The Iran war sent jet fuel prices sky-high. Here's what air travelers should know

Travelers gather at baggage claim station at Newark International Airport in Newark in March. Some passengers may be newly incentivized to stick to a carry-on as airlines increase checked bag fees. Kena Betancur/AFP via hide caption toggle caption Kena Betancur/AFP via Delta became the latest U.S. airline to make headlines this week, with the news that it plans to eliminate food and beverage services from some of its short-haul flights. Starting on May 19, all passengers except those in Delta First will no longer get snacks or drinks on flights shorter than 350 miles — less than an hour in the air — an airline spokesperson told NPR in an email on Tuesday. Delta says it is making the change "to create a more consistent experience across our network." The company says more people will now have access to full food and beverage service (as opposed to express service), since it will be newly available to all economy passengers on flights over 350 miles. Delta's snack update isn't being advertised as a cost-cutting measure. But it does immediately follow the bankruptcy-related shutdown of Spirit Airlines over the weekend after talks for a government bailout fell through. Spirit partially blamed its demise on the skyrocketing price of jet fuel, which has roughly doubled since the start of the start of the year. The problem has plagued the airline industry since the war began, with no signs of abating. …