There are clear price differences between the nine airlines. Flights to Mallorca were used as a basis as it is the most popular foreign flight route for German holiday-makers. Bookings were made for weekends in August, i.e. at very high prices. The cheapest flight (from Munich) was offered by Lauda Motion at under 174 euros, the most expensive at 519 euros by the Spanish low-cost airline Vueling.

Compared to the previous study two years ago, which also compared routes from Germany to the Balearic Islands, the average prices remain the same. According to the testers, Air Berlin's bankruptcy did not lead to an increase in prices among the remaining airlines. All bookings were made online, directly via the airline's homepage, which is almost always the cheapest way. "But the cheapest flight is not always the best choice," emphasizes Baumeister. This is because special costs are often incurred which, with average air fares to Majorca of around 300 euros, can have a noticeable impact on your budget.

For example, excess baggage at check-in costs between ten and 15 euros per kilogram with almost all airlines. Lufthansa, on the other hand, charges a flat rate of 50 euros. The German top dog is clearly the most expensive with 80 euros for special and sports luggage. This is an increase of 60 percent compared to 2017, Baumeister emphasizes. At 30 euros, Ryanair charges the lowest fee for taking your surfboard or bicycle with you. Hand luggage sometimes has no weight restrictions (Easyjet, Ryanair and Laudamotion). The most stingy is Tuifly, where hand luggage can weigh a maximum of six kilograms.

For families with several children, ticket costs for the small ones is also a distinguishing factor. Sometimes infants under the age of two fly for free (Vueling), sometimes they cost a flat rate of 31 euros (Easyjet), sometimes a tenth of the airfare (Lufthansa, Condor and Norwegian). If a child is over two years old, the full adult fare is often charged. Only Lufthansa and Norwegian offer a 25 percent discount for children aged between two and eleven.

The conditions are also quite different when it comes to changes in bookings and cancellations. A cancellation is sometimes not even possible as with Vueling or Ryanair, other times up to a 50 euros handling fee (Condor) might be charged or it could even be free (Eurowings). Sometimes, however, there are several fare variants for a single airline. For example, a cancellation is sometimes not possible at all with Lufthansa, or for free, or 70 euros are charged. It is similar with rebooking.

In general, the variety of rates has reached sometimes confusing proportions, says Mobil in Germany. Booking processes vary greatly on the various airline websites. The testers rate Condor at the top when it comes to having the clearest, most user-friendly site with the least annoying advertising.

When it comes to in-flight catering, only Lufthansa offers a free snack and drink. With the other eight airlines, this extra costs between 6.50 and 9.30 euros, with Vueling being the most expensive. The testers found hardly any differences in the seat spacing. Here the distance between one's own seat and the backrest of the person in front is typically 74 to 76 centimeters.

A tester also flew to Mallorca with all nine airlines to evaluate the personal flight experience. Eurowings scored best and Laudamotion worst. Environmental criteria such as age and fuel consumption of the aircraft fleet were not included in the rating. Mobil in Germany says this is because of the fact that airlines sometimes operate routes via partner airlines and do not use aircraft from their own fleets.

Orig. text: Thomas Magenheim-Hörmann

Translation: ck