Flying Right Now? Here's What You Need To Know.

The global travel landscape has shifted fast. Following the conflict in the Middle East and disruptions to oil supply, jet fuel prices have roughly doubled since early 2026 - and airlines are feeling it. Routes are being cut, fares are climbing, and a lot of travellers are wondering what to do next.

The short answer? Don't wait to book flights. Here's everything you need to know about flying right now, how it affects INTRO destinations, and exactly what you can do to protect your trip and your budget.

What's actually happening with flights?

Europe and Asia are most affected. For travellers flying into INTRO destinations — which span Southeast Asia, East Asia, the South Pacific, Africa, Europe, and Central America — this is relevant. But it's manageable. Here's how.

Our Flexible Booking Policy

Before we get into routes, here's what to know about your booking with INTRO:

• Change your trip date for free up to 30 days before departure. No fee, no fuss.
• Book open-dated - secure your spot without committing to a date yet.
• Your price is locked the moment you book - even if you go open-dated. Flight prices are rising. Your tour price won't.
• Every deposit and payment is transferable to any of other tours. Swap dates or swap tours - Your money is safe with us.
  

In short: book your tour, lock your price, sort your flights when you're ready.

Flight Routes by INTRO Destination

Here's a breakdown of the best routes for every region, with current advice given the fuel situation.

SOUTH EAST ASIA

Thailand 🇹🇭

Best routes: Most travellers fly direct into Bangkok from major hubs - London Heathrow (via Qatar Airways, Emirates, or Thai Airways), Dubai, Singapore (Changi), Sydney, and Auckland. For those flying from the US, Los Angeles or San Francisco connections via Tokyo Narita or Seoul Incheon are strong options.

Current advice: The Middle East routing disruption means Gulf carrier flights (Emirates, Qatar, Etihad) may face slight delays or reroutes — factor in a buffer on connection times. Direct Southeast Asia flights via East Asian hubs (Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo) are largely unaffected.

Bali/Indonesia 🇮🇩

Best routes: Bali is well-served from Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth (Jetstar, Scoot, and Garuda Indonesia). From Europe, most travellers connect via Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, or Abu Dhabi. From the US, Singapore Airlines via Singapore or Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong are solid options.

Current advice: Bali's routes via Singapore and Kuala Lumpur are among the most stable right now. We'd lean toward booking those connections.

Vietnam 🇻🇳

Best routes: From London, Vietnam Airlines flies London Heathrow direct to Hanoi. Otherwise, Qatar Airways via Doha, Singapore Airlines via Singapore, and Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong are reliable. From Australia, Singapore Airlines or Jetstar connections via Singapore are cheapest and fastest.

Current advice: Booking multi-city is smart right now - it eliminates the need to backtrack and avoids having to rebook if one leg is disrupted.

Cambodia 🇰🇭

Best routes: There are no direct Western flights into Cambodia - you'll connect via Bangkok (BKK), Singapore (SIN), Kuala Lumpur (KUL), or Ho Chi Minh City (SGN). Bangkok is the most common connection.

Current advice: Keep layover times generous - 2+ hours. Connectivity into Cambodia is reliable but involves a transit, so any upstream disruptions need buffer time.

Philippines 🇵🇭

Best routes: Philippines Airlines flies direct from London Heathrow to Manila. Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific are strong options via their respective hubs. From Australia, Philippines Airlines and Cebu Pacific run direct routes from Sydney and Melbourne.

Current advice: Philippines routes are relatively insulated from the current fuel crisis as they largely bypass Gulf airspace. A solid option if you're nervous about disruption.

EAST ASIA

Japan 🇯🇵

Best routes: Japan is exceptionally well-connected. British Airways, JAL, and ANA fly direct from London to Tokyo. From the US, direct flights from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York are plentiful. From Australia, Qantas and JAL fly Sydney to Tokyo direct.

Current advice: Japan routes via East Asian airspace are among the most stable right now. JAL and ANA are less exposed to Gulf fuel pricing due to their route structures. A great time to book Japan with confidence.

South Korea 🇰🇷

Best routes: Korean Air and Asiana Airlines fly direct to Incheon from London Heathrow, and from New York, Los Angeles, Sydney, and Auckland. ICN is also a major connecting hub — it's often cheaper to route through Seoul than fly direct to other Asian destinations.

Current advice: Seoul is a hub that benefits from stable East Asian fuel supply chains. Korean Air has been less affected than Gulf carriers — routes look reliable for the foreseeable term.

SOUTH ASIA

India 🇮🇳

Best routes: British Airways, Air India, and Virgin Atlantic fly direct from London to both Delhi and Mumbai. From the US, Air India flies nonstop from New York JFK and San Francisco. From Australia, Air India and Singapore Airlines via Singapore are the main options.

Current advice: India routes are partly affected by Gulf airspace disruptions. Air India routes via India's own airspace are more direct. Gulf carrier connections via Dubai or Abu Dhabi may face slight schedule adjustments — watch for updates.

Sri Lanka 🇱🇰

Best routes: SriLankan Airlines flies direct from London Heathrow to Colombo. Emirates via Dubai, Qatar Airways via Doha, and Singapore Airlines via Singapore are alternatives. From Australia, SriLankan Airlines connects via Colombo from Melbourne.

Current advice: If booking Gulf carrier connections (Emirates, Qatar), allow extra time for potential schedule adjustments. SriLankan Airlines' direct from London is currently your most stable option from the UK.

AFRICA

South Africa 🇿🇦

Best routes: South Africa is another strong multi-city destination. Fly into Johannesburg and out of Cape Town. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic fly direct from London Heathrow to both cities. From the US, Delta and United fly via Atlanta or New York. From Australia, Qantas flies via Johannesburg.

Current advice: South African routes largely bypass Gulf airspace disruptions and are among the most stable long-haul options right now. Solid choice if you're nervous about Asia routing.

Morocco 🇲🇦

Best routes: Morocco is one of the most accessible INTRO destinations from Europe. EasyJet, Ryanair, and British Airways all fly direct from London to Marrakech. From the US, Royal Air Maroc flies New York JFK to Casablanca and connects to Marrakech. From Australia, most route through Europe.

Current advice: Morocco is European airspace - almost entirely unaffected by the current fuel disruptions. One of the safest bets for booking right now. Fares are also more stable than routes routing through the Middle East.

EUROPE

Croatia 🇭🇷

Best routes: EasyJet and British Airways fly direct to Split and Dubrovnik from London Gatwick and Heathrow. Ryanair also serves Dubrovnik from a number of UK regional airports. From the US, most connect via London or Frankfurt. From Australia, the most common route is via Dubai or Singapore into London, then onward.

Current advice: Croatia is entirely within European airspace and is not directly affected by the current oil crisis in terms of route availability. That said, rising fuel costs mean fares are up generally - book sooner rather than later to lock in current pricing.

CENTRAL AMERICA 🇲🇽🇧🇿🇬🇹🇨🇷

Best routes: American Airlines, Delta, United, and Volaris fly to Cancun and Mexico City from major US hubs. From the UK, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic fly direct to Cancun and Mexico City from London. From Australia, Air New Zealand via Los Angeles or American Airlines connections work well.

Current advice: Central America routes are overwhelmingly via the US and European hubs - well outside the affected Gulf and Asia corridors. Fares are relatively stable here compared to Asia routes right now.

AUSTRALIA 🇦🇺

Best routes: If you're flying from the UK or Europe into Australia, multi-city tickets - fly into Sydney, out of Brisbane or Cairns (or vice versa) - are significantly cheaper than returning to a single city. Qantas, British Airways, and Emirates all serve both cities. From the US, United and Delta connect via Los Angeles or San Francisco.

Current advice: Australia long-haul routes via the Gulf (Emirates, Qatar) may see modest schedule changes. Routes via Singapore or directly over the Pacific (from the US) are currently more stable.

NEW ZEALAND 🇳🇿

Best routes: Air New Zealand is the backbone carrier for NZ. Direct flights from London (via LA or Houston), and from Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

Current advice: NZ routes are via Pacific and Australian airspace - very stable. Air New Zealand's direct from London via Los Angeles avoids Gulf airspace entirely.

General Tips for Booking Flights Right Now

• Book early. Flight prices are rising week on week as fuel costs feed through. Don't wait.
• Use multi-city tickets where possible. Fly into one city, out of another. INTRO's tours often end in a different city to where they start, making this easy.
• Check alternative hubs. Singapore, Seoul, and Tokyo are more fuel-stable right now than Gulf carrier connections.
• Book your INTRO tour now to lock in the tour price, then sort flights when you're ready. Your price is protected from the moment you book - even on an open-dated booking.
• Set price alerts. Tools like Google Flights and Skyscanner let you track specific routes and alert you when prices change.

Need help working out your best route?

We've been running tours since 2005 and our team knows these destinations inside out. Slide into our DMs, drop us a message, or head to introtravel.com - we're here before, during, and after your trip.