While it is still free of charge for Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines passengers in the pilot phase, you will be asked to pay for private use and possibly also after the end of the test phase of the two airlines. The corona rapid test is said to cost a proud 79 euros in Hamburg and Munich.

Since the actual costs for carrying out an antigen test according to various laboratories are ten to 15 euros, it is an extremely steep price. For comparison: Centogene told Airliners.de that PCR tests cost 59 euros at the two airports. The result should be communicated within 12-24 hours. If you want the PCR result within six hours, you have to put 139 euros on the table. The laboratory at Vienna Airport charges 120 euros. This price is criticized again and again because it is considerably cheaper at other airports. For example, around 50 euros are due in Kiev-Schuljany and only around 30 euros in Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion.

The fact that in Munich and Hamburg for the antigen rapid tests advertised as “fast, cheap and reliable” by the airline industry at 79 euros is to be fetched deep into the pocket, causes quite a lack of understanding. At present, passengers from Austrian Airlines on the Vienna-Hamburg-Vienna route and from Lufthansa on Munich-Hamburg-Munich can still use them free of charge. However, since November 12, 2020, participation is no longer voluntary, but compulsory. From a legal point of view, this is questionable in the opinion of a lawyer consulted, as the antigen tests used have not yet been approved.

It therefore remains to be seen whether Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines will pass the horrific costs of 79 euros per antigen test on to passengers in the future, because those who cannot be tested and, alternatively, no negative PCR results that must not be older than 48 hours , should no longer be allowed to fly in the future. With this sum per one-way flight, the carriers would more likely lose passengers.