The town of Lübeck, not far from Hamburg. Photo by lokenrc.

By Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries—

It has become fashionable for minor airports across Europe to seek prominence through association with major cities that are often many miles away. And airlines that serve these minor airports, largely because of their cheaper landing fees, are happy to join in the game.

Exploring Allgäu from “Munich West”

Canny Cheapos know that Germany’s Frankfurt Hahn airport is nowhere near Frankfurt. Likewise, one discount airline has now decided that the name “Memmingen Allgäu” airport just does not have the necessary appeal, so styles the airport “Munich West”—slightly to the surprise of folk locally who are all too well aware that their regional airport is not near Munich at all.

The cachet of a big city name has become important. So much so that it obscures the fact that the communities which lie on the very doorstep of those airports are interesting destinations in themselves. The name “Munich West” is misleading, and hides the fact that the Allgäu region, so close to the airport, is a stunning area of Germany well worth visiting.

Discovering lesser known gems in Germany, Italy, and beyond

Girona Airport. Photo: Lorentey

But as airlines and airports create their own mysterious cartographic realities, sensible travellers exploit these secondary airports to visit spots that really are well served by them.

If you fly to what Wizz Air or Ryanair euphemistically call “Hamburg-Lübeck” airport, you will land a long way from Hamburg but happily very close to Lübeck. The medieval center of one of northern Germany’s most historic and engaging towns is just an eight minute train ride away from the airport (which has its own rail station).

And the same argument holds for other secondary airports across Europe. If you are bound for Barcelona, don’t be seduced by the publicity that suggests that Barcelona Girona Airport is close to Barcelona. It is not! But Girona, just twenty minutes away on the bus, is really worth a visit in its own right. It boasts a particularly well preserved medieval Jewish quarter.

Few of those who jet into Orio al Serio airport near Bergamo, Italy have any intention of visiting Bergamo, just a ten minute bus ride from the airport. No, the airlines market the airport for its rather remote proximity to Milan. Yet Bergamo is an absolute gem, and for first-time visitors to Italy an infinitely better introduction to the country than Milan.

Exploit the system

So does anyone really fly to Frankfurt-Hahn on purpose? Well, they should. The out-of-the-way airport, utterly inconvenient for Frankfurt, is just ten miles east of the most beautiful stretch of Germany’s Moselle Valley.

For those in the know, the wayward cartographic fictions of Europe’s discount airlines throw up a few unusual travel opportunities.

Susanne and Nicky run a Berlin-based editorial bureau that supplies text and images to media across Europe. Together they edit hidden europe magazine. You can read more of their writing in their regular e-brief and in the Notes section on their website.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Norwegian Air Shuttles from Warsaw to Malaga? Photo by Valter Jacinto

By Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries in Berlin—

The liberalization of air traffic across Europe has created some improbable flight patterns and routes in recent years. As such, it always pays to learn more about major and smaller air carriers and their proposed routes. After all, the flag an airline flies no longer dictates which route it serves. Norwegian Air Shuttle, for example, now offers a year-round service on the Warsaw (Poland) to Málaga (Spain) route.

Here’s a quick look at some improbable routes making “airwaves” in Europe:

Lufthansa from Milan, Italy

The German national carrier, Lufthansa, offers plenty of flights from Milan to Germany. No surprise there. But the German airline has this year also launched non-stop services from Milan’s Malpensa airport to Rome, London, Lisbon, Madrid, Paris, Budapest, and Bucharest.

Why? Alitalia’s financial troubles encouraged non-Italian airlines to enter the Italian market and Lufthansa didn’t waste a moment in establishing its Milan base. With similar intent, the Austrian carrier Air A!ps has been trying its luck on Italian domestic routes, operating a hub out of Perugia airport.

Lufthansa connects Milan to Europe. Photo by caribb

Aer Lingus at London Gatwick

The Irish carrier Aer Lingus, still jealously guarding its independence from avaricious Ryanair, has this year developed a very visible presence at London’s Gatwick Airport. Aer Lingus now offers direct service from Gatwick to a dozen non-Irish destinations including Munich, Vienna, Vilnius, and Bucharest.

Air Berlin in Spain

An unlikely dominant carrier on the Spanish island of Mallorca is not a Spanish airline at all, but Air Berlin, which this winter offers non-stop flights from Palma de Mallorca to more than a dozen other Spanish airports alone, not to mention a galaxy of direct links to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Portugal.

True devotees of utterly improbable flights in Europe can fly with Syrian Arab Airlines from Berlin to Vienna or opt for Kuwait Airways as an unusual carrier for a non-stop flight from Paris to Rome.

Know how to go

Finding out about these unusual air routes is not always easy. Who would have guessed that Air Malta would offer direct flights from Catania airport in Sicily to Geneva, Munich, or London?

The timetables published on airport websites are a good source of information, but for a comprehensive guide to all scheduled air routes the undoubted authority is the subscription-based OAG service. Those reluctant to splash out on an OAG subscription can find some decent listings at the Alternative Airlines website.

About the authors: Susanne Kries and Nicky Gardner are regular contributors to EuroCheapo and together edit hidden europe magazine.

Popularity: 11% [?]

We enjoy spending time researching Europe’s newest discount airlines and perpetuating our love / hate relationship with Ryanair.

However, we often hear from fellow Cheapos “Hey, how do I find cheap flights from the U.S. to Europe?” and thought we’d put together a list of a few of our favorite ways to nab a cheap international ticket. Admittedly, some require more flexibility and planning than others, but we bet that if you test a few of these out you’ll be able to uncover several good deals that meet your budget.

1. First Stop: Meta-search engines

Tired of opening multiple browsers and tabs to search the same route on individual airline sites? Then try out some of the new breed of travel search engines that consolidate prices from many suppliers all within a single search. Some have more filtering functionality and personal preferences than others, but a few of our favorites that we recommend trying out include Kayak.com, Mobissimo.com, Farecast.com, and FareChase.com.

UPDATE - We were contacted by a representative from cFares.com, inviting us to test their meta-search engine against the others we mentioned. While we aren’t as familiar with cFares, the initial flight results we’ve seen for international roundtrips are competitive and are another worthwhile option to consider.

2. Don’t forget about points!

While we love the technical sophistication of the meta-search engines, sometimes the best place to look for decent international airfares is right in your back pocket. Most major credit card companies offer point-based loyalty programs that can be redeemed for discounted airfare, upgrades, and other travel perks. Granted, these programs are notoriously complex and can try the patience of even the calmest Cheapo, but hang in there - it’s worth it! And while you’re at it, do some investigation on the best airfare reward programs out there by using FlyerTalk’s “Miles & Points” forum or listening to the Upgrd frequent flyer podcast.

3. Feeling flexible?

Another helpful way to monitor fire-sale deals from your local airport is to sign up for email alerts on travel sites that actively monitor recently released deals. There are a wide range of alerts that you can sign up for — Cheapo Tip: don’t sign up for too many or you’ll drive yourself nuts — and this is a fine option for the frequent traveler who is always on the hunt for a good bargain. A few of our recommended sites include Airfarewatchdog, which provides discount codes for reduced rates, TravelZoo, and SmarterTravel.

4. Why not connect?

Sure, having a connection on an international flight isn’t ideal. But it sure can save a lot of money! By showing just a little flexibility and allowing a single connection (and don’t get us started on two!), you can shave off big bucks from your price. And after all, what’s wrong with spending a little quality time at the Leif Ericson air terminal?

5. Name your price

Who doesn’t like to gamble a bit? On sites like Priceline.com, travelers can set their own bid price for airfare tickets and see if it is “accepted” by any of Priceline’s partners. The catch? You must first enter your credit card information and if your bid is accepted you automatically buy the ticket. Also, the airlines will choose your flight times, not you. Thus, there’s a chance your trip could start at 5am or go as late as 2am the next day. But then again, just like gambling, sometimes the big bets pay off.

Other tips?

What other tips do you use to find cheap flights to Europe? Tell us (and your fellow Cheapos) by adding your suggestions in the comments below - the more the merrier!

Popularity: 16% [?]

Ryanair, the wacky budget airline that offers intra-European flights at rock-bottom prices, today began offering inflight phone calls, text messaging, and Blackberry use. The service, dubbed “OnAir,” comes at a hefty price.

“OnAir” will first be offered on 20 of its airplanes, although Ryanair expects to roll it out to all 170 aircraft within the next 18 months. Interestingly, only six passengers will be able to call at once. (We haven’t been able to determine how many will be able to use their Blackberry’s.)

The cost?

Calls will run between €2.00 and €3.00 per minute, text messages €0.50, and email “sessions” are priced between €1.00 and €1.50. Hardly cheapo territory.

What do you think?

Do you think this truly is a step forward in aviation history? Is it really any different from the in-flight phone service that was largely ignored for years (remember those phones tucked above your tray?).

If this does catch on, are we headed toward a future of cellphone shouters, screaming ever louder to get through over the hum of the engines? Or does this really represented a step forward for business travelers, and those who just want to chat from 30,000 feet?

Would you use this service? Tell us what you think below.

Read more about the phone service on Ryanair.com.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Photo by temp13rec.

Parents! Don’t forget to take Mieze Katze, Bello der Hund, and Petzi Bär along, because the kids are flying too.

Austrian Airlines is adding another Aktion to its summer repetoire by offering free flights to all children under the age of 11. Mothers and fathers who want to bring their tots along can book through the end of June to take advantage of the Kids for Free program. The promotional fare is valid from June 30 until August 31 to destinations across the European Union, Russia, and Ukraine.

Flights can be booked online. Taxes and fees are included and booked flights count toward frequent flyer program credit.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Ryanair announced today that they’ll fly three new routes from Stockholm’s secondary Skavsta airport: Skavsta-Marseille (as of May 7), Skavsta-Venice (as of May 23), and Skavsta-Alghero (as of May 24.)

In line with their expansion/contraction move last week, the airline will eliminate three current routes in and out of Skavsta as well: Skavsta-Brussels (ending May 22), Skavsta-Gdansk (also ending May 22), and Skavsta-Kaunas (ending May 23).

Though the last of these cancellations doesn’t really surprise us—we flew between Skavsta and Kaunas in January on half-empty flights, both ways—we’re missing those rapacious Ryanair route expansion announcements.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Ryanair announced today that as of May 7, they’ll fly four new routes: Frankfurt Hahn-Faro, Frankfurt Hahn-Fez, Frankfurt Hahn-Marrakech, and Marseille-Bournemouth.

The shuffle isn’t all about expansion, however. May 7 will also see the end of 11 Ryanair routes, including Barcelona-Faro, Liverpool-Tampere, Marseille-Rome, and Frankfurt Hahn-Krakow.

Meanwhile, there’s a buzz and a half in the LCC blogosphere surrounding Michael O’Leary’s announcement that Ryanair expects to fly between the several secondary airports in the US and its European bases by the turn of the decade for as little as $12 for a one-way flight.

Popularity: 3% [?]

We opened up our stuffed email inbox this morning to read emails from low-cost carriers Monarch and Volare touting cheap new fares. In Monarch’s case, the airline boasts £38.99 one-way journeys. Volare brags about its offer of 10,000 €52 fares from Milan Linate to Paris and six destinations in Italy.

We used Monarch’s “Bargain Hunter” search engine to locate the airline’s cheapest fares. The very cheapest fare we found, after tooling around with a variety of depature airports, was £43.26 once taxes had been taken into account. We should note, however, that few flights showed up at this fare.

Our price check of the fares championed by Volare turned up no evidence of €52 fares. The closest we got was a €67.87 flight from Linate to Bari. We wonder if the airline’s 10,000 seats have already sold out.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Malaysia Airlines continues to tout its New York City-Stockholm route, which takes off three days a week and then continues onto Kuala Lumpur.

Through Spring 2007, round-trip fare on this direct flight is only US $199. Sure, taxes add on at least another $180 and the offer doesn’t extend into Sweden’s sunny summer season…

But $390 is an unparalleled deal for an eight-hour, transatlantic flight, and we think Stockholm is fantastisk most any time of year.

Tickets must be purchased by March 9th, 2007.

Popularity: 11% [?]

photograph courtesy of acampm1

UK low-cost carrier Jet2 today announced the launch of what they’re calling their “Stress Less” check-in system.

This new set-up will allow passengers to pre-select seats on all flights. The check-in option is only free on 11 routes, however, including flights between Leeds and Amsterdam, Düsseldorf, and Paris; flights between Manchester and Amsterdam and Paris; and Newcastle-Amsterdam flights. On other routes, seat reservations will cost from €4 (for standard seats) to between €15 and €23 for seats with extra legroom.

Additionally, passengers traveling between UK airports and Amsterdam will be able to check-in online from 28 days to five hours before departure.

Advance seat selection is an especially nice perk for families and groups traveling together. Along with Jet2’s new handheld device, it’s another way that Jet2 is setting itself apart from the low-cost pack. 

But a whopping €23 for a seat with extra legroom to Tenerife? That’s how low fare flights turn into average fare flights, buddy.

Popularity: 3% [?]