Christmas is approaching and expensive flights to the Islands are back. We are only at the beginning and prices will probably continue to increase, but significant peaks are already being recorded.
Does booking in advance save money? How much? Codacons tried to understand this, carrying out research to understand how much it costs today to book a flight to reach Sardinia and Sicily at Christmas.
"To reach Cagliari flying from Milan you spend 127 euros leaving on December 22nd, which becomes 135 if you leave on the 24th. From Turin 211 euros, from Venice 184, from Bologna 177", explains the consumers' association.
All rates that do not take into account the cost of additional taxes which have a significant impact on the final price: from hand luggage to the choice of seat or even, if necessary, the checked baggage.
And we're talking about one way , if you add a return flight, for example, on January 7, the price doubles. And further taxes must be added.
Things are even worse for those who have to leave for Sicily : «To fly to Catania starting on December 22nd with a one-way ticket, today you spend a minimum of 206 euros starting from Milan, 231 euros from Bologna, 239 euros from Turin and 242 euros from Florence. If you move the departure date to December 23rd, the cost rises to 273 euros per ticket starting from Turin, 286 euros from Florence. To get to Palermo by boarding on December 23rd, the minimum expense is 143 euros from Rome (always one way), 220 euros from Milan, 269 euros from Turin and even 314 euros if you leave from Bologna .
Codacons calls the antitrust into question again: «We are presenting a new complaint to the Authority so that it can intervene on yet another increase in air flights to the detriment of workers and students who return home during the holidays - states the president Carlo Rienzi -. We cannot help but wonder what happened to the Government's measures which were aimed precisely at avoiding what Codacons recorded, i.e. an increase in tariffs for connections with the islands during a period of peak demand".
(Unioneonline/L)