Foto: BB.LV / реклама авиакомпании
With this question, Karlis approached the editorial office of LA.LV, who, while studying the offers of the airline airBaltic, noticed a significant difference in prices for flights in opposite directions. "Recently, I was looking for airline tickets for a trip and noticed quite an astonishing price difference. A flight from Riga costs only 39 euros, however, when searching for a ticket for the return journey to Latvia, the price reaches about 200 euros. I understand that airline ticket prices can change depending on demand and other circumstances, but such a difference seems very large. Why can a flight in one direction on the same route be so cheap, while in the opposite direction it is several times more expensive? Is this related to the number of passengers and demand for specific flights, or are there other factors?" Karlis writes. To find out how airline ticket prices are formed and why they can vary so significantly on the same route, I turned to the head of public and political relations at airBaltic, Augusts Zilberts. "The prices of airline tickets are primarily influenced by supply and demand, as well as competition in a specific market and route," Zilberts explains. He points out that therefore it is not unusual for prices on flights of the same route in opposite directions to differ significantly. One reason is the availability of different price categories. airBaltic tickets usually go on sale about a year before departure. Initially, lower-priced tickets are available, but as they sell out, higher-priced tickets remain in the offer. "For example, for a flight from Riga, tickets for 39 euros may still be available, while on the return flight, the lowest price category tickets may already be sold out," Zilberts notes. In this case, the passenger has to pay significantly more for the flight in the opposite direction. Airline ticket prices are also influenced by seasonality, day of the week, holiday periods, and other factors. Moreover, they are not fixed — depending on demand, prices can change even within a few hours or days. This means that when searching for flights on the same route, a passenger may see different offers on different dates. Additionally, demand and the number of available cheapest tickets may vary on flights in opposite directions. ## ## Tips on how to find better airline tickets To purchase the most advantageous offer, airBaltic recommends that passengers plan their trips in advance and, if possible, compare prices on different dates. If the travel time is not strictly defined, it is worth checking several departure and return dates. Sometimes even a slight change in date can help find cheaper airline tickets. It is also advisable to check the total cost of both flights before purchasing tickets.
