Three of the four more important direct airlines operating in Germany have put their prices up this year, according to a recent study by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR).
The average fare for a one-way ticket without luggage from Ryanair is now €80, up from €66 a year ago.
The average price of an Easyjet ticket has risen less dramatically, from €84 to €86.
The Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings is now charging an average of €130 for a one-way flight, up from €110 last year, making it the most expensive but also the largest provider of direct flights.
Wizz Air, which specialises primarily in Eastern Europe, is the only airline to have lowered its average price, from €94 to €67.
What accounts for the rise in prices?
German airports are among the most expensive in Europe in terms of government taxes and fees, according to a recent analysis of 120 short-haul flights by the ADAC.
In Europe, only Amsterdam is more expensive than Frankfurt and Munich, where the total cost of taxes and fees amounted to €58.60 and €49.06 per passenger, respectively.
Even Hanover, at €42.13, is more expensive than London Heathrow (€41.22). In contrast, the levies in Berlin-Brandenburg were comparatively low at €22.23.
Another factor affecting flight prices is the relative lack of flights.
Five years after the outbreak of the Covid pandemic, German air traffic still hasn’t fully recovered from the shock. According to the German Aviation Association (BDL), low-cost carriers are operating at 85 percent of pre-crisis levels in Germany, compared with 133 percent in the rest of Europe, mainly because the airlines are giving expensive airports a wide berth.
The BDL is therefore calling for the air traffic tax to be scrapped in order to make Germany more attractive for low-cost airlines, and for the federal government to contribute to aviation security costs.
Ryanair, which flew more people across Europe last year than any other airline, has even cut services at German airports including Hamburg and Berlin, despite strong growth since the coronavirus pandemic.
“I can't station more aircraft in Germany if they generate better returns in the rest of Europe,” airline boss Eddie Wilson told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper.
Wilson added that Ryanair could quickly double the fleet is has stationed in Germany from 30 to 60 aircraft. In return, the airline boss is demanding the new federal government abolish the air traffic tax and reduce various fees.
READ ALSO: Where in Europe is Ryanair scrapping flights this year?
Airlines, which commonly blame rising operational costs and taxes for pushing up their ticket prices, have a track record of blaming the German government for "lacking a sensible airline policy". It should be noted, however, that the aviation industry remains one of the biggest beneficiaries of fossil fuel subsidies, and that major airlines like Ryanair have reported record profits in recent years.
The ideal time to book
Tickets booked at short notice are usually the most expensive, according to research by the DLR. One day before departure, they cost on average between €119 (Wizz Air) and €169 (Eurowings).
With a booking period of three months, the average prices range from €46 (Ryanair) to €90 (Eurowings).
Although earlier bookings tend to be cheaper, the price can also fall in the run-up to a flight due to the way airlines use dynamic pricing to stimulate demand.Â
You can also shop around with tools like Google flights, Skyscanner or the Twistr app to try and find the cheapest possible route that works for you.
Additionally, travel routes with one or two stopovers tend to be cheaper than direct connections.
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