A U.S. lawmaker has urged CEOs of the country's largest airlines to lower fares if jet fuel costs fall, following a sharp increase in fuel prices this year that led airlines to raise surcharges, baggage fees, and fares.

　　"If airline pricing is truly linked to global fuel costs, then when fuel costs fall, airline pricing must adjust accordingly," U.S. Representative Rich Torres (New York) wrote in a letter to the CEO of Delta Air Lines. A letter from United Airlines, JetBlue, and Southwest Airlines, seen by CNBC, stated: "I urge you to make a public commitment to reducing costs associated with air travel if jet fuel prices fall. The American people deserve fair treatment, and their pricing models should not only reflect market conditions but also economic justice."

　　Fuel is the second-largest expense for airlines after labor costs. According to Argus data, on April 2, the average price of jet fuel in New York, Houston, Chicago, and Los Angeles reached $4.88 per gallon, an increase of approximately 95% since the U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran on February 28. In other regions where oil and jet fuel production is lower than in the United States, oil prices have risen even more sharply.

　　United Airlines declined to comment. Other airlines have not yet responded to requests for comment.

　　Delta Air Lines reported that rising fuel costs increased its expenses by $2 billion this quarter and indicated it will "significantly" reduce its capacity plans. Other airlines may also discuss similar issues when they release their earnings next week.

　　Reduced capacity will push up ticket prices, especially when demand remains strong. Meanwhile, lower fuel prices will encourage airlines to expand capacity, thus having the opposite effect on ticket prices.

　　When asked what would happen if fuel prices fell from their recent highs, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said last week, “A rise in fuel prices is crucial. Whatever we do, as long as we can maintain the pricing advantage we’ve mentioned from industry rationalization, it will certainly help us improve our profit margins this year, and will obviously have a positive impact on our profit margins next year.”

　　Since the attacks, Delta, United, Southwest, JetBlue, American Airlines, and Alaska Airlines, all car rental companies have raised baggage fees, and airlines around the world have raised ticket prices and surcharges.

　　Consumers’ willingness to pay more for travel is driving the airline industry. Bastian told analysts last week that demand remains strong.

　　“I think high-end consumers, or premium consumers, are frankly immune to, or increasingly desensitized to, headlines. They won’t postpone their investment in the experience economy while waiting for the next headline,” he said.

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