Fly through Europe for just five euros or even less? That can not be real. Yes, there is, because low-cost airlines sometimes engage in extremely absurd price battles that are quite questionable from an ecological point of view. But that shouldn't prevent passengers who have to or don't want to travel from getting a bargain.

First things first: It is highly recommended that you buy flight tickets directly from the airline or through a travel agent (online or offline) with a good reputation. This can save a lot of trouble if something goes wrong.

Why should it be better to book directly or through a good agency?

There are thousands of “booking portals” on the Internet, which advertise particularly low prices in search engines, which can be well below the current daily price of the airline. At first glance it looks like a bargain, but black sheep of this guild have very sensitive cost traps in store. These include, for example:

•  The supposed cheap price only applies if you pay with a certain means of payment, which is usually extremely unpopular. Otherwise the ticket is significantly more expensive.
•  In the last booking step, horrific service fees are often hyped that were illegally not reported in the first step. If you are not careful, you will have paid way too much quickly.
• Significantly higher prices are charged for airline services. This includes, for example, taking luggage, seat reservations and other additional services. The surcharge for the “black sheep” is 100 percent and more. There is also no shrinking from services that are offered by the airline free of charge being used again to cash in.
• Be careful if the booking portal offers you service packages or flexi packages. These relate exclusively to services on the website and have no effect on the airline's change, cancellation or refund policy. These expensive packages from the booking portals are often useless in practice.
• Remember that many supposedly cheap booking portals have websites in German, but are often located abroad, even in the Far East or the USA. If you are entitled to reimbursement, you have to deal with the provider and not the airline and you run the acute risk that both of them will play the "buck" to each other.
• Some booking portals provide you with a kind of "fake PNR". As a result, you cannot query the status of your booking directly from the airline, but only from the booking portal. You first have to laboriously find out your PNR, for example to carry out the web check-in. It does not seem surprising that precisely such providers then offer a paid check-in service. This also makes it more difficult for you to rebook, because the provider can again charge surcharges for this in addition to the airline's fees.
• When booking online, a typo can happen. Almost all airlines, even the "fee emperors" Ryanair, Wizzair and Vueling make minimal corrections free of charge. All it takes is a phone call or a chat message. Not so black sheep of the booking portals guild: 30 euros per sign are not uncommon.

Booking directly with the airline or through a good travel agency offers you the advantage that you do not have to pay any non-transparent surcharges and that you only have one contact person in the worst case. You don't have to buy your ticket over the Internet, as many airlines also have telephone sales and counters or city offices. Please note that a surcharge may be levied through these sales channels. Since most airlines have not paid commissions to travel agencies for a long time, they charge a service fee, because they also have to pay rents and wages for something. Just ask how high or low the fee is and compare the prices if you prefer to buy tickets from a travel agency.

It never hurts to compare the prices of the airline and those of the travel agencies. The classic travel agency around the corner could have a bargain from an operator contingent that is not even available on the airline's website.

Tip: You can find an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of the various payment options under this link.

What's the best way to search for cheap tickets on the internet?

There is no real “miracle recipe”. Use the price search engines on the airlines' websites as well as independent price comparisons. But be careful that you don't end up on a ripped off booking site and be suspicious if its price is significantly lower than the one on the airline site. Before you start your search, delete the cookies in your browser and use different browsers. Take a look at your smartphone or tablet PC and the apps. You will be amazed, sometimes the prices vary a lot.

You don't have to book return flights with the same airline. Get the cheapest outbound flight from provider A and the cheapest return flight from provider B. This can sometimes save you a lot of money.

Pay attention to campaigns that are often advertised on the homepages, in newsletters and on social media platforms. Sometimes coupon codes are included that can save you money.

Is there an optimal booking time?

The principle that those who book early pays the least has changed in recent years due to strong competition. Low-cost airlines in particular sometimes throw cheap tickets on the market shortly or a few weeks before your desired departure date and sell more expensive in the long term. However, you are not spared having to watch the prices and then book when the purchase price is right for you. The market is so opaque and unpredictable that there is simply no “optimal booking time” anymore.

Why do I have to pay extra for a suitcase?

In the meantime, included checked baggage is the absolute exception in the cheapest tariff classes. The airlines have recognized this service as a source of income and are charging for it. When booking, please consider whether you want to have a suitcase with you and remember that most providers charge per item (e.g. 1 case, maximum 23 kilograms) and not according to the old weight concept (e.g. 20 kilograms, no matter how many suitcases). When booking or afterwards via the airline's website, it is cheapest to register baggage for a fee. Bad cost traps lurk right at the airport, because instead of, for example, 20 euros, 150 euros and more can easily be charged.

What about hand luggage? Can I always have a trolley with me?

No. This rule definitely no longer applies. Before buying a ticket, read exactly how many pieces of hand luggage you can take with you and how large they can be. Airlines such as Wizzair, Condor, Ryanair and Utair only allow a small bag in the cheapest tariffs and charge a surcharge for the cabin trolley. You should then buy the “priority package with two pieces of hand luggage” online, otherwise it can get really expensive right at the gate when boarding. Other providers, such as Eurowings and Lufthansa, allow you to take a trolley case with you in the IATA standard format. Frequent flyers with the appropriate status and business class travelers are allowed to take more with them. But: There, too, you run the risk of being asked to make an additional payment at the gate if you have more than the allowed hand luggage.

Therefore: Find out exactly what you are allowed to take with you on the airlines' websites and book the required package online if necessary. Otherwise you run the acute risk of falling into a nasty cost trap.

Aviation.Direct has an overview of the various regulations for cabin luggage here provided.

Do I have to reserve seats?

No. You will then automatically be assigned a seat. With some airlines you can choose your preferred seat yourself during web check-in and do not have to pay any extra charge. Some low-cost airlines are very bold and deliberately separate passengers who travel together and then offer to sit together at the web check-in for an additional charge. If you want to save money, you shouldn't care where you sit. If sitting together is very important to you, you can reserve the seats you want for a fee using the web check-in.

What is actually included in the tariffs?

The cheapest tickets usually only include the flight. For everything else you have to pay extra according to the modular principle. So think carefully about what you need and want, because otherwise it can get really expensive at the airport. Sometimes a more expensive tariff class that includes luggage, for example, can be cheaper for you. Drinks and snacks on board are included with some airlines, with others you have to pay for them.

If i don't fly, will i get my money back?

There is no general answer to that with yes or no. The cheaper your ticket, the more likely it is that it will be non-refundable. When booking, pay close attention to whether you are buying a flexible or a non-refundable ticket. In any case, you are entitled to a refund of taxes and fees if you do not fly. To do this under this link a detailed explanation.

Where are the biggest cost traps lurking?

Here is a small example that happens frequently every day. Passenger X does not fly very often and only flies somewhere every few years. He bought a ticket from a low-cost airline and didn't bother with the terms at all. At the airport, X goes to the counter and wants to check in and hand over his suitcase. There he is confronted with the fact that he should have checked in via the Internet and is now due 60 euros. Since X has not booked a suitcase either, another 150 euros have to be put on the table. Under the mistaken assumption that you are allowed to have a laptop bag and a cabin trolley with you, the infrequent flyer goes to the gate and has to pay another 50 euros there because the priority package has not been booked. A 9,99 euro bargain turned into a very expensive pleasure.

Check-in is chargeable with airlines such as Air Baltic, Eurowings, Ryanair, Lauda, ​​Malta Air, Buzz, Wizzair and many other providers in many tariffs. You can therefore print out your boarding pass free of charge at home or download it to your smartphone. How to turn off the "rip-off trap".

If you want to check in suitcases, book them online. Airlines such as Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, KLM and so on also charge the cheapest tariffs for checking in luggage, and that can be really expensive right at the airport. Think beforehand whether you want to check in one or more suitcases and book the required number of items online. This will turn off a "cost trap".

Find out on the airline's website how many pieces of hand luggage you can take with you, how big and how heavy they can be. The differences are enormous. Adhere to the regulations or book a priority package if necessary, which could allow you a second piece of hand luggage. How to turn off the next cost trap.

Tip: The airlines do not care whether you had the opportunity to print out your boarding pass at your holiday destination or not. Simply ask the hotel reception for the printout or if that is not possible you can go to an internet cafe. In most cases, however, the boarding pass on the smartphone is also accepted. If this is not the case, the airlines will point this out clearly. In rare cases, you will receive an error message that web check-in is not available on this flight. To be on the safe side, take a screenshot and go to the ticket counter in the classic way.

Does the travel insurance offered make sense to me?

Not in every case, because sometimes you are sold annual packages that are automatically renewed if you do not cancel in good time. Travel insurance can make a lot of sense, especially when you leave the EU. However, you should compare the prices and services carefully, because there is no point in taking out some kind of insurance that will not do you anything if the worst comes to the worst. More tips on the subject of travel insurance under this link.

So how do you find the bargain tickets now?

As mentioned earlier, there is no such thing as a miracle recipe. Use independent price comparisons and make sure that you don't get caught up in rip-off sites. Many airlines, especially low-cost airlines such as Ryanair, Wizzair, Vueling, Easyjet and Eurowings, have search functions on their websites. You can use this to display the cheapest tickets in calendars. Also pay attention to promotions, voucher codes and other promotions from the airlines. Observe the development of the prices, because they often change several times a day, even every hour. Sometimes you get a cheaper price on a PC than on a mobile phone or tablet. It can also be the other way around, there is no general rule. Be sure to compare the prices of different airlines and booking channels. You can also book outward and return flights separately. Sometimes the local travel agency can also provide you with bargains from operator contingents.