Unfortunately, it is not new that the price of airline tickets increased after the Corona crisis due to increased inflation and high fuel costs. A growth that does not seem to be reversing its course. In the first half of 2023, fares for flights from Italy increased by up to 50%. And for the most remote places in the world it can be over 30,000 euros, practically the price of a mid-range car or a garage in the city. This is confirmed by Codacons, which, given the phenomenon of expensive flights, has carried out a study aimed at identifying the currently most expensive routes in the world departing from Italy. Anyone who dreams of spending a holiday in a natural paradise such as the Fiji Islands, Samoa, New Zealand or Polynesia has to deal with reality. For it is a desire, even if legitimate, that few can fulfil.

The Consumers’ Association has ranked the world’s most expensive flights, taking into account a return flight for next August. «Suppose you are boarding at Fiumicino International Airport, The most expensive ticket is the one for Port Vila Airport in the Republic of Vanuatu in Oceania. There are only a few dates available – explains Codacons – and if you depart on August 5 and fly back on August 26, the fastest flight with 2 stops costs 16,090 euros. However, by changing the dates (20-26 August) and depending on the airline and connections chosen, the ticket price reaches a record 30,287 euros.

In second place in the ranking of the most expensive flights in the world is Apia on the Samoa Islands in Polynesia: Departing on August 14th and returning on August 20th, you can spend up to 23,362 euros for a flight with two stopovers, always depending on the airline you choose and the connections. In third place we find the Fiji Islands, where a ticket from Fiumicino to Suva Airport (departure on August 14th and return on August 21st) costs 15,185 euros if you choose the fastest option (about 30 flight hours each way), but can reach the figure of 19,490 euros.

Guadalcanal follows at a short distance, in the Solomon Islands archipelago, with fares up to 18,797 euros. For the flight to Wellington (New Zealand) up to 16,862 euros are required, to Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) 15,902 euros and to Darwin (Australia) 14,498 euros,” calculates the Codacons again. In a summer marked by the phenomenon of expensive flights, Mr. Cases has led to savings of up to 20% on the cost of airline tickets. For example, the association recommends “leaving between Monday and Wednesday and booking a 2am flight.”, and compare the calculated prices 2-3 days before and after the desired departure. Then pay attention to commissions and hidden costs, insurance policies and other additional services (possibility to change your flight for free, choice of seats on the plane, etc.). Check prices for departures from airports other than the one in your city of residence and for return flights on a different airline than the one used for the outward journey. Consider buying a open jaw ticket, ie a ticket that allows you to land in one airport and depart from another airport in another city,” concludes Assoutenti.