JAL Fuel Surcharge Rises 1 November 2026: Who Pays More
Japan Airlines (JAL) and its group airline Japan Transocean Air (JTA) announced the change on 15 October 2026. Both airlines have applied to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) for approval. The details are in the JAL press release on the November-December 2026 fuel surcharge.
The surcharge is a fixed charge per person, per one-way flight segment. It comes on top of the fare itself. On Japanese booking pages and receipts JAL calls it 燃油特別付加運賃 (nen’yu tokubetsu fuka unchin, “special fuel surcharge”). Most people shorten it to 燃油サーチャージ (nen’yu sāchāji).
The photo below shows a JAL jet with the red crane on its tail.
The new amounts cover JAL and JTA international tickets issued in the two-month window. Domestic flights inside Japan are outside this announcement.
How much is the JAL fuel surcharge from 1 November?
JAL sets one amount for each group of routes. The amounts are for itineraries that start in Japan. Each is per person and per one-way segment, and the shortest routes pay the least.
The chart below shows the three shortest route groups in JAL’s new table.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Seoul, Busan, Jeju, Far East Russia; Okinawa to Taiwan | 7100 yen |
| Other East Asia | 16,000 yen |
| Guam, Palau, Philippines, Vietnam, Ulaanbaatar | 21,500 yen |
- 7,100 yen: Japan to Seoul, Busan, Jeju and the Russian Far East, plus Okinawa to Taipei and Kaohsiung.
- 16,000 yen: other East Asia routes, such as Tokyo to Taipei.
- 21,500 yen: Japan to Guam, Palau, the Philippines, Vietnam, Ulaanbaatar and Irkutsk in Russia.
Routes further away sit in higher groups of the same table. These include Novosibirsk in Russia and the long-haul routes. For those trips, check the surcharge line in your JAL fare quote before you pay.
A round trip counts as two segments. A Tokyo to Seoul return issued in November therefore carries 7,100 yen in each direction. Every group in the new table is higher than the amount on tickets issued in September and October.
The screenshot of JAL’s release shows the top of its table. The current Zone O column sits next to the new Zone S column.
Why the JAL fuel surcharge is going up
JAL ties the surcharge to the price of jet fuel. It takes the two-month average price of Singapore kerosene. It then converts that price to yen at the average exchange rate for the same two months.
For August and September 2026, kerosene averaged 159.19 US dollars a barrel. The dollar averaged 157.61 yen over the same period. That puts JAL’s benchmark at 25,089 yen.
Under JAL’s own scale, a benchmark of 25,089 yen falls in Zone T, the level based on 25,000 yen. JAL points to an emergency government subsidy, introduced in response to the situation in the Middle East. Because of that subsidy, it applies the lower Zone S, based on 24,000 yen, to November and December tickets.
The chart below shows how the benchmark maps to each zone.
Once the period starts, the amount stays put. JAL says it will not change the 1 November to 31 December amounts, whatever fuel prices do. It adds one condition: the amount, timing or period can still change depending on government approval. JAL plans to announce the surcharge for tickets issued from January 2027 in December 2026. The Japanese original is the JAL fuel surcharge revision release on PR TIMES.
Who pays it (and who does not)
The issue date of your ticket decides the amount. Your travel date does not change it.
- You pay the new amount if a JAL or JTA international ticket starting in Japan is issued between 1 November and 31 December 2026.
- Adults and children pay the same amount.
- Infants under 2 who do not use their own seat pay no surcharge.
- Award tickets on JAL Mileage Bank international flights carry the same amount as paid tickets.
- Tickets issued by 31 October 2026 keep the current amount, even for a flight in December or later.
The table below sets out what decides your amount.
| Your situation | Surcharge you pay | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ticket issued by 31 October 2026 | Current amount | Stays the same even for later travel |
| Ticket issued 1 November to 31 December 2026 | New Zone S amount, from 7,100 yen one way | Fixed whatever fuel prices do, subject to government approval |
| Ticket issued from 1 January 2027 | To be announced | JAL plans to announce it in December 2026 |
| Child | Same as an adult | Per person, per one-way segment |
| Infant under 2 without a seat | None | Infants using a seat pay |
| JAL Mileage Bank award ticket | Same as a paid ticket | International award tickets |
| Refund after purchase | No cancellation fee on the surcharge | JAL’s refund rule for the surcharge |
Most visitors buy a ticket that starts in their home country. JAL publishes a separate table for those trips on its JAL fuel surcharge page for travel outside Japan. The yen amounts in this article apply when your ticket starts in Japan. Examples are a side trip from Tokyo to Seoul, or a hop from Okinawa to Taipei booked during your stay.
What to do if you are booking a JAL flight to Japan
The timeline below shows the dates that matter.
- Check where the ticket starts. A ticket that starts in Japan uses the yen table in this article. One that starts abroad uses JAL’s table for travel outside Japan.
- Issue the ticket by 31 October 2026. The date that counts is the day the ticket is issued, so pay before the deadline.
- Read the fare breakdown. Look for the line called fuel surcharge, or 燃油特別付加運賃 on Japanese pages. Compare it with the amounts above before you pay.
- Know the refund rule. JAL says no cancellation fee applies to the surcharge when you refund a ticket after purchase.
- Check your bags and power banks before you pack, using the rules in the next section.
If you are already holding an issued ticket, you do not need to do anything. The amount on that ticket was fixed on the day it was issued.
JAL bags, and getting into Tokyo after you land
Our JAL baggage allowance page lists the airline’s own rules for flights to Japan. In the cabin you can take 1 bag plus 1 personal item. The bag can measure 115cm in total, or 55 × 40 × 25cm, and weigh up to 10kg. In Economy you can check 2 bags of 23kg each.
Power banks go in your carry-on. JAL allows up to 2 per passenger, each 160Wh or less. You may not charge a power bank from the seat outlet or USB port. You may not use one to charge another device either. The JTA baggage allowance page lists the same cabin and checked limits for JTA flights. Our power bank rules by airline compare JAL with other carriers.
In Tokyo, JAL’s international flights use Haneda Terminal 3 and Narita Terminal 2. The photo below shows Haneda’s international terminal.
Haneda Airport Terminal 3 serves 41 airlines, JAL among them, and is open 24 hours. The station for the Keikyu Line and Tokyo Monorail is on 2F, the arrivals floor. Keikyu reaches Shinagawa in 11 minutes for 330 yen. The Tokyo Monorail runs to Hamamatsucho for 520 yen. The Airport Limousine bus reaches Shinjuku in 40–55 minutes for 1,400 yen. Our Haneda to Tokyo Station guide compares the routes.
At Narita Airport Terminal 2, JAL is one of 42 airlines, and Airport Terminal 2 Station is on B1F. The Narita Express reaches Tokyo Station in 53 minutes at the fastest, with no change, for 3,140 yen. The Keisei Skyliner reaches Nippori in 36 minutes. The cheapest ride to Tokyo Station we list is the AIRPORT BUS TYO-NRT at 1,500 yen.
Put these fares next to the surcharge and the surcharge is the bigger cost. On the shortest route group, one segment’s surcharge is more than twice the Narita Express fare. Issuing a ticket a few days earlier can save more than any choice of airport train.
JAL fuel surcharge FAQ
Will the JAL fuel surcharge go up if I already bought my ticket?
No. The amount depends on the day the ticket is issued. A ticket issued by 31 October 2026 keeps the current amount, even if you fly later.
Do children and infants pay the JAL fuel surcharge?
Children pay the same amount as adults. Infants under 2 who do not use their own seat pay nothing.
Do JAL award tickets include the fuel surcharge?
Yes. JAL says JAL Mileage Bank international award tickets carry the same amount as paid tickets. An award ticket issued from 1 November 2026 pays the new amount.
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