This afternoon at 12:30pm EDT United Airlines filed a new rule change for thousands of domestic airfare which tacks on $80 roundtrip to domesticairline tickets for departure on/after January 10th of next year.

I guess they don’t want anyone “hedging” by buying their airline tickets for next year early (assuming prices are going to continue to sky-rocket and locking in). Normally airlines manage their cheapeast domestic prices about 4 months before departure and charge mid-tier (much more expensive prices if you buy “too” early”).

In this case United looks like it is trying to catchthose who assume all airline tickets are going to be $800rt by the end of the year (see all the comments from US Airways CEO in this article)…

“Airlines will start collecting $650 to $700 per passenger for a ticket. Planes will fly primarily to big cities, and not a lot of small communities. There will be many fewer flights. Air travel will be a throwback to the era before deregulation. Flying will be a luxury.” - US Airways CEO Doug Parker, on what travelers can expect if oil prices don’t go lower.

Hard to say if other airlines will match this unusual fuel surcharge strategy at this point … I watch this stuff every day and don’t recall seeing this type of departure date fuel surcharge in past history.