If plans for a vacation are underway this year, it would be wise to review both your bank balance and flight status before packing. Europeans are heading into what is becoming known as a "Surcharge Summer". What is stirring this unrest?

While the European Commission minimizes energy experts’ alerts, airlines paint a contrasting picture.

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Scandinavian Airlines has canceled approximately one thousand flights; Lufthansa has removed 20,000 routes, and Air France-KLM has imposed a €100 extra fee on long-haul tickets.

EU refineries supply about 70% of jet fuel consumed in the 27-member bloc, with the remaining portion typically imported from the Middle East. However, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted global oil transit, causing jet fuel prices to double.

Last week, the International Energy Agency indicated that Europe’s jet fuel reserves may only last about six weeks, potentially resulting in more flight cancellations.

The European Commission maintains that cancellations are not due to fuel shortages but rather the airlines’ insufficient profitability.

Still, to mitigate risks, it introduced AccelerateEU, a strategy aimed at coordinating emergency fuel supplies and encouraging member states to share remaining fuel stocks.

The EU is also considering increasing imports from the US, though American jet fuel is produced to slightly different chemical standards.

While the European Commission attempts to reassure citizens, EU transport ministers convening before this week’s Cyprus summit recommend reducing demand by promoting public transport and electric bicycles.

It’s a well-intentioned suggestion, but riding an e-bike from Brussels to Ibiza is hardly practical.

The energy crisis is expected to be a key topic at an informal EU leaders’ summit in Cyprus today and tomorrow. One wonders how the leaders themselves intend to travel there.

Watch the Euronews video in the player above for the full story.