You've worked hard all year, and it's about time for holidays, or vacation in the case of pupils and students. You decide to spend the money you have saved aside on a few days or maybe even weeks of holiday somewhere convenient and interesting for you. So you sit down to plan.
You check out the various destinations, the price of the hotel stay, the attractions, the cost of food, and suddenly the subject of the flight itself comes up. And at this point you literally and figuratively freeze up - airfares turn out to be absurd, and you come to a standstill. What's next? Well, in this article we won't tell you exactly what to do at such a moment, but we will give you tips and various ways to avoid such a situation. We'll also explain why exactly this happens, so if you're interested, feel free to read on.
Why are flights so expensive right now?
There is no denying that the reasons are indeed many. We will not focus on a thorough discussion of all the social and economic factors, but we will try to explain the main ones as simply as possible.
Increased demand for air services
It is probably easy to see that demand increases seasonally, for example during holidays or festive periods, as this is when people travel the most. This time, however, the reason for the inflated demand is also the fact that we have been very restricted for the past two years due to the COVID-19 SARS virus pandemic prevailing around the world.
Thus, after the release of most restrictions (most, because, for example, some countries such as China, for example, still have not opened their borders), people who were inhibited from traveling during this time are catching up for fear that another wave will soon come with renewed restrictions. Airports around the world are even unable to process the number of customers, which is a great reason to raise ticket prices, which is the main reason why are flights so expensive.
Airlines are making up for the losses of recent years
Here again, the main culprit is the previously mentioned coronavirus. For almost two years, the air service recorded no profits. It is estimated that the losses incurred as a result of the pandemic amount to more than $200 billion. Many airlines were forced to take out loans to make up the losses on an ongoing basis, which they are still paying back.
Airline operating costs have increased significantly
If you get around by car, you too have surely been hit by the easily noticeable rise in fuel prices. There are a number of reasons for this, including Russia's war with Ukraine, the ups and downs of currencies around the world, and the aforementioned demand after the lockdown caused by the virus that swept the world for two years.
So, if your wallet hurts from filling up your car, imagine how much it costs to fill up a whole plane! The rise in the price of fuel is therefore a major factor in why are flights so expensive in 2022.
Employee shortages
During the pandemic, many airline employees as well as airports themselves technically lost their jobs. Now that the sector is recovering from its knees, there is a renewed need for workers, as they say, for now.
This is impossible, however, because hiring pilots and stewardesses requires prior training, for which there is simply not enough time anymore. The result of this situation is fewer flights, which are much more expensive, because the airlines do not have enough pilots and those who have maintained their position have to fly more and therefore also require higher rates. It’s another reason why are plane tickets so expensive.
How to deal with current flight prices?
While it's clear that airline tickets are unlikely to get cheaper any time soon, you have nothing to worry about! There are a few solutions you can use to make the price of your ticket not so terribly high, which should reduce your travel expenses somewhat. Here are some tips to fight high airline ticket prices!
Plan ahead
Do not, under any circumstances, try to organize your flight at the last minute! Yes, last minute offers can sometimes be worthwhile, but you cannot be sure that they will take place at the exact moment you are planning your holiday. So if you want to travel in July, for example, you'd better start looking for flights in January - you'll thank yourself later!
Be flexible with the flight date
It may be that the cheapest tickets are just before or just after the holiday season. If you are able to choose when you travel, match the cheapest time of year. Flexibility with the seasons or months you plan to travel with can really help to deal with the problem of expensive flights!
Don't take direct flights
Actually, choosing to fly directly from place A to place B is incredibly convenient and saves us time, but it does not save money. Almost always, flights with connecting flights are cheaper, so focus on them first.
Follow airline promotions and sales
Sometimes airlines organize periodic sales, on which you are able to save really a lot of money! However, this is an option for those with a very flexible work or study schedule, as there are times when promotional flights are within two weeks or a few days of their announcement.
Use apps and price comparison sites
It may happen that the search engine will not show you the cheapest options at all, but only the most popular ones. So use flight price comparison systems, and you may be able to find really brilliant deals.
Look for another way to your goal
Although this way is quite complicated, it shows considerable effectiveness. Sometimes looking for a way through additional countries, not to mention connecting flights here, a flight can come out much cheaper than a direct one. We're talking here about traveling through slightly poorer countries, where ticket prices can be cheaper than from the one you live in.
Search for a cheaper place
if you do not have a specifically planned vacation and are indifferent to where you will fly to, look for offers, for example, in travel agencies. Every country in the world has travel deals that remain consistently low in price compared to other destinations abroad.
What are the cheapest airlines?
Many people around the world are often currently canceled by flight prices. However, not everyone is aware that it is possible to fly cheaply, although it may not be as exciting and luxurious as the most popular airlines. It may be that you won't get food on the flight, you'll only have hand luggage, or the plane won't be very spacious, but is it really that important? Here are the cheapest airlines around the world.
Without a doubt, the leader in the category of cheapest flights is the well-known Ryanair. It is an Irish airline operating in 25 European countries, Israel, Cyprus and Morocco. One of the things Ryanair is famous for is the fact that they have special offers all the time, e.g. flights to various destinations at prices starting from as little as $10!
It is said that the cheapest month to fly with Ryanair is October. There are also a number of extremely low-priced bargains coming up relatively soon, linked to the event known as Black Friday. However, in order to receive as much information and offers as possible, it is advisable to use newsletters, apps or comparison sites that will provide us with information about all the latest bargains!
Here are other 20 examples of airlines all over the world whose offers also include flights at the most reasonable prices known:
Asia
| Europe
| Australia and Oceania
| North America
| South America
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Where to look for the cheapest flights?
In addition to tracking bargains through, for example, the airlines' social media, use sites that help you avoid expensive flights. These sites will help you find the best possible flying deals all around the world, yet this is not the entire scope of their activities! You'll also find accommodation deals, a list of places to visit, off-plane transport and much more! Here's a list of the top 10 sites to help you find and compare flight offers:
