Cheap flight tips
The advertised fare is the smallest part of what a cheap flight costs. These are the six lines that get added afterwards — and the one case where the train quietly wins.
Compare the total, not the fare
A €19 seat with a €45 bag and a €25 seat charge is not a €19 seat. Add the carrier's own baggage price to every fare before you rank them.
Airline baggage rulesMeasure your bag, don't trust the label
"Cabin size" is a marketing claim, not a standard: allowances differ by centimetres between carriers, and gate staff measure with a frame. Know your bag's real dimensions.
Compare luggage by the numbersCount the transfer before you take the cheaper airport
A fare that lands an hour and €25 outside the city is not cheaper by the time you arrive. Check the drive into town, then decide.
Airport transfer timesPower banks fly in the cabin, never the hold
Airlines cap the watt-hours you may carry, and several now forbid using or charging one in flight. Getting it wrong costs you the battery at security.
Power bank rules by airlineBoard with one bag you can lift
Overhead space runs out, and gate-checking a bag costs exactly the time you saved by flying cheap. Start from a list built for one bag.
Ready-made packing listsOn short hops the train often wins
Under about four hours, city centre to city centre, rail beats the flight once you add the transfers, the waiting and the bag fee.
The calculator takes your trip and returns the packs you actually need — weight, size, and the rules of the airline you are flying.