Joke? In no case! The largest Ukrainian airline UIA pleased travelers with a new offer, opening the sale of tickets at prices from 9 dollars subject to early booking. Website editors I couldn’t ignore it and decided to find out what, how much and how.

What do they offer?

Economy class air tickets one or both ways. Moreover, for all UIA flights - domestic and international - minus long routes to Colombo, New York, Beijing and Bangkok. The main thing is that the flight is regular and operated by UIA, and not by a partner airline. Such flights are called own flights and have a PS code plus 4 digits (i.e. PS0001-0999). And the specific direction - in Europe, Asia or the Middle East - is up to you and me to choose.

How much do they give it?

This is probably the most pleasant thing. The cost of one-way tickets for flights within Ukraine starts from 249 hryvnia (the same 9 dollars), abroad - from 587 hryvnia or 21 dollars. This is the minimum cost, subject to registration 10 or more months before departure.

Just like two and two. We decide on the direction and dates of departure and arrival. The entire route network is divided into zones depending on travel time. There are three booking periods.

Zone 0: Domestic flights
Zone 1 (up to 2 hours): Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Moldova, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Turkey and Georgia
Zone 2 (up to 3 hours): UK, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Armenia and Azerbaijan
Zone 3 (more than 3 hours): Israel, Spain, France, Iran, Kazakhstan and the UAE.

For 10 months: Zone 0 - 9 USD, Zone 1 - 21 USD, Zone 2 - 31 USD; Zone 3 - 41 USD.
For 8 months: Zone 0 - 19 USD, Zone 1 - 29 USD, Zone 2 - 39 USD; Zone 3 - 49 USD.
For 6 months: Zone 0 - 29 USD, Zone 1 - 49 USD, Zone 2 - 59 USD; Zone 3 - 69 USD.

What's paid?

Super-cheap tickets include hand luggage + all taxes and fees. But additional services, such as nutrition and transportation suitcase/s , are paid separately. Otherwise, passengers with low-cost tickets enjoy the full range of airline services.

Shouldn't you fly to Paris in April? Zone 3, booking 11 months before departure. Price 1081 hryvnia one way.

How to buy?

The low-cost offer with announced prices is valid only on the UIA website. Those who resort to the assistance of a ticket office employee or the carrier's contact center must pay an $18 service fee to issue a ticket. Agree, it is more profitable to master the science of online booking yourself (especially since there is nothing complicated there). Payment for tickets is only possible using a credit card. No other way.

Why not grab a couple of designer items with an 80% discount at the winter sales in Milan? Easily! Zone 2, booking 9 months before departure. Price 1028 hryvnia one way.

Where's the catch?

Nowhere. There are simply a number of special conditions and restrictions. But they are understandable and few in number. So complying with them is not a problem. The most important thing: after registration, changes cannot be made to the ticket, and there is no possibility of a refund. Less important is that Panorama Club members are not awarded bonus miles for flights with low-cost tickets. And one more thing: when planning your trips, take into account black-out periods when the offer does not work. Traditionally, these are holidays for Ukrainian schoolchildren (autumn and spring), Easter weekends (Orthodox and Catholic) and long holidays (New Year and May). That's all.


What to do?

If you have long wanted to fly halfway around the world for reasonable money, drink coffee in the center of Vienna, walk through the blooming Keukenhof tulip park, take a photo with the Roman Forum in the background, climb the Burj Khalifa, discover the lights of Baku at night or enjoy a luxurious holiday in Nice, here it is. your chance. Don't miss it, because low-cost tickets are flying out like lightning.

Ukrainian International Airlines has announced an auction of unprecedented generosity - now it will be possible to buy tickets for flights around Ukraine or to Europe at ridiculous prices. True, a cheap flight is only possible if you book 10, 8 or six months in advance._

Such flights can cost from 240 to 1300 UAH. True, experts say that cheap seats are announced for the lowest seasons, when the seat load is light. In addition, UIA is most likely forced to take this step due to competition. After all, Ryanair is coming to Ukraine in the fall, promising us very cheap flights, Vesti reports.

In 10 months - three times cheaper

As UIA clarified, the low-cost fare will apply to approximately 7-10% of the seats on each plane, all other seats will be sold at regular prices. We checked if you can buy cheap tickets. Indeed, an air ticket to Warsaw next March (10 months before the flight) will cost only 762.5 UAH, while, for example, in August the cheapest ticket with hand luggage costs almost three times more - 2005.50 UAH. According to the UIA website, it will no longer be possible to fly to Barcelona at low-cost prices for six and eight months - all tickets are sold out. And for 10 months, as of May 14, there were still places - 1296.5 UAH. At the regular price, such a ticket including hand luggage will cost 6,354 UAH. A ticket to Rome also yesterday cost only 1,298 UAH if booked 10 months in advance, and 3,691.5 UAH at the regular price.

As for domestic flights, a ticket for November (six months) from Kyiv to Lviv will cost 1075.5 UAH, but in March (10 months) - only 244.5 UAH (the same as for a train). By the way, you cannot return tickets at low-cost fares. And luggage transportation is only for an additional fee. You will be able to take on board free of charge only hand luggage measuring 55x40x20 cm and weighing up to 7 kg, as well as a handbag or laptop. Check-in at the airport for a flight with a low-cost ticket is promised to be free, and 48 hours before departure during online check-in you will also be able to choose your seat on board.

Introduced because of Ryanair

According to aviation expert Evgeniy Khainatsky, the reason for the introduction of UIA low-cost prices is primarily related to competition. “UIA has been trying to introduce a low-cost model over the past two or three years, but now this has been prompted by the reduction in the cost of servicing aircraft at Boryspil airport, which is why they may reduce the cost of flights. In addition, the launch of a low-cost airline is done in a low period, since November is one of the worst months for flight loads, and during this period tickets are already the cheapest. Another factor is the increase in passenger traffic: Western carriers are again interested in Ukraine. UIA is deliberately taking this step to show that they are ready to compete in the market,” says Khainatsky.

According to him, you should not expect an increase in the price of the remaining “seats”: “Many airlines, as a promotion, throw out a certain number of tickets at reduced prices, and after they are sold, regular fares apply. If they see that demand in one of the directions will fall, then the number of such places can simply be increased - UIA is now doing exactly the same.”

“Prices have been reduced because of Ryanair”

According to Alexander Mironenko, editor of the Avianews.com website, one of the reasons for UIA’s innovations is the entry of low-cost airline Ryanair into the Ukrainian market. However, in his opinion, the new fare is not a pure “low-cost” fare, but rather a discount for very early booking, which involves a number of restrictions (you cannot carry luggage and change the date): “On domestic flights, flying at a low-cost fare will only be profitable when purchased eight months in advance, but if you buy a ticket closer to departure, the price at the new fare, for example, on the Kiev-Lviv line, is not very different from the old prices, which also include luggage. UIA can compensate for price reductions with other services, as well as overbooking. Having received statistics on no-shows for flights for tickets purchased very early, the airline can begin to resell seats, but at a higher price, which will increase the profitability of transportation.”

Anastasia Kuchkina

As you know, the largest airline in Ukraine, Aerosvit, was artificially bankrupt, its owner transferred all his assets to another airline - UIA, many routes were automatically transferred to it without competition and competition, two Aerosvit aircraft were quickly repainted, or rather, stickers were stuck with the inscription UIA. Previously, UIA compared favorably with Aerosvit, but now it is a low-cost company service with huge ticket prices. How will this affect the interests of travelers who choose budget solutions and think when planning an itinerary? Negative! What allows us to fly cheap? Only fair competition in the market!

A stern Frankfurt airport employee watches as Ukrainians board a Mowgli plane, which is almost 14 years old:

On January 25, a law came into force in Ukraine that requires ALL companies flying to Ukraine to provide one free piece of baggage weighing up to 23 kg. This is a targeted policy to oust low-cost carriers from the market or change their tariff policy. At the moment, only one low-cost airline, WizzAir Ukraine, is registered in Ukraine; free baggage rules were introduced at the end of 2010 for Ukrainian companies; for WizzAir, this is 1 piece of baggage weighing up to 32 (!) kg. BUT the following also fly to us: WizzAir Hungary (Budapest, London), AirBaltic, Pegasus, AirArabia, FlyDubai. The new law now applies to them and it is they who will now increase their tariffs. AirBaltic is already considering plans to cancel the Basic tariff from/to Ukraine. What kind of accession of Ukraine to the “open skies” are we talking about!?

Of course, UIA and the powers that be are behind all this, interested in the bright future of the new market monopolist. So if you are counting your (and not travel) money and planning your route economically, do not fly UIA, choose Lufthansa, Chekhov, Turkov, LOT, etc., it is better to fly with a connection and an interesting layover along the way than to pay UIA space fees amount for disgusting service.

So, how cheap can you fly from Kyiv to Europe? UIA's lowest prices are $450-500, screenshot from their website:


Or Kyiv-Vienna... 400-500 dollars, there are no promotions or sales on direct flights:

For half a thousand dollars for a two-hour flight on an old plane you will get:
- service at Terminal F of Boryspil Airport, this terminal was originally planned for low-cost airlines, there are no boarding bridges there. European airlines have been transferred to the new modern Terminal D with jet bridges.
- cold sandwich and drinks for money (cola - 3 euros, for example)

For example, Kyiv-Frankfurt is a two-hour journey:

Moreover, the sandwich will contain a certain IBM computer enhancer:

Lufthansa:

Well, or Czech Airlines Kyiv-Prague, less than 2 hours on the way. Not to mention that the attitude and service at all stages of service from European airlines is incomparably better!

The UIA fleet mainly consists of ancient aircraft, with an average age of 19+ years. In addition to them, UIA has 4 new B737-800 + 2 newly repainted Aerosvit aircraft.

An old plane is safe, but less comfortable (old interior, etc.). And the operation of aircraft requires more expensive maintenance and, accordingly, higher tariffs.

"...the trousers are turning..." (c) January 2013:

An interesting point of view in the blogs on the Correspondent’s website “UIA bankrupt?”:

“The style of doing business by the oligarchs has not changed – impudence, ignorantity and disrespect for the interests of Ukrainians. Why is the UIA credentials false, if the official statement states that “at UIA maintains the structure of shareholders, which has been established since the completion of privatization of the airline in 2011, stable management and warehouse of the Security Council”, and according to the National Commission for Securities and Stock Market (NCSPFR), “Ontobet Promotions Limited” owned 25.83% of the shares of the airline until the end of the third quarter, and from 2 012 roku “Ontobet promotions limited” already became the owner of LLC “Investment Projects Management” (TOV “Capital Investment Project” (Kiev) – 74.16% shares of UIA)."

In general, only UIA’s winter Instagram is not bad:

Hopefully, low-cost airlines will find some reasonable solutions.

Airline UIA has reduced prices for early booking tickets to many destinations.

So, we have chosen the 5 most interesting destinations for you. Now we will try to explain what this choice is based on.

Please note that all flights are direct and only hand luggage is included in the price. Flights from Kyiv. Various dates from February to April.

How to buy tickets? The airline's website offers the minimum price - http://www.flyuia.com/rus/main-bl.html, buy tickets there.

Kutaisi, Tbilisi - from 39 euros

You can fly from Kyiv to Kutaisi for only 39 euros round-trip, to Tbilisi for 46 euros round-trip. No visa required. Now let’s think about why we should go there.

There is delicious food, wine, friendly people who speak Russian, and gorgeous nature. There are also excellent ski resorts there. In addition, during the off-season, prices are lower than usual.

From there you can catch cheap tickets for flights somewhere further (Europe, Africa, Asia).

Booking example, Kyiv - Kutaisi - Kyiv:

Istanbul - from 39 euros

Great price for a direct round trip flight. You won’t find cheaper tickets from Minsk or other countries bordering Belarus. No visa required. Why go there?

Istanbul is a colorful city, rich in culture and historical attractions . It is also suitable for shopping lovers - there is a huge selection of various inexpensive goods, you can find absolutely everything.

From there you can also catch cheap tickets for flights somewhere further (Europe, Africa, Asia).

Booking example, Kyiv - Istanbul - Kyiv:

Dubai - 73 euros

Great price for two direct flights lasting approximately 4.5 hours one way!

At least suitable for beach lovers - it’s warm there and you can swim! Why else go there? To look at the chic skyscrapers in the desert, including the tallest building in the world, singing fountains. There are a lot of interesting activities, such as desert jeep safari, camel racing, diving with sharks.

Booking example, Kyiv - Dubai - Kyiv:

Tel Aviv - 74 euros

Please note that this option is most suitable for those who do not have a valid Schengen card (tickets for about the same price can sometimes be obtained from Lithuania or Poland). No visa required.

Israel has a lot of interesting sights, a comfortable climate and 3 seas - the Red, Dead and Mediterranean. A significant part of the population speaks Russian.

Booking example, Kyiv - Tel Aviv - Kyiv:

Amman (Jordan) - 110 euros

A very interesting destination at a reasonable price. It is unlikely that you will be able to get there cheaper.

This is an amazing country with a lot of interesting things - a unique city in the rocks, castles in the desert, stunning nature. There are also the Red and Dead Seas.

Booking example, Kyiv - Amman - Kyiv:

As part of the sale UIA Minsk is also present, from here you can fly to Kyiv for 70 euros round trip. For 400 km one way it is a bit expensive, but let us remind you that the standard price on this route starts from 140 euros.

Booking example, Minsk - Kyiv - Minsk:

How to find cheap housing in a new city?

It is better to search for hotels through the service HotelsCombined.com, which allows you to compare prices across a dozen booking systems (discounts for the same room up to 90%).

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