Cheaper flights, pricier extras: What Czech travelers are paying more for

Flying from Czechia has not become significantly more expensive overall this year—but the price of a ticket tells only part of the story.

Travelers booking through Kiwi.com paid an average of 2.1 percent less for flights than last year. Those who purchased extras such as baggage or seat selection, however, paid 8.4 percent more for those services, according to the company.

Other industry figures show fuel surcharges rising despite broadly stable airfares, while individual destinations have experienced much larger price swings.

Kiwi.com’s figures show short-haul fares falling 2.6 percent and medium-haul fares declining 1.1 percent. Long-haul flights moved in the opposite direction, increasing 1.8 percent.

The differences were more pronounced by destination.

Flights to the United States cost 11.2 percent more than last year, while fares to Spain rose 5.9 percent. Thailand-bound tickets were 12.4 percent cheaper.

The figures reflect bookings through the seller rather than a uniform price change across every airline or route.

Jiří Spolek of travel website Zaleťsi.cz said demand, available capacity and competition remained the main drivers of ticket prices. Higher airline costs do not automatically translate into higher fares, he added.

Competition between carriers has helped limit increases, even as fuel has become substantially more expensive.

For passengers, the combination means a lower headline fare may be partly offset by higher charges for optional services.

The average fuel surcharge between March and September increased 5 percent year on year, from CZK 4,019 to CZK 4,220, according to Student Agency data cited by the Association of Czech Travel Agents.

Surcharges rose most sharply in May before declining, association executive director Kateřina Chaloupková said. Their size varies between airlines.

Smartwings increased its surcharge by several hundred crowns in March, depending on flight length, according to Spolek. Ryanair, by contrast, said in September that it did not plan to introduce a separate fuel surcharge.

Those differing approaches mean the average surcharge is not an additional fee that every passenger will encounter.

The Middle East conflict is also influencing holiday choices, Chaloupková said. Travel agencies have added packages with direct flights to Cambodia, Hanoi and China’s Hainan island, while Cuba is absent from this year’s offer because of its economic crisis.

For Christmas and New Year holidays, Egypt remains the most popular choice among Czech customers. Thailand, Zanzibar and the Dominican Republic lead among long-haul holiday destinations.

The stable overall fare picture comes despite European aviation fuel prices more than doubling between early this year and Oct. 9, according to Eurocontrol figures cited by the association.