This summer, Norwegians have once again packed their bags and boarded the plane to further south.
Although many have had a long-awaited trip to sun and warmth, many also had their holiday plans spoiled because of the SAS strike.
Now, recent figures from the Norwegian Airfare Index show that there is money to be saved, if you want to make up for a missed trip or if the summer added more flavor.
– Airline tickets to major European cities are back to normal levels in August, and that is startling when you take the rising fuel prices and inflation into account.
That’s what CEO Ole Stouby says at Travelmarket.no. Every month they publish the index showing the development of flight prices to ten selected European and overseas destinations.
– PRICE DECREASE: Ole Stouby in Travelmarket.no points to several reasons why prices will drop in August. Photo: Hellesandersen.dk / Travelnet.no
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Not unusual
In August, the prices for flights from Oslo Airport to Europe are at the same level as before the pandemic, according to the review by Travelmarket.no.
– There are many planes in the air, and the competition between the airlines is very fierce outside the absolute peak season, when demand is not so great. It pushes the prices of plane tickets down, says Stouby.
The flight price index shows that the price drops by NOK 681 from Oslo to Rome from week 30 to 34. While a trip to Barcelona from Oslo is as much as NOK 1,452 cheaper.
Selected prices in week 34
The following destinations are among the cheap flight tickets from Oslo in week 34 are the following (all direct, return, including taxes and fees):
Vienna kr 104
London DKK 313
Berlin kr 446
Copenhagen DKK 744
Barcelona DKK 1083
Travelmarket.no draws attention to the fact that the mentioned flight prices are an expression of the cheapest available seats at the time of the search.
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Despite a sharp drop in prices, it does not come as a surprise to flight analyst Hans Jørgen Elnæs in Winair.
– It is not unusual for you to see prices drop from mid-August. Looking towards the autumn holidays, prices rise again.
– When there are fewer people travelling, they stimulate demand with nicer prices, says Elnæs.
– Could be a tough winter
The price review by Travelnet.no also shows that the prices in week 34 are eight percent lower than the average price in 2019 – i.e. before the pandemic.
At the same time, fuel prices have exploded.
– Throughout the pandemic, the companies have cut their costs, and cut where they can. It compensates a little for this fuel increase that is coming, says Elnæs.
– TICKET PRICES: Hans Jørgen Elnæs says there is one thing that will be exciting to watch in the winter. Photo: Jonas Been Henriksen / TV 2
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Even if ticket prices are going down in the future, in line with the trend from previous years, he points to something that will be exciting to watch over the autumn and winter.
– This summer, the wallet has been open for the vast majority of people after two years of pandemic, airport chaos and strikes. People have enjoyed themselves, but it is a bit uncertain how it will be over the winter.
He refers to the pending increase in interest rates and the rise in prices. How this affects the demand for travel and flight prices is difficult to predict.
– It could be a very tough winter for the airlines because people choose not to travel, because there are other expenses they have to take care of. That’s why journeys, which you don’t necessarily have to do, are often hit hard.
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