Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines is currently having a decent sale from Eastern European airports to North and Central Asian destinations. One of the most uncommon cities you can reach is Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia. Tickets start for as little as €481 with acceptable layovers in Istanbul. A checked bag of up to 30kg is included in the fare.
You can find these tickets with departure from:
Our availability calendar highlights all possible flight dates at the lowest price for trips up to 28 days. It will forward you to Turkish Airlines with your selected flight dates. You can also check what OTAs have to offer, as they sell these tickets up to €30 cheaper.
We have omitted travel dates with layovers in Istanbul exceeding six hours. If you are willing to accept these, availability gets even broader (and prices drop a little).
Flights from Prague or Budapest to Istanbul are either Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 family services. The long-haul flights are operated by Airbus A330-300 aircraft, with the industry standard 2-4-2 seating in economy class. You are provided with in-flight entertainment in every seat back and full catering service.
Search & Book
According to the fare rules, these tickets are on sale until October 5, 2023 for travel between November 2023 and June 2024. A minimum stay of two days is necessary to get the cheapest tickets.
Sadly, Google Flights has some issues previewing flight dates, as prices may jump upon selecting dates. It should still give you a decent enough idea when the cheapest tickets are available. While the cheapest tickets are sold by online travel agencies, we usually recommend booking directly with the airline.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Mileage
Turkish Airlines issues these tickets in booking class U, one of Star Alliance’ most restrictive booking classes. Your earning opportunities are limited to TK’s own Miles & Smiles program.
- 2,356 Miles on Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
Cover Picture: © robnaw