Sofie Karlstad runs towards Widerøe

For many, Christmas means good food and relaxing family moments, but for some, it can also be a holiday with high expenses and stress.

And there are likely more people attending this year’s holiday celebrations on a tighter budget than before, which can make traveling home for Christmas more difficult.

Furthermore, there are many people who have moved from their place of origin, and therefore have to resort to flying to get home. Influencer Sofie Karlstad (25) is one of them.

But it’s not just about going home. Widerøe airline has a monopoly on many of the routes.

– They’ve lost respect

This infuriates Karlstad. You react strongly to the prices operating on the northbound routes.

– I think the prices are completely reprehensible, that it is possible to price a one-way ticket at NOK 7,000 to me is incomprehensible. It’s cheaper to fly there and back to the other side of the globe, she tells Dagbladet.

“We constantly hear about people who are struggling these days, and I don’t think an airline like Widerøe has crossed my mind either,” he continues.

See Widerøe’s response to criticism below in the case!

It was on his Instagram that Karlstad first addressed the criticism of the airline. There she shared, among other things, a screenshot from Widerøe’s website, to show the high prices.

The price in the photo above applies to one road, Oslo-Mehamn, in Finnmark. This must be paid up to 7303 NOK for a ticket.

The 25-year-old believes prices can have important consequences.

– Ordinary people, with five or six days off and on a regular salary, now can’t afford to fly home to visit their loved ones at Christmas. I don’t know if those sitting at Widerøe have heard of the principle: Christmas is about giving, not taking. If not, it’s really about time someone told him, enrages Karlstad.

Dagbladet did a quick search on Widerøe’s website to check prices in various destinations.

Fighting the flu after a luxurious stay

The search for the ticket was carried out at 13:30 on 20 December and is valid for departure on 22 December and return on 1 January.

The search yielded the following results:

• If you plan to fly round-trip Oslo-Alta is the cheapest option for a total of 6188 NOK.
• If you plan to fly Oslo-Honningsvåg round-trip, the cheapest option is a total of 9,361 NOK.
• If you plan to fly Oslo-Mosjøen round-trip, the cheapest option is a total of 6,122 NOK.
• If you plan to fly round-trip Oslo-Alta is the cheapest option for a total of 9,363 NOK.

Dagbladet has been in contact with Widerøe. Communications manager Catharina Solli says she is aware of Karlstad’s criticisms.

– You’re absolutely right that plane tickets cost more when Christmas approaches. Even if you book a ticket close to departure, says Solli, and adds:

– Like everything else, the prices of air tickets are controlled according to the principle of a market economy, where there are many free tickets long before departure, and therefore cheaper tickets.

Don’t celebrate Christmas together

Furthermore, the communications manager explains that on such routes it is necessary to purchase a combined ticket, in which you fly with two different airlines, to get from Oslo to your final destination.

So, for example, you first fly with SAS or Norwegian to, most likely, Tromsø, and then from there with Widerøe to (in this case) Mehamn. This is one reason why prices can be high.

– A plane ticket is basically offered in different ticket categories. If one of the two sections is only available in a more expensive ticket category, the other ticket will also only be offered in the same category or in a more expensive category, explains Solli.

Journeys to a number of destinations in Northern Norway fall under the so-called tender network, meaning that there is a route in Norway where the Ministry of Transport believes it is not possible to operate commercially profitably. It is also one of the reasons why only one airline operates.

Establishes a complaints record

– But do you still understand that people may perceive prices as unreasonably high?

– We fully understand that there is a reaction to the increase in the price of airline tickets. Everything has become more expensive. We still hope that most people have had and have the opportunity to go home for Christmas.

– So your New Year’s resolution this year must be to order tickets for next year’s Christmas holidays well before December so you have a new holiday to look forward to when the economy is a little tighter .