Shares of IAG, Lufthansa, and Air France-KLM are plummeting on the stock market as headlines blame fuel for the crisis in the Middle East. But behind the geopolitical noise, there is a familiar pattern: investment funds take advantage of the panic to buy cheap, while airlines apply fuel surcharges that do not come down even when crude oil stabilizes. The citizen pays twice: more expensive flights and diminished pensions.
The algorithm that decides when to scare you 🤖
High-frequency trading systems detect keywords like war or fuel and execute massive sell-offs in milliseconds, generating an artificial drop that does not correspond to the sector's fundamentals. Meanwhile, airlines use predictive models to adjust fares upward in real time, justifying each increase with a conflict that does not affect their main routes. Technology does not lie: fear is priced and sold as a product.
Fly with us, pay as if you were going to Mars 🚀
The next time you see a fuel surcharge on your ticket, remember: the plane burns kerosene, but your patience burns for free. While investment funds buy shares at bargain prices, you pay for the pilot's coffee and the manager's speculation. Sure, they travel in business class with your pension fund. You, on the other hand, pay for the reclining seat that does not work. Welcome to the low-cost war economy.