Return flights: how much tickets cost and how to handle planes

How much are the tickets?

The first passenger jet will take off on May 13. The Lufthansa Airbus A320 family will fly to Frankfurt, Germany.

In Frankfurt So far, in May, there will be three flights a week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Lufthansa calls these flights a continuation of the repatriation program and promises to report the schedule of subsequent flights later.

“Of course, after the news of the resumption of flights, there was a lot of interest and real demand.” 15min Lufthansa spokesman for Europe and the Middle East Boris Ogursky said. “We already knew from a large number of inquiries that passengers had to be repatriated in both directions.”

Tickets for the first flights to Germany have not yet been canceled. And now you can buy tickets for all flights in the coming weeks, even if prices are rising. Tickets have been announced to cost from € 47, but you can buy one-way tickets for this price only if you fly back and forth. The entire trip would cost at least 125 euros.

The cheapest option, without checked luggage, without meals and without a location option, flying one way to Frankfurt in May costs 148 euros.

“We do not have special prices due to the crisis caused by the coronavirus,” said a company spokesperson when asked about the price changes. “The price structure is the same, we offer attractive prices.”

AirBaltic will also start flights the same day, May 13. Latvian Airlines Airbus A220-300 will fly daily from Vilnius to Vilnius Riga. An additional night flight is planned in mid-June and two more daily flights in July. In late August, the company intends to fly from Vilnius to Riga five times a day.

The most expensive tickets are for the first flights. For a 50 minute trip, you would have to pay at least 126 euros. However, for flights on other days, tickets gradually become cheaper up to 54 euros.

“As before, air fares are determined by three factors: cost, competition, and demand. 15min explained the press service airBaltic. “We hope that the prices of the flights will remain more or less normal.”

Representatives of the Latvian airline acknowledged that so far the demand for tickets is very low for all flights, as there is still uncertainty about travel restrictions. The situation is expected to change as more planes take off. “Now that there is a large selection of tickets, there is a good opportunity for passengers to buy them at the best prices,” said airBaltic. The company emphasized that for everyone before May 31. it will be possible to change the date of purchase of tickets without charge.

Will Germany and Latvia admit?

Just because you are allowed to leave Lithuania does not mean that another country allows you to enter.

At the moment, Germany allows its own citizens to enter the country and those who live here or can provide a good reason to travel, i.e. not tourists. Additionally, the country has a 14-day quarantine requirement for arrivals.

Europe is already considering lifting 14 days of mandatory quarantine for some travelers. France, for example, promises that arrivals from the European Union, the Schengen area or the United Kingdom will not be quarantined.

Lithuania and Latvia and Estonia have agreed to that since May 15. The free movement of people between countries will be allowed. Travelers between these countries will no longer have to comply with the mandatory 14-day isolation. Read more about opening walls here: Open borders: we will be able to travel freely to Latvia and Estonia, to Poland, only a few.

You will have to cover your face on the plane

The Ministry of Health (SAM) has issued guidelines and commitments on the organization of the flight. AirBaltic and Lufthansa promise to honor the commitments, but only partially.

Definitely a power rule for facial masking. Both airlines announce that masks or other face protection will be required throughout the flight.

Lufthansa announces that they can be special reusable masks, disposable respirators and masks or just a scarf. It is important to cover both the mouth and the nose. Passengers must take care of the masks themselves.

Meanwhile, airBaltic promises to put a face mask and disinfectant wipe on all passengers.

Crew members will also cover their faces.

Will chairs be left empty?

However, airlines are still reluctant to take calls to ensure physical distance between passengers during a flight. SAM recommends that passengers sit in the aircraft cabin on a checkerboard basis, that is, leaving empty seats between people. Airlines say they will only do so if there are unsold tickets.

Lufthansa commented 15min He argued that introducing a rule for passengers to cover their faces would eliminate the need to leave empty seats. “Mouth-to-nose coverage provides adequate health protection,” Ogursky explained.

However, efforts will be made to seat passengers on the plane as far apart as possible; intermediate seats will only be assigned to passengers when all other seats are occupied. In other words, the physical distance between passengers will ultimately be determined by the number of tickets sold by the airline. There are no plans not to sell part of the tickets specifically.

Lufthansa says introducing a rule that requires passengers to cover their faces eliminates the need to leave empty seats.

AirBaltic’s approach is the same. The effectiveness of such recommendations that the company commented 15min He calls it limited, but “he will do everything in his power to make passengers feel safe during the flight.” “The company’s management decided to keep the center seat empty only if there are enough empty seats on the plane,” the airline said.

Alexandra de Juniac, Executive Director of IATA, has also spoken out against the principle of chess, either leaving the seat half empty on board an airplane or leaving the seat half empty, saying that the implementation of the physical distance on board the Plane would mark the end of the era of “cheap travel”. Ryanair has announced that it will not fly at all under these conditions.. However, they themselves do not offer an alternative to ensure a safe distance between passengers on board the aircraft.

Part of the service on board the aircraft is refused.

Lufthansa will also change the service on board the plane to reduce the need for contact between crew members and passengers. How 15min Called B.Ogursky, passengers will no longer receive pillows, blankets, and hand towels on planes.

Sales of salons, beverages and water bottles will no longer be suspended, and à la carte meals will not be suspended.

What procedures will be available at airports?

The temperature of each passenger will be measured at the entrance to the airport. The SAM also required that passengers be evaluated for the appearance of acute upper respiratory symptoms (fever, runny nose, cough, shortness of breath). If such symptoms are observed, the passenger will not be able to fly.

Passengers over 6 years of age must wear masks or face masks during their stay at the airport and maintain a safe distance of at least 2 meters in the waiting rooms. This obligation does not apply to family members.

Airlines recommend registering online when possible. If this is not possible, a safe distance of at least 2 meters must be maintained between passengers and the person checking in at the check-in counters for check-in.

When boarding an airplane, a distance of at least 1 meter must be maintained between passengers. The exception applies to family members.

Getting off the planes will also take time. For example, at the Frankfurt airport, there are already new procedures, passengers will be unloaded from the plane only 15 minutes after the stop, and in groups.

Which airlines will still start to fly?

So far, Lufthansa does not plan flights from Vilnius in other directions, but B. Ogursky added that the changes are now taking place in a short time.

AirBaltic promises to restore previously connected connections between Vilnius and European cities as soon as possible. In June and July, the airlines plan to fly from Vilnius to Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, Paris and Tallinn again. Flights between Palanga and Riga are also planned to resume in June.

Previously, airBaltic announced that decided to postpone all new planned routes from Vilnius this season – Hamburg (Germany), Zurich (Switzerland), Gothenburg (Sweden), Dubrovnik and Rijeka (Croatia).

AirBaltic plans to fly from Vilnius to Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, Paris and Tallinn again in June and July. Flights between Palanga and Riga are also planned to resume in June.

More airlines are forecast to resume flights at the country’s airports in the second half of May, but a final decision is expected from the airlines themselves.

Lithuanian airports, which manage the country’s three airports, told BNS last week that Wizz Air, Belavia, LOT, Brussels Airlines, Ukraine International and SAS also plan to resume flights from mid-May. Follow the news on the pages of the airlines and Vilnius airport.