce the number of flights on several domestic and international routes. Flights from Detroit (DTW) to Reykjavik (KEF) in Iceland, for instance, are suspended until July 7, 2026.
- KLM has reduced the number of flights on its schedule, cutting 80 round-trip flights, which it describes as less than 1% of its European operations, but still enough to affect availability on certain routes.
- Lufthansa also plans to remove 20,000 short-haul flights from its schedule through October. The first phase is already in place, with about 120 daily cancellations running through the end of May.
These reductions are most visible outside the largest hubs. If you would like to travel with Lufthansa from New York to Frankfurt, for example, you can still find several daily flights. However, if your goal is to fly with this airline from New York to Stavanger, Norway, your only option will be to book a two-stop codeshare flight and travel from Frankfurt to Stavanger with low-cost carrier Wideroe. In the past, Lufthansa offered one-stop flights on this route.
The result is not a uniform market. Airlines are still adjusting their networks week by week, and flight availability depends on how each carrier responds to the same cost pressure.
Fuel pressure is pushing prices higher, earlier
The same fuel costs that are driving schedule changes are also shaping fares. To cope with the additional expenses, some airlines have introduced direct surcharges.
- Virgin Atlantic now applies additional charges of £180 ($240) to Premium Economy tickets and of £360 ($490) to Upper Class (the airline’s signature business class) tickets.
- Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) have announced upcoming surcharge increases for tickets booked after June 1st, 2026. Surcharges on routes between Japan and North America will increase by ¥23,100 ($145) for ANA flights and ¥21,000 ($130) for JAL flights. In both cases, this marks an increase in surcharges of over 40%.
- Other airlines are adjusting fares more broadly. Air France and KLM, for instance, have increased ticket prices by €70 ($82) on routes to the United States, reflecting the same rise in operating costs.
In the course of many years, May still offered reasonable prices for mid-summer travel, especially before peak demand fully builds. In 2026, that window has narrowed: airlines have already raised fares and surcharges earlier than travelers would normally expect.
New premium cabins make an entrance on May flights
While airlines adjust capacity and pricing, product development continues. May 2026 is one of the first months where several new business-class cabins appear on actual itineraries.
- United Airlines has begun operating its Boeing 787-9 aircraft with the new Elevated interior. These aircraft include 99 premium seats, featuring updated Polaris seats and Polaris Studio suites. The Polaris Studio suites are making a debut as the airline’s most spacious and luxurious business-class seats, with massive entertainment screens, Saks Fifth Avenue bedding, and exclusive amenities and skincare products. The first international service launched on April 22 from San Francisco to Singapore, and starting on April 30, you can find it on the San Francisco–London route too.
- Etihad Airways is introducing a significant cabin upgrade from May 1, 2026, deploying Airbus A321LR aircraft on two of its four daily flights from Abu Dhabi to both Mumbai and New Delhi. The airline’s Airbus A321LR features 14 lie-flat business-class seats with direct aisle access, and a First Class cabin with two private suites with sliding doors.
- Alaska Airlines will introduce its newest business-class cabin, Aurora, on flights to London Heathrow starting on May 21 and Reykjavik on May 28. The airline’s new cabin features 34 enclosed business-class suites with privacy doors and is considered one of the best business-class cabins on the market at the moment.
These upgrades are route-specific, not fleet-wide. On many routes, older and newer cabins operate side by side. Thus, checking the aircraft type before booking is essential if you want to experience an airline’s best business-class product.
Route-level changes define availability in May
Some markets remain under pressure. Major European, Asian, and American airlines have already canceled May flights to the Middle East. Among these airlines are Air Canada, Air France, Cathay Pacific, Delta Air Lines, Finnair, and Singapore Airlines. KLM, for example, has extended cancellations on its flights from Amsterdam to Dubai, Riyadh, and Dammam through June 14, while Delta Air Lines canceled flights to Tel Aviv until September. This also affects itineraries that rely on layovers in the Gulf region.
At the same time, other routes are expanding. In anticipation of high demand for summer travel to Europe, airlines are opening more routes from the US to popular vacation destinations.
- American Airlines has scheduled the launch of a new daily flight from Dallas (DFW) to Athens (ATH) on May 21. Not only is this route new, but it will also make American Airlines the US airline with the most nonstop flights to Greece.
- ITA Airways starts operating the first-ever direct flights between Houston (IAH) and Rome (FCO) on May 1. They will run three times a week in May, and five times a week from June to October.
- United Airlines will offer a range of new flights to Europe from Newark (EWR). The destinations include Split (SPU), Croatia; Bari (BRI), Italy; Glasgow (GLA), Scotland; and Santiago de Compostela (SCQ), Spain. Besides, starting on May 21, United Airlines will operate daily nonstop flights from Washington, D.C. (IAD) to Reykjavik (KEF) in Iceland.
This creates a clear contrast across routes. Some destinations now have fewer direct and connecting flights than last year, while others are gaining new ones. As a result, finding the best itinerary to your destination may require more flexibility in routing or departure point than in previous years.
How to navigate booking in May 2026
For summer travel, it is worth treating May less as a planning stage and more as a decision point. If you find a flight that offers a suitable schedule and a reasonable fare, securing it earlier is a better idea than waiting for prices to decrease. This means that timing alone is no longer the main advantage; being flexible with airline, aircraft, or even routing can now make a greater difference than waiting for a better fare.
Follow how these changes develop in next month’s briefing and explore our April 2026 US Premium Flight Briefing.
