THEIs the price of flights really going down? The chaos in the skies is becoming more and more incomprehensible: if until a few months ago, the news spoke of frightening increases in flight prices due to international tensionstoday the market seems to have made a sharp U-turn. Surprisingly, booking a flight for July or August has become cheaper compared to early spring. It may seem counterintuitive, but the numbers speak for themselves: a trip to the most popular destinations in the Mediterranean or to the Greek islands it can cost up to 36% less than what you would have spent in March. The reason, however, is not a generous offering from the companies.
Discounted flights, prices drop: what’s happening
So what’s happening? Assoutenti raised the alarm about this trend reversalthe national association that deals with consumer protection. According to their analysis, recent tensions in the Middle East and fears related to fuel supplies they curbed travellers’ enthusiasm. With fewer people willing to book for fear of sudden cancellations, like those already feared by giants like Ryanair or Lufthansa, airlines have had to take action. To fill planes and entice the most undecided tourists, prices for summer routes have collapsed.
Summer in Sardinia or Sicily? The desire returns
And so, the historically prohibitive destinations during the August holiday period, such as Spain, Greece and also Southern Italy with Sicily or Sardiniabecome accessible again. Flying from Rome to Catania or Cagliari for less than one hundred euros has become possible, a small miracle for families who in past years had given up the sea at home due to the prohibitive costs.
Don’t be fooled by offers under one hundred euros. If the price of the flight falls, the increases on extras reach record figures. (Getty Images)
Low prices, but…
Be careful of the traps, though. If it is true that the price of the basic ticket goes down, airlines have to find another way to make ends meet. Moreover, the price of fuel has more than doubled in recent months. And this is where the one clicks the experts of RefundAlFlighta company specializing in legal assistance to passengers, define an aggressive recovery strategy: the increase in the price of extra services.
The ancillary cost trap
What was once included in the priceor it cost a few pennies, today it has become the main expense item. As underlined by Kathrin Cois, general director of RimborsoAlVolo, the final cost of a trip it can rise up to 443% compared to the initial rate once the various options have been added. We are not just talking about luxuries, but about the needs that every traveler has to manage before departure. The companies, in practice, they lower the price of the “seat” to climb the rankings on booking sitesonly to then recover the margin as soon as the user adds a suitcase or chooses a seat.
Golden suitcases
The real battleground for travellers’ wallets has become the overhead bin, or the compartment above the seats. Carrying a simple hand baggage on board can cost up to 75 euros todaywhile taking a 20 kilo suitcase in the hold can exceed 150 euros. If the airport scale shows a few extra kilos, the penalty is very high: up to 15 euros for each extra kilo. But it doesn’t end here.
Luxury seats
Even the choice of seatessential for those traveling as a couple or with children, has become a premium service which costs 85 euros one way. Even flexibility has a price: changing the date of a flight can cost as much as a new ticket. American companies have already started raising these rates and large European groups, such as Lufthansa, are following suit, introducing mandatory payments for hand luggage even on fares that were once considered “basic”.
How to defend yourself and travel peacefully
Navigating this market requires a critical eye and a lot of patience. The advice of experts is not to be enchanted by the first price that appears on search engines, but to simulate the purchase until the last stepalready including all the necessities (luggage, insurance, seats). It is essential to carefully read the clauses on the size of the bags: one centimeter too much at the gate can result in an unexpected tax that ruins the start of the holiday.