Passengers looking for flight tickets on Germany-Austria traffic for May 2021 may find that Austrian Airlines and group-affiliated providers may have increased their prices, in some cases sharply. The demand is quite low due to the quarantine regulations that exist on both sides.
Since the introduction of paid catering, Austrian Airlines has been the subject of criticism in specialist circles, because the company has been accused of offering a “low-cost product at a pharmacist's price”, among other things. Furthermore, insiders are of the opinion that the AUA would provide the competitors Ryanair and Wizz Air in particular with a real stepping stone, since the products - apart from different dimensions for hand luggage - are congruent. The main difference would be in the price, because this should tend to be higher at the Lufthansa subsidiary.
In relation to Aviation Direct, Austrian Airlines faced the criticism summarized in the previous paragraph. A spokesman responded to the question of whether there had actually been price increases in Austria-Germany traffic: “Our prices are basically based on supply and demand. It could be that the cheaper booking classes are already full and only higher class classes are available on the flight you have found. We always price so that at least costs such as landing fees per passenger are covered. We consider ticket prices of 10 euros, for which this is not the case, to be irresponsible for environmental and economic reasons ”.
The differences between the products of the low-cost competition (Ryanair and Wizz Air) and Austrian Airlines should lie in the details, according to the media officer: “In addition, there are other points: With the Austrian Melangerie, for example, we offer high-quality, freshly prepared dishes from Thu & Co. Our cabin and cockpit staff undergo rigorous training, with the main focus in addition to good service, of course, on the greatest possible safety for all people on board. In addition, there are no fees for check-in or for printing boarding passes at the airport ”.