Footstuff price hikes fuel inflation

Flight tickets, coffee and heating oil have become more expensive in Austria, new figures show.

Statistik Austria announced today (Thurs) the inflation rose by 3.2 per cent from May 2010 to the same month of this year. The agency explained mineral oil products and foodstuff price hikes were mostly responsible for the overall increase of consumer prices in the country.

Statisticians explained that heating oil was 15 per cent more expensive in May 2011 than in the same month of last year, while the price for gas rose by eight per cent. Electricity prices remained stable at the same time.

New cars cost 1.1 per cent more, while car repairs and maintenance measures were found to be five per cent more pricey last month than in the same time span of 2010. The price for coffee almost soared by a third at 29 per cent, while non-alcoholic drinks became 11.4 per cent more expensive.

The price for a flight ticket rose by 11 per cent on average. Flight ticket prices started to climb in recent months after years of plummeting rates. These developments are linked to the recently introduced tax on such tickets.

The federal government coalition of Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the People’s Party (ÖVP) decided to implement a surcharge between eight and 40 Euros per ticket depending on the planes’ destinations. The levy was presented last October. It applied to every ticket booked from 1 January of this year and for flights from 1 April 2011. Airlines made clear they would pass on all extra costs to customers. FlyNiki boss Niki Lauda branded the measure as “incredibly unfair” and an “anti-social madness.”

Statistik Austria announced today that the price for the so-called mini basket of goods – which aims to represent Austrians’ typical shopping of one week – cost 6.9 per cent more last month than in the same month of 2010. The agency explained that the price of the basket’s contents jumped by 6.8 per cent from April 2010 to April 2011.