PLAN out your travel and vacation leaves ahead.

Get ready to fly with of course cheaper fare prices as the Civil Aviation Board (CAB) announced Tuesday that starting January, airfares are projected to be cheaper due to a reduction in fuel surcharge.

A fuel surcharge is an additional fee on top of the airfare to pay for the expense of airline fuel.

CAB Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla said from level 8, surcharge fees will decline to level 7 on January 1. 

“That’s a big deal for our riding public and hopefully it will continue,” Arcilla said in Filipino during the Malacañang’s Laging Handa public briefing.

According to Arcilla, the reason behind the sudden decrease in fuel surcharge is because of the volatile market prices and unpredictable global market. But so far, the holiday season has shown that this trend is going downward. That’s why “it will help a lot,” he said.

For example, if a passenger’s fuel surcharge costs P500 or P400, effective January 1, the fuel surcharge will drop to P200 per flight, he noted.

However, CAB said the price of the surcharge will vary depending on the distance of the flight but Arcilla stated the decline will still be “significant.”

When asked which airlines have already confirmed the lower price of airfares, Arcilla said “most” of the 35 airlines, both local and foreign, operating in the country are already imposing airfare discounts for next year.