Does anyone have an idea about how flight ticket prices drop for a given destination? (Excluding Ryanair, of course.)
We need to leave for Seville on December 27th.
Generally, airlines launch trips on a specific date with a high price to start filling the plane.
As the departure date gets closer, the airline tries to fill the plane and lowers its prices, so the ticket price becomes reasonable again.
Example: Right now, for a trip in about 10 days, the average round-trip ticket price is usually around 200 €.
Currently, the round-trip ticket price for December 27th is 450 €.
If any of you have more precise info on this topic
(for example, if the price drops 15 days before departure), thanks in advance for your input.
Jean Paul
No, don’t count on that.
For the Christmas holidays, unless you're heading to Chisinau—and even then—everything’s really expensive, and prices don’t drop last-minute.
One possible tip: the flight nobody wants, like the one leaving at 6 AM on December 25th.
Hi,
Thanks first of all for your reply.
You might be right—it does make sense what you're saying.
I still believe in it a little, though.
Logically, they have this concern about filling the entire plane.
The closer the departure date gets, the more they worry about filling the whole flight—unless all the seats have already been booked.
So we'll see... I'll let you know, but first, I'd love to hear your opinion.
I've already tried this on other destinations, but it's true it wasn't on New Year's Day.
Have a great day.
JP
In general, they launch the trip on a given date with a high price to start filling the plane.
It's actually the opposite. Flights go on sale with low prices first—airlines generate cash flow, and prices increase as the flight fills up. If it doesn’t fill up, a few low-price seats are released again, and so on. This is called yield management and applies to all airlines, SNCF, car rentals, and hotels. Yield management considers flight history, low/mid/high season dates, competition, events (sports, conferences, etc.), and the average cost of a seat (or room/car) to align with company policy. The goal is to fill the flight at the right price as early as possible.
As the departure date approaches, the airline tries to fill the plane and lowers its prices, so the ticket price becomes reasonable again.
Yes, but not necessarily, and it’s better not to count on it. At the last minute, the remaining seats are often sold at a high price because there will always be people who *have* to travel and will pay what it takes.
Example: Right now, for about 10 days from now, the average round-trip ticket price is generally around 200 €.
Right now, the round-trip ticket price for December 27th is 450 €.
That makes total sense. During school holidays—and even more so during the end-of-year festivities—prices are higher, and the cheap seats sell out quickly.
"Si partir vivre ses rêves remplit l'âme, les partager après les avoir réalisés la grandit"
"Qui veut apprendre à se connaître commence par explorer le monde"
That makes total sense. During school holidays and even more so during the end-of-year festivities, prices are higher and the cheap fares have been sold out for a while.
Following up on a discussion I had yesterday, it's actually during these times that you should start looking at business-class tickets, especially with airlines that don’t have a strong reputation in that segment, like Air France, SAS, or KLM...
Sometimes there’s still one or two business-class seats left that are cheaper than the last full-price economy Y fares.
Generally, they launch the trip on a specific date with a high price to start filling the plane.
As the departure date approaches, the airline tries to fill the plane and lowers its prices, so the ticket price becomes reasonable again.
Hello,
That’s a hypothesis I’m not familiar with. It’s usually the opposite. It’s the law of supply and demand. Fewer products = higher cost. There would really need to be a significant number of empty seats to attract customers by lowering prices. In air travel, that’s still rare.
Following up on a discussion I had yesterday, it's actually at those times that you should start looking at business-class tickets, especially with airlines that don't have a strong reputation in that segment, like Air France, SAS, or KLM....
Since in Europe the middle seat is often blocked off and there’s an adjustable curtain depending on the number of passengers per class, it gets set up quickly.
Sometimes there are still one or two business-class seats cheaper than the last full-price economy Y tickets.
A business class with restrictions will generally be cheaper than a flexible economy ticket, in fact.
"Si partir vivre ses rêves remplit l'âme, les partager après les avoir réalisés la grandit"
"Qui veut apprendre à se connaître commence par explorer le monde"
In their logic, they have this concern about filling the entire plane.
yeah, well, that makes sense. To get a plane in the air, fuel and staff are quite a cost after all.
After that, if you want to leave in December, it’s not the best time
Otherwise, if you want to leave in December, it's not the right time
The end-of-year holidays and summer months are the worst times to travel. I don’t know which airline we’re talking about specifically, but Seville at that time means a guaranteed full flight.
It’s true that since it’s the end-of-year period, I think things will be different, but you’ve got to believe in it.
I thought some people had noticed the same price trends for flight tickets as I have—I was waiting to hear about their experiences.
I’m naturally optimistic, and my experience has always shown that this works. In the not-so-distant past, whether for India, Cuba, South America, or elsewhere, I’ve always waited, and suddenly, flight prices dropped. When that happens, the drop is reflected across all sites and all airlines.
For me, there’s a flight ticket issued for a specific destination with set times for the same day. There are 300 seats on a flight. It would be quite exceptional if, all of a sudden, all 300 seats were magically booked.
So,
at the very beginning when the trip opens for booking, there’s a very moderate price.
Then the price goes up for a while.
As the departure day and time approach, there are 50 or 60 seats left... so, well,
then it makes sense to fill the plane, which seems logical to me.
So, tickets are issued at a lower cost. Experience backs this up.
That’s why it seems normal to me that we’ve gotten much cheaper flight tickets.
Have a great day, everyone.
JP
A little reading to help you understand how yield management works.
Yield management: what is it? | French National Consumer Institute
Excerpts:
"the desirability of the timing of the service, which involves charging more during peak demand periods, and vice versa,
the timing of the booking, which corresponds to the actual availability of the service: the less "available stock" there is, the more expensive it will be."
I admire your optimism. But sometimes you’ve got to rely on luck or a wave of broken legs 😉. And even if it works once or twice, you definitely shouldn’t make it a general rule or truth.
Once you’ve got your flight tickets sorted, you might start looking for a car rental and accommodation with the same issue at this time of year.
Good luck 🤞
"Si partir vivre ses rêves remplit l'âme, les partager après les avoir réalisés la grandit"
"Qui veut apprendre à se connaître commence par explorer le monde"
Right at the start when bookings open for this trip, there’s a very moderate price,
then the price goes up for a while.
Then, as the departure day and time approach, there are 50 or 60 seats left... so...
JP
Hi, I’ve already mentioned on this forum that ticket prices are set by supply and demand—it’s simple.
If you find cheap tickets at the last minute, it’s because they’re being discounted and the flight isn’t full.
As for demand, you can’t always predict it unless you rely on empirical statistics.
Anyway, economics isn’t an exact science—it also depends on customer psychology.
There aren’t 300 passengers—these are 737s or A320s, Embraer planes, and since this is clearly a leisure destination during vacation season, with lots of leisure or family travel, the flight will be full.
Has anyone got an idea about the logic behind flight ticket price drops for a given destination? (aside from Ryanair.)
We need to leave for Seville on December 27th.
Usually, they launch the trip on a specific date with a high price to start filling the plane.
As the departure date approaches, the airline tries to fill the plane and lowers its prices, so the ticket price becomes reasonable again.
Example: Right now, for about 10 days from now, the average round-trip ticket price is usually around 200 €.
Currently, the round-trip ticket price for December 27th is 450 €.
If any of you have more precise info on this topic
(for example, the price drops 15 days before departure), thanks in advance for your posts.
Jean Paul
Hi, this happens to me very often too—getting cheaper prices 10-15 days before my chosen date. But never at the end of the year, when prices go up from December 20th until the first week of January, even for non-touristy areas, because it’s a busy period in every direction. I think your 450 € flight will be at least 600 10 €-15 days before or around Christmas.
I thought I had explained how flight ticket prices change over time based on my own experience, but it seems I failed. I think some of you didn’t read what I wrote.
I don’t think it’s necessary to imitate the cacophony of politicians in the National Assembly right now. For goodness’ sake, no competition—let’s forget about that. Everyone sticks to their own claims, their belief in the truth, and especially their ability to explain to others that their way of thinking is the right one without even considering what happened in the past.
Yield management: what is it? | National Institute of Consumer Affairs
I’m really disappointed by your "know-it-all" attitude and your copy-pasted explanations. I’ve spent years in sales, but I have to admit you’re good at copying. The rest is something else entirely.
I’m looking for a cheaper price than the current flight ticket because right now, the price has doubled. Period.
I’m not relying on "broken legs"—I’m relying on logic, simple logic, and the proof is that I’ve already explained it. To move this "nonsense" forward, I’ve already received a price drop of about 50 € from a website. No comment. Offer at 380 € instead of 450 €.
"In short, economics isn’t an exact science—it also depends on customer psychology."
I didn’t understand this phrase or others like "This flight will be full."
There are about 10 flights a day, maybe more, so I don’t know what you mean or which flight out of the dozen will be full! You’ve got a bit of a forecasting side, like those who predict the weather.
I don’t think it’s worth continuing a discussion that can only be sterile given the comments.
Thanks for all your input. We’re all entitled to different opinions.
JP
Thanks at last for a positive response from someone who’s actually experienced this price drop at the last minute for a ticket.
Yeah, it’ll be tough at the end of the year, but who knows? Not everyone can afford to spend 450 € on a flight ticket.
That’s something to keep in mind. We’ll see how it goes.
I’m staying very optimistic. In fact, the ticket price drop has already started.
Copy of an email subject I received from Kayak: Your flight to SVQ is now 386 € (+ more price alerts).
JP
Thanks at last for a positive response from someone who’s actually experienced this price drop at the last minute.
Yeah, it’ll be tough at the end of the year, but who knows? Not everyone can afford to spend 450 € on a flight ticket.
That’s something to keep in mind. We’ll see how it goes.
I’m staying very optimistic. Besides, the price drop has already started.
Copy of an email subject I received
from Kayak: Your flight to SVQ is now 386 € (+ other Price Alerts).
JP
Could you share a screenshot of your round-trip flights at this price on Kayak, please?
I already explained how yield management works with a more detailed link. And unless proven otherwise, it works extremely well because companies in the tourism industry all over the world use it.
For example, the day SNCF opens reservations for the end-of-year holidays. You can't even imagine how many people log on and book as early as 12:05 AM to get the best prices. Why wait and pay more when you know where you're going and when? Those who come later get what's left. That's just how the system works. And it's the same for airlines, hotels, and car rentals.
If prices drop slightly today, that's great. That's exactly what I wrote in message 5 ("And if the flight doesn't fill up, a few seats at lower prices are released"). Either you book if the price works for you, or you take a gamble and hope it reaches your desired budget. If you see a good deal one day, grab it right away. If not, either you won't go to Seville, or you'll pay the remaining price—otherwise, next time you'll book as early as possible. As Mathews rightly said, it's the law of supply and demand. With years in sales, you know exactly how it works.
Hope you find what you're looking for.
"Si partir vivre ses rêves remplit l'âme, les partager après les avoir réalisés la grandit"
"Qui veut apprendre à se connaître commence par explorer le monde"
I thought I had explained how flight ticket prices change over time based on my own experience after living through what I described. It didn’t work out! I think some of you didn’t read my post.
What a fuss this discussion is 😉
If you’re able to answer the questions you’re asking yourselves, what’s the point of this thread then?
Don’t you think it’s like a snake biting its own tail? 😛
You guys are really something else, haha
We get where you're going, but where are you leaving from?
I don’t think I read that part.
From what I gather, you’re talking about either Transavia or Vueling, not Ryanair (due to aversion) or Air France.
The return date also heavily impacts the round-trip ticket and its price—if you return on January 7th, for example, prices will be at their lowest.
When are you heading back?
Or are you talking about a one-way ticket?
I thought I had explained how flight ticket prices change over time based on my own experience after living through what I described. Guess not! I think some of you didn’t read my post.
What a fuss this discussion is 😉
If you’re able to answer the questions you’re asking yourselves, what’s the point of this thread then?
Don’t you think it’s like a snake biting its own tail? 😛
You guys are really something else, haha
If they shared their departure airport, exact return dates, and chosen flight times, we could check their claims over time. After all, it’s only a month and a half away—but will they do it? So this topic can actually make sense.
Here's a screenshot of a round-trip flight from December 27th to January 2nd for 2 people.
You can see the graph showing the drop in airfare prices.
It's rare for me to waste so much time like this for nothing—this exchange wasn’t constructive at all and didn’t give me anything.
No comment.
__
I had attached the hard copy, but it’s no longer possible to send a screenshot.
Too bad.
Sorry.
Here's a screenshot of a round-trip flight from December 27th to January 2nd for 2 people.
You can see the graph showing the drop in airfare prices.
It's rare for me to waste so much time like this for nothing, for an exchange I'd say is totally unconstructive and brings me absolutely nothing.
No comment.
__
I had attached the hard copy, but it's no longer possible to send a screenshot.
Too bad.
Sorry.
Good evening, just so you know, Paris has 3 airports—it doesn’t help us know where you’re departing from.
Plus, you're hoping to save money while traveling to one of the most tourist-heavy areas during the end-of-year period, which for Spaniards means a lot of travel since they’re very family-oriented. And you’ve chosen a Friday and a Saturday for your flights—the most expensive days, actually, since Tuesdays and Wednesdays are more affordable.
And if you’re stuck only using Kayak without following their links to the airline sites (which is rare on this site), you’ll be in for some surprises.
Anyway, screenshots work here (if you tell us your chosen times, the airport, and whether checked bags are included, we can find you a better deal than what you’ve found). It’d be great for everyone if this thread continued so we can see the follow-up, which could interest quite a few members.
I’ve—well, we’ve—already tried explaining to them that flights on those dates, to that destination, are really peak season and full fare, and that in any case, the planes would be fully booked, even at 450 € or 500 € for a round-trip ticket.
We can obviously attach a screenshot.
That theory about last-minute cheap tickets to "fill up" the plane—I’ve never actually seen it happen. I’ve traveled on nearly empty flights before, but I never noticed prices being slashed at the last minute.
I’ve—we’ve—already tried to explain to him that flights on that date, to that destination, are really at the peak of high season and full fare, and that in any case, the planes would be full, even at 450 or 500 € for a round-trip ticket.
We can obviously attach a screenshot.
That theory about last-minute cheap tickets to "fill" the plane—I’ve never seen it proven. I’ve traveled on nearly empty planes before, but I never noticed that prices had been slashed at the last minute.
Michel
Good evening, I never travel during holidays or school vacations, but for the rest of the year, I confirm what the author of this post says. Often, prices are the same whether you book two months in advance or 15 days before departure, but never cheaper in the last 15 days.
What you're suggesting is possible if the airline doesn't fully understand the demand for its product or doesn't adapt quickly enough to changes in demand. That seems increasingly implausible given modern information systems.
If we could expect prices to drop as departure approaches, everyone would wait for that drop to book. Since the plane would be practically empty before the price cut, the airline would have to slash prices dramatically to fill it—on top of facing huge uncertainty and no cash flow for a long period. If this process were repeated across thousands of flights, it’d be a surefire recipe for bankruptcy. Don’t forget that airlines get interest-free financing when we book in advance; they have every reason to encourage us to do so.
Airlines aim to model the rate at which tickets will sell throughout the year, slightly lowering prices when demand is lower than expected and raising them when it’s higher. The goal is to leave just a few seats for those who *have* to buy last-minute. It doesn’t always work, and sometimes a plane might fly 75% empty, but that’s still better than permanently reducing revenue with a fire sale just to fill the aircraft.
The simplest approach is to book as soon as the price suits you **and** you’re certain you’ll take the flight. You can also sign up for price alerts and spend 15 minutes a day for months checking if it’s dropped by 20 €. That’s fine if you enjoy it.
That theory about last-minute cheap tickets to "fill up" planes—I’ve never seen it proven. I’ve traveled on nearly empty flights, but I never noticed prices being slashed at the last minute.
Here’s an example of a major price adjustment:
Ryanair applies a record 500% price hike on a round-trip flight to the sun from Beauvais! - Courrier Picard
As always, it’s all about supply and demand. And when not enough seats are sold at the desired prices, it happens (almost exclusively with low-cost airlines) that the flight is simply canceled more than 14 days before departure to avoid paying compensation. It’s way cheaper than discounting seats with a poor load factor. Business is business 😄
"Si partir vivre ses rêves remplit l'âme, les partager après les avoir réalisés la grandit"
"Qui veut apprendre à se connaître commence par explorer le monde"
Hello, if you want to fly cheap, Ryanair is around 200 € round-trip for SVQ at the end of December...
But the flight leaves from Beauvais and of course the base price is only with a small bag...
Hi, why keep insisting on replying to this person when they clearly said "given the comments, we were useless"—more precisely, "broken legs"
They have a point in the sense that they clearly stated: "no Ryanair"
Then they added: "I don’t think it’s worth continuing a discussion that can only be pointless given the comments."
They initially asked a very specific question that required more info to answer, but since they refuse to give the details we asked for (which departure airport, what times they chose in their simulation, cabin baggage and/or hold luggage, whether they picked the site Kayak suggested for the price they saw or the airline they saw with a lower price, etc...)
Understand that they’ve moved on and couldn’t care less about the help we could’ve given them.
And all that for a flight to Spain, which isn’t the hardest to find....
Here’s the recap:
he wants to wait until the last minute hoping the price drops
Between Christmas and New Year’s, he’s really pushing it and risks paying a lot (trying to find the cheapest during the holidays) 🤪
He doesn’t want Ryanair 🤪
He stopped responding even though we were about to find him something cheaper than his simulation if he gave us more info 🤪 At my place, we use kayaks to go down rivers 🤪
We’re "useless" (in his words) 🤪
Good luck with his search and happy travels!!!
To sum up:
he wants to wait until the last minute hoping the price will drop.
Between Christmas and New Year’s, he’s really pushing it and risks paying a lot (trying to find the cheapest during the holidays)
He doesn’t want Ryanair
He stopped responding even though we were about to find him a better deal than his simulation if he’d just given us more info Where I come from, we use kayaks to go down rivers
We’re "useless" (in his words)
Good luck with his search and happy travels!!!
And he’s used to getting cheaper prices at the last minute.
But he’s asking for opinions and feedback on this.
And since there aren’t any...
Well, here we are 😅
It’s rare that I waste so much time like this for nothing, for an exchange I’d say is totally unconstructive and brings me absolutely nothing
Good thing for me too—I won’t be wasting any more time on this post 😤
"Si partir vivre ses rêves remplit l'âme, les partager après les avoir réalisés la grandit"
"Qui veut apprendre à se connaître commence par explorer le monde"
This message is for the "know-it-alls" who replied to me in this thread,
those who have logic for everything, who are convinced they know it all, those who are immediately recognized when traveling abroad! Those who answered my question: Did they know of any logic in the evolution of a flight ticket's price from its issuance until the plane's departure?
Here’s the price of a flight ticket 11 days before departure for the same departure and arrival dates, and for the best departure times whether leaving from Paris or returning from Seville. It went from 420 € to 308 €, a drop of about 35%.
No comment on "yield management," to the one who predicted 600 euros, to the one who needed to know the departure airport! To the others who thought that at this time of year, to the born optimists—basically, to all the "know-it-alls"!
No further comment is necessary. Thank you.
Happy New Year to everyone.
I can’t attach the hard copy since the forum doesn’t accept it,
but here’s a copy:
09:55 – 12:30 CDGParis-Charles-de-Gaulle SVQSeville Airport direct 2h 35min
· 11:20 – 13:45 SVQSeville Airport - ORYParis-Orly Airport direct 2h 25min
Vueling, Transavia France Non-refundable
309 € Economy
Good evening tatra
First, I’ll quote your nonsense, your disbelief, and your insistence in these exchanges.
The saddest part is how heavily you’re insisting.
"I’ve—we’ve—already tried explaining to them that flights on those dates, to that destination, are peak season at full price, and that planes would be fully booked anyway, even at 450 or 500 € for a round-trip ticket. We can obviously attach a screenshot.
This theory about last-minute cheap tickets just to "fill" the plane—I’ve never seen proof of it. I’ve traveled on nearly empty flights, but I never noticed prices being slashed at the last minute." —Michel
"We’ve already tried explaining that flights on those dates..."
I don’t care about your explanations—I’ve taken countless trips!
Who do you think you are?
Go ahead and send a message with a screenshot attached—you’ll see the forum’s response.
Better yet, there’s much better:
Your silence will be the best response because you’re exhausting me. I don’t want
to read you, not at all—I have no desire to read you. You don’t understand anything that’s written.
This forum should be constructive and meant for helping each other or sharing travel experiences—
which isn’t what you’re doing.
Your flight is a combination of two separate tickets, with two different airlines, departing from CDG and returning to ORY.
The price of this combo is indeed the cheapest available, but it hasn’t dropped since the beginning, and it’s only now appearing as the convenient option it wasn’t before.
This means that this combination of tickets has always existed, at an even lower price, by the way. The only difference is that until now, it hadn’t interested you (two different airlines, different departure and return airports...).
308 € for a combination of low-cost tickets like this—one-way departures from CDG and returns to Orly, with no baggage or any options—is very expensive.
Now, with the urgency, it’s caught your interest.
But this isn’t a ticket (or rather, two tickets) whose price has dropped as the departure date approaches.
Anyway, bring us back some photos or a flight report. 🙂
Reading your writing is always a pleasure.
Hi,
I’m thinking of heading to Malaysia soon.
I’ve seen some great prices and direct flights from Paris with Malaysia Airlines.
Is it a reliable airline?
Thanks for your feedback!
Back in February, I booked a flight with Air France-KLM from Lyon to San Diego with a layover in Amsterdam (flights operated by KLM). The flight is scheduled for late August.
My Lyon→Amsterdam flight was canceled by KLM in June, and a replacement flight the evening before was booked for me. So, I’ll end up spending the night at Amsterdam Airport to catch my flight to San Diego the next morning.
Since the cancellation happened more than 14 days before departure, I know I’m not entitled to financial compensation (EU Regulation 261/2004). But am I entitled to reimbursement for a hotel night in Amsterdam?
Hi there,
We had planned a trip to Sicily in August, and due to the volcanic eruption of Mount Etna, my flight was canceled. The airline is refunding the outbound flight, but none of the non-refundable expenses: accommodation booked through Booking, rental car, and the return flight aren’t covered. My SUPER Gold card doesn’t work in this specific case! :( If anyone has been in this situation, could you let me know if you were able to get any recourse and, if so, how?
Thanks in advance
I’ve been traveling regularly for over twenty years,
but this is the first time an airline has treated me as poorly as Air France.
Two trips, two problems. The latest:
Trip from Seoul to Rennes. Last leg from Paris CDG to Rennes with Air France.
I arrive in Paris and go straight to Air France to get my boarding pass to Rennes. They assure me my baggage is continuing to Rennes.
Arriving in Rennes, no baggage—same as five other people.
The Air France office is closed, and the airport staff tell me there’s rarely anyone there.
With the help of the airport staff, I file a claim online, and my baggage is almost immediately located. As a result, I’m told I’ll have it the next day.
Four days later, the baggage is still in the same place at CDG—nothing’s moving.
The problem is Air France has no customer service. What they call customer service is a department that takes an hour to answer and just repeats what’s on the online form. No coordination, no way to get things moving. I guess Air France would rather pay the compensation after 21 days than actually do something.
I’ve had lost baggage on other trips, but this is the first time I’ve seen such indifference and lack of professionalism.
Hi,
Air Cairo offers good prices on domestic flights and schedules that work for us, but is this airline reliable?
Thanks in advance for your feedback.
Hi,
I booked an Etihad ticket on their website for Dusseldorf-Abu Dhabi. In the first name field, I entered all my first names (something I never do and I regret it, but the site was confusing). Everything is spelled correctly, but the problem is that I just received my new passport and only my first two first names and the first letter of the third appear—there’s no trace of the last one.
I called Etihad, and of course, they tried to charge me $100 USD to remove that last first name. But I’m hesitant because usually, I only put my first first name and not the others, and I’ve never had an issue... So I’m wondering if having that extra first name, which isn’t on my passport, could get me denied at check-in.
Thanks for your feedback!
Hi everyone,
Next January, I’m heading to India.
My outbound flight is with Emirates from Paris to Dubai, then another Emirates flight from Dubai to Calcutta.
Could anyone tell me how the connection works? I’ve heard there’s a dedicated Emirates zone, but how does it actually work in practice—I’ve got a 2-hour layover.
Thanks so much!
Take care.
I’d like to fly to Malta from Lyon.
I’ve read a lot of negative reviews about KM MALTA, especially regarding baggage fees at the airport.
Of course, I don’t want to book through third parties (like SkyScanner, Opodo…).
AIR FRANCE offers tickets to MALTA in partnership, if I understood correctly.
On AIR FRANCE, the tickets include everything (checked baggage, cabin bag, small personal item, seat), whereas with KM MALTA, everything is extra and the final price is almost double!
In this case, is AIR FRANCE considered the same as sites like Opodo or others?
Given the price difference, I’m hesitant…
Have any of you booked with AIR FRANCE for this destination? How did it go?
Thanks,
HERVE
Hi everyone, I’ve unfortunately only just noticed that I booked two flight tickets, but I made a mistake on the second first name. Basically, my computer auto-filled and typed my first name twice, so both tickets are in my first name. Only the last names—mine and my friend’s—are correct.
TAP Portugal refuses to make the change because they consider it a change of passenger, even though it’s clearly a typo (plus, my last name isn’t common).
I’m leaving in 5 days, and buying a new ticket would cost 3 times the original price. Has anyone been in this situation before? I’d like to try negotiating at the airport, but it’s a gamble… Thanks in advance for any advice!
Since it came into force, Regulation 261/2004 of the European Parliament and Council, which defines air passenger rights, has faced fierce resistance from airlines, backed by IATA (the association representing almost all passenger airlines).
Beyond the airlines' often abusive—and even frequently bad-faith—resistance to passenger rights, IATA has been lobbying EU institutions for years, with the Council paying close attention for a long time.
As a result, the Council and the Commission have been proposing revisions to Regulation 261/2004 for years that are particularly unfavorable to passengers. The latest attempt nearly eliminated the right to compensation for delays of 3 hours or more upon arrival at the final destination.
However, since this is a regulation of both the European Parliament AND the Council, the two bodies had to agree.
But the European Parliament has always stood firm, consistently responding that passenger rights must be preserved.
After 11 years of struggle, it seems likely that we’re finally nearing the end of the match between the European Commission, the Council (the 27 heads of state or government), and the European Parliament.
Indeed, the Commission and the European Parliament have agreed on a text that will be debated again on Monday, July 6, 2026, with a vote scheduled for July 7, 2026. It’s very likely that this text, which would come into force in a year, will be adopted.
The main changes would be as follows:
- Families with children will no longer be forced to pay to sit together on planes;
- A flight will be considered canceled (not just delayed) if it departs more than one hour late;
- Right to compensation for arrival at the final destination if the delay exceeds 3 hours (no longer "3 hours OR more"). The arrival time will be when the plane, having reached its parking spot, engages its parking brakes (no longer when the aircraft door opens);
- Airlines can no longer refuse boarding or charge extra on the return flight for a passenger who didn’t take the outbound flight;
- If a flight is canceled, the airline must, at the same time as informing passengers of the event, offer the choice between a refund and re-routing, and inform them of their rights to assistance and, if applicable, compensation;
- The airline must, without undue delay, inform passengers of the reason;
- In the case of a connecting flight, if the connection is missed and the delay at the final destination entitles the passenger to compensation, the responsible airline will be liable. This is very different from the current situation, where, under the KLM ruling, any airline operating a segment of the flight is liable for compensation. This promises more disputes that the Court of Justice of the European Union will have to resolve if two separate airlines operating segments of a connecting flight are both responsible for the delay. See this case for an example: https://retardimportantavion.wordpress.com/2026/04/18/swiss-international-air-lines-la-mauvaise-foi/
Moreover, this case demonstrates in advance another potential dispute: It could be argued that it wasn’t a missed connection since the flight was canceled before the first leg even departed.
- Within 96 hours of a flight that could entitle passengers to compensation, the airline must contact them to inform them of their rights and explain the next steps.
- Passengers must claim their right to compensation within 9 months. This is very different from the current situation, as Regulation 261/2004 sets no time limit. Currently, national law applies—in France, the limit is 5 years. The airline must respond within 30 days. If the airline refuses compensation on the grounds of "extraordinary circumstances," it must specify which type of case it refers to from the list in the annex of the new regulation. If the case isn’t on the list, the airline must explain what the event was, why it qualifies as extraordinary circumstances with "clear, substantial, and concise" explanations, and why it’s directly linked to the reason given. It must also declare what "reasonable measures" were taken to mitigate the issue. This is, of course, a huge change in the regulation, with the clear goal of preventing airlines from declaring just anything as "extraordinary circumstances" to avoid compensation.
- If, within 3 hours of a last-minute canceled or delayed flight, the airline hasn’t offered re-routing under comparable transport conditions and as soon as possible—whether on one of its own flights or another airline’s—the passenger will have the right to arrange their own re-routing and demand a refund for the new ticket, up to 400% of the original ticket price. This is a significant improvement that would have likely prevented the case described here: https://retardimportantavion.wordpress.com/2024/01/12/reacheminement-catastrophique-droit-indemnisation-meme-circonstances-extraordinaires-2/
- If a flight is canceled due to "extraordinary circumstances," the airline will only be required to offer up to 3 nights in a hotel. This is a major change, as there’s currently no limit. Expect disputes if the extraordinary circumstances end while the passenger hasn’t been re-routed.
- The price of a flight, as first displayed, must obligatorily include a cabin bag. This doesn’t prevent the airline from offering a price reduction if the passenger waives the cabin bag. This will put an end to abnormal practices, such as (just one example) Condor charging extra for a cabin bag on long-haul flights like Frankfurt (Germany)–Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic)–Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic)–Frankfurt.
- Free correction of a passenger’s name if requested 48 hours before departure. Note: This can’t be used to replace one passenger with another—just to correct a typo, e.g., Dupont instead of Dpont.
- Airlines’ websites and apps must include information on how to file a claim.
It’s clear that, despite a few details, these changes are very positive for upholding passenger rights. It remains to be seen whether this text will be definitively adopted on July 7, 2026, as is very likely, and, more importantly, whether IATA will encourage airlines to loyally respect these new rules or persist in their old habits.
I’m planning a trip to Georgia this summer and I’ve been comparing some airlines. I’m not particularly set on flying with Pegasus (though it’s convenient with direct flights from Lyon to Tbilisi), but right off the bat, Pegasus states this:
As of January 1, 2026, all foreign nationals traveling to Georgia for tourism purposes will be required to present valid travel health insurance. Guests who fail to provide the relevant health insurance will not be accepted on our flights to Georgia.
Sincerely,
Pegasus Airlines
In other words, if you don’t show proof of travel health insurance, you’ll be denied boarding.
Personally, my credit card insurance has always been enough for me, and I’d rather not take out extra coverage...
Have any of you run into this issue before? If not, what do you think? Why is Pegasus asking for this proof? Other airlines don’t mention it at all.
I bought my flight ticket with my first (usual) first name, which appears first on my passport. However, I have two first names on my passport, and of course, it’s mentioned in the machine-readable zone at the bottom.
I booked with Turkish Airlines (through an online agency) for a trip to South Korea.
I wanted to know if it would be a problem that I only used my first first name on the ticket, while my passport has two. I had requested through the agency to add the second first name, but the airline refused because it doesn’t meet their general conditions. (They must have seen that the last name and first name were the same, and only the second first name was added.)
So, my ticket has my last name and first first name correctly spelled, and when I check in online, I’ll enter the passport details correctly.
I’ll have a layover in Istanbul on the flight.
Thanks in advance for your replies.
Have a great day.
Hi there,
I traveled in June 2025 with Nouvelair Destinations to Hammamet.
I had one checked bag and one carry-on sized 40x24x30, which I usually take on low-cost flights, and I didn’t have any issues. But I just read on a website that Nouvel Air only accepts carry-ons of 40x20x15. I’m flying back to Djerba in June—what do you think? Especially since that size is impossible to find??????? Thanks
Hi, it's my first time taking a plane and I chose EasyJet for a Geneva -> Barcelona flight.
I booked my ticket.
I received my booking reference by email, but I don’t see the actual ticket (barcode or QR code?).
Then I checked in to get the boarding pass with the flight details, QR code, etc. But does this boarding pass act as the ticket?
Because I’ve seen several times online that the flight ticket and the boarding pass aren’t the same thing.
We're leaving for Albania on June 18th. When I validated the flight tickets with Wizz Air on Booking, I only put my son's first name but forgot to include his other three first names on the ticket.
On the passport: SURNAME: Dupont, FIRST NAMES: toto titi tutu tata
On the flight ticket: SURNAME: Dupont, FIRST NAME: toto
I can't seem to reach anyone at Wizz Air to get an answer.
Booking and Wizz Air's chat say I need to modify it, but ChatGPT says it should be fine.
I wanted to know if he can fly like this or if I need to change his ticket?
(It costs 140 €, I know I shouldn't have made a mistake🙁)
Basically, all airlines have been blacklisted because they don’t meet European safety standards. They’re banned from flying in Europe but continue operating in Tanzania.
The main issue is that travel agencies’ civil liability no longer applies to blacklisted airlines.
So we can’t allow clients to fly with these carriers.
Of course, there’s huge pressure from European agencies, which are forced to disrupt their plans or even cancel trips because of this.
Personally, I’ve got a trip planned for February 2026 to the southern parks in Tanzania, so I’ll be keeping an eye on how this develops.
Do any of you have updates?
Thanks!
Right now, with the war raging in Iran and affecting all the neighboring countries of the Persian Gulf, many airports are completely closed to all traffic.
Several airlines like Qatar Airways, Emirates, and others have almost completely halted their operations.
Whether in the Middle East or Africa, many travelers are stranded—maybe for a long time... A heartfelt thought for them and the struggles this will cause.
Four months ago, I was in Kenya with a flight booked through Qatar Airways... I can’t even imagine how I’d react if I were stuck there now. ??
Wishing all these travelers courage, patience, and success in making it back home.
Hello, some (potentially) good news for Brazil lovers—GOL airline is launching a route to Europe from Rio, starting in September for Lisbon, then Paris at a later date that hasn’t been announced yet.
They’ll be using their new A330-900 neo.
No prices have been announced so far, but hopefully we’ll find direct flights from GIG at a more interesting fare than AF or Latam…
I’m really surprised because in TUI’s new tour packages, the airlines they’re using are of low quality. Before, they used to prioritize major airlines, but now it’s small airlines from small countries—companies with terrible ratings and borderline safety concerns. I even just noticed this note for a Tanzania trip: "We inform you that the domestic flight segment in Tanzania included in your trip is operated by an airline listed on the European Union’s list of air carriers subject to an operating ban within the European Union. This ban only applies to European Union airspace, meaning this airline is not permitted to take off, land, or fly over European airspace. However, this airline is authorized to operate in Tanzania."
This means they’re using airlines on the blacklist!! It’s pretty worrying for safety. What do you all think?
We’re planning a cruise to the UAE/QATAR/OMAN starting from DUBAI, with flights departing from Paris CDG.
Which airlines would you recommend for round-trip flights, with or without a layover?
We need assistance for check-in and boarding/disembarking (my husband is a mobility-impaired traveler who uses a cane and/or a walker).
We’ve done a cruise return from Dubai to Paris CDG before in 2016, with a layover in Istanbul, but we booked the transfer and return flight with COSTA.
For our current plan, it would be with Celestyal, which doesn’t offer round-trip flights from Paris to Dubai.
Should we book very far in advance, or is a few months before departure enough (4/6 months)?
We’re thinking of arriving the day before the ship departs, so we’d need to stay overnight in Dubai—either on the way there or for the return flight, depending on the flight schedules. Could you recommend a hotel not too far from the airport, and how to get to the port from the airport?
Thanks so much for your advice. Have a great Sunday! Mum49
Hi,
It's all in the title—this means nothing's getting through, so no more oil.
In Europe, kerosene reserves are still good, but by the end of April, flights will have to be reduced.
European airports fear running out of kerosene if the Strait of Hormuz isn’t reopened within three weeks
I’m reaching out to ask for your help with a bit of a problem:
I booked a flight to Berlin from Orly for April 15th—it’s coming up fast. But I just made an annoying discovery: my passport expired two weeks ago.
From what I understand, in principle, I can still travel within the Schengen Zone with an expired passport as long as it’s been less than five years. However, EasyJet’s website explicitly requires a valid ID (and just to add to the fun, my national ID card has been expired for a while now).
So, I’d love to know: how strict are EasyJet’s ID checks? Do they enforce validity rules strictly and refuse boarding if the ID isn’t valid? Or is it more of a luck-of-the-draw situation?
Basically, should I just write off this trip now, or should I still try my luck—maybe with a little tearful plea? Has anyone here had a similar experience? I can’t be the only one, right!
I booked a flight with RyanAir for next month, with the priority+ option and two cabin bags. So I can take a 10 kg bag with dimensions 55x40x20 in the cabin (plus another smaller one).
The problem is that the smallest suitcase I have (which is supposed to be designed specifically for cabin size standards, according to the manual) has the following dimensions: 55x37x21, so it's just 1 cm over (wheels included) on one of the measurements.
I wasn’t too worried at first, but I’ve read dozens of stories about people’s misadventures and the hassles they’ve had with RyanAir.
Since I don’t want my suitcase to end up in the hold (that would waste time picking it up when I’m already arriving late and need to get to the city center), nor do I want to pay an extra fee (apparently 50 €) for the outbound and return flights for just 1 centimeter—especially since I paid for the "priority+" option and I’m not exactly rolling in money—I’d love some advice.
Have any of you been in the same situation? I’ve read that with this airline, they check bags in templates (testing them in different positions) and are completely uncompromising. I tried contacting customer service, who, as luck would have it, "don’t handle this kind of request," and a rep I spoke to wasn’t much help.
I know it’s a low-cost airline, and I don’t expect luxury or even kindness, but come on—just 1 cm on a short flight with the + option... I’m a bit overwhelmed by everything I’ve read...
Just to clarify, since I’m going for 8 days, I can’t just take one bag for my stuff. I’ve done that for shorter trips before, and it was a hassle—I even had to buy an extra bag for the return trip... Luckily, the inspector was nice about it!
Thanks so much!
I’m a newbie when it comes to air travel :) Hope I posted this in the right section!
When I run searches on Skyscanner, I see that only Lufthansa has flights to Seoul with just one stop. Air France doesn’t show up, even though I thought the French airline served Seoul?
I can’t even log into the Air France website—it keeps glitching.
Hi there,
I’d like to return to Uzbekistan next April for 10 days with my husband to visit our son who lives there. We went last July and I bought the flight tickets (direct flight from Paris on Uzbekistan Airways) about 2 months in advance at very reasonable prices. I’ve been checking for late April for a few weeks now, and the tickets are much more expensive and keep rising. I can’t figure out if the prices are going up because it’s still a bit too early to buy and they’ll likely drop if the planes aren’t full, or if it’s because the period is actually in high demand. For reference, last year I bought my son’s ticket on May 30th for a departure on June 3rd—just 3 days later—at a very low price that didn’t budge at all.
Just in case, does anyone know the pricing trends for this airline and can advise me? Should I wait or not?
Thanks, and feel free to ask if you need any tips about the country!
My wife bought a flight ticket (Lucky Air) under her Thai maiden name and was issued a Chinese visa on her new Thai passport but with her French married name (due to administrative requirements). She was denied boarding by the airline in Bangkok for the flight to Kunming—resulting in the loss of our round-trip flight tickets, including mine since we were traveling together—despite presenting both passports at the airline counter at the same time.
Hi there.
I’m planning a trip to Chile, and the fares from the Colombian airline Avianca are really appealing.
Way cheaper than Air France, for example.
That said, the reviews I’ve seen online aren’t great.
What do you think of this airline?
Have any of you taken long-haul flights with Avianca?
Thanks in advance for your replies.
Eric
This might be a silly question, but I’m traveling to Japan from CDG and returning via Osaka with EVA Air, and I have a pretty bulky aluminum knee brace.
It’s this model:
https://enovis-medtech.eu/fr_FR/OA-FullForce-74358.html
Has anyone had any experience with airport security checks or flying with one of these?
I can't seem to find flights between the Cape Verde islands on the airline's website. No matter the date or route, I always get the same response: "no flights on this date."
See the photo.
Would anyone have an explanation? Surely not all flights are fully booked in July?
