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Last week I wrote a post on all the uncertainties I’m facing in connection with my planned family reunion in Europe. The main obstacle, of course, is the war between Russia and Ukraine, where Belarus happens to be a co-aggressor. On top of it, my dad is having some serious health issues and is scheduled for medical tests.
Well, if that wasn’t enough, just the other day I got a notification that our Finnair award flight from Croatia to Iceland is now canceled. I booked it a few months ago using AAdvantage currency at 12.5k miles per person, which I thought was a great deal. But even more importantly, it gave me flexibility of being able to cancel the tickets with no penalty in case our travel plans change.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be. Our flight to Helsinki was pushed back three days, and we would now have to overnight in Finland. That ain’t gonna work. Back to the drawing board I go. I could not find any decent alternatives via miles, and I checked several programs. Either we would have to make three connections, or award options for the route simply didn’t exist.
So, I had to check what revenue flights were available for this particular itinerary.
Narrowing down my options
I’m hoping that my thinking process will benefit those of you who are a bit nervous about using low-cost carriers in Europe. Don’t be. Europe has high aviation safety standards, and all airlines have to adhere to the same rules. As far as extra costs (baggage and so on) go, those can be substantial. Still, if the price of the ticket is low enough, they may not be a deal breaker.
I’ve flown on quite a few low-cost airlines, including Ryanair and Easyjet, and would do so again without hesitation. Of course, you do lose flexibility compared to mileage tickets, but depending on the price and schedule, it may be worth it.
If you have a specific destination and date in mind, I recommend checking Kayak.com first. Unlike some booking portals, it lists low-cost carriers. In my case, since we plan on staying in Kotor (Montenegro), I have a choice of flying out of Tivat, Podgorica or Dubrovnik. The first one is the most convenient, since it’s only 20 minutes away.
Unfortunately, I was not able to find any decent flight combinations from any of these airports. They were either too expensive or had too many connections. So, I’ve decided to see if we can break up our trek to Iceland into two legs and overnight somewhere in Europe. In order to see all the direct flights from a specific airport, I recommend starting with Flightconnections website.
It instantly shows you all the options. Keep in mind that it may not be 100% up to date. Still, it’s a valuable resource.
Based on this info, I have quite a few options, mainly large cities. But I also need to make sure that wherever we go also has a direct flight to Iceland.
I’ll also share this easy hack with you: check the airport’s own website. Usually it will list all the airlines and routes. In case of Tivat airport, it even shows you who flies where, sorted by date.
This is super handy if you are not sure exactly where you want to fly. In my case, since I haven’t been to Paris, I wanted to check that option first. Turns out, that we can fly from Tivat to Paris for only $50 per person one-way on Transavia France.
From Paris to Reykjavik we can use low-cost Play airline for around $150 apiece. Of course, we will have to cover luggage charges and other possible expenses. Still, it’s not a bad deal for getting all the way to Iceland from a tiny airport in Montenegro. And of course, a cherry on top is spending two nights in Paris. It does complicate our itinerary somewhat, but if we have to overnight somewhere anyway, Paris isn’t the worst option, am I right?
Why I’m not booking these flights just yet
As I’ve mentioned earlier, a lot can change in a month, and it mostly has to do with the war in Ukraine. Our Montenegro plan is directly tied to Turkish Airlines operating flights to Belarus. So far, the airline has been canceling them due to military activity in the area. Right now there are ceasefire talks being held between Russia and Ukraine, and many people are hopeful. I’m very skeptical because Russia is essentially a terrorist state. And you can’t trust terrorists.
If my family can’t make it to Montenegro, then our plan is off. I will probably have to switch all of our reservations to Turkey. Then I’ll have to come up with a plan to get to Iceland from Istanbul with no more than a couple of weeks’ notice. Should be fun, so stay tuned.
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Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
Thank your Leana for laying out the strategy for finding low cost carriers. I have often wondered. I always learn something from your posts. I hope your family is safe.
@Hilde Thank you! Glad it was helpful. As of now, my family is safe, thank goodness. Obviously, it makes me nervous that they are so close to Ukraine, especially when Russians bomb nuclear stations. I hope this madness ends soon.
I did a family road trip from Sarajevo to Serbia to Montenegro to Dubrovnik to Sarajevo three summers ago. Let me know if you want any tips or Airbnb suggestions. Sarajevo, Dubrovnik (even for only one day/night) and Montenegro (drove all over) were the highlights. If you like to hike, then you have to consider Durmitor National Park. If you are renting a car in B&H, then I would highly recommend going with an established agency and prepaying (which I nearly never do but in this case saved my entire trip because Avis was planning to walk me due to a lack of cars). Also look into Wizz and Etihad for cheap awards on Air Serbia (although their fuel surcharges might be high). I agree that you shouldn’t confirm any LCC tickets yet. Prices will probably rise if you wait but better than having to cancel a lot of tickets.
@John That is such a unique itinerary! I’ve had the Balkan Peninsula on my to-do list, but things never quite lined up in the past. I really hope my family can meet us there, but there is so much uncertainty at the moment. Montenegro does look like a very interesting place to visit. Not sure we will make it to Dubrovnik, though I would love to go.
We are for sure skipping the car rental. Will hire someone for transfers to/from the airport and possibly a day trip to Durmitor. We plan to stay the whole time in Kotor (already reserved several apartments) and use it as a base for trips in the area. Fingers crossed, everything goes as planned. My plan B is Antalya in Turkey.
I just had a chance to read your original post on the family reunion. Looking at the regional map, I would say that Turkey is one of the safer countries in the region at the moment. Sure, Russia might get pissed at Turkey for cutting off its Black Sea fleet and supplying armed drones to Ukraine, but Russia (and Aeroflot in particular) also needs Turkish airspace for its commercial flights out of the new hub in Sochi. If Turkey suddenly closes off its airspace to Russia, then that’s when I would get nervous.
So, unless you were dead set on going to Montenegro AND Dubrovnik, I think Turkey might be the best option for meeting up with your family. It’s easier logistically for your family (and you), cheaper to get to, and there’s still plenty to see and do in Turkey.
@John I actually agree with you, and it wouldn’t really bother me to go to Turkey instead. Though if I’m being honest, I prefer Montenegro.
Yesterday I did look at award flight options to Turkey from Orlando, and didn’t see anything worthwhile. That’s the problem with planning an international summer trip only a few months in advance. I’m sure I can cobble something together if I have to, maybe by flying to Dublin (using Avios) and buying a revenue ticket to Turkey from there. I’ve set a deadline towards the end of April where I’ll talk to my family and we make a decision on what we should do. There is an issue with my dad’s health, so I need to wait and see what the tests show. It’s quite challenging to predict what the world will look like in a few months, since we are truly dealing with a “black swan” type event. But at some point I’ll have to take a leap of faith and purchase the tickets for my family. Otherwise, the cost will be astronomical.
You haven’t been to Paris??? Then this re-routing is a blessing in disguise! 🙂
@Nancy Somehow Paris was one city in Europe that got away. But maybe that will change soon!
Leana, Good luck with this! I hope your family stays safe and healthy. The world is a dangerous place at present.
@Russ Thank you! Was just discussing contingency plans with my mom. Very challenging to plan anything in current environment. I no longer care about the price of tickets, just hope something will work out that we can meet up.