Note: the situation described below reflects the period of pandemic restrictions in 2020. To find out what has changed since then and what determines the price of a flight ticket today, see the second part of this article.
The coronavirus pandemic brought a great many changes to aviation. Because of the regulations introduced to prevent the spread of the infection, airlines found themselves facing enormous challenges.
The closure of borders between countries and the sharp reduction in flight frequency hit the industry hardest of all. Georgia, for instance, still had its airspace closed to many countries at the time. Regular air service ran to only three destinations, and most charter flights were arranged simply to take passengers out of Tbilisi.
All of this inevitably changed Aviabiletebi prices. The more expensive flights frustrated travellers, yet there were several reasons why the increase was unavoidable.
Demand was greater than supply
Once airlines were limited in the number of destinations and flights they could operate, it turned out that demand for tickets remained far higher than the seats available. Demand was driven up above all by the many Georgians who wanted to return home after being stranded abroad when the borders closed.
Where airlines had flown a given route daily before the pandemic, they were now permitted only one or two flights a week. On top of that, in most cases a single airline served each route, which left passengers with no choice at all and forced them to accept whatever terms were on offer. It was precisely this combination of strong demand and no alternatives that allowed airlines to sell tickets at high prices.
Commercial flights in one direction only
Another reason flight tickets became more expensive was that commercial flights were operating in one direction only. Certain charter flights from Georgia existed purely to take passengers out of the country. Flights to Minsk, Kyiv and Warsaw, for example, carried passengers only out of Tbilisi.
Airlines were landing empty aircraft at Tbilisi airport and flying them out full. That naturally cost the carriers money, and they recovered it by raising ticket prices.
Premium-priced airlines
The airlines operating in the Georgian market at that time were among the more expensive carriers. Lufthansa, for instance, had never been known for budget fares even before the pandemic, and its service had always been priced at a premium.
As a result, airlines that were already expensive became more expensive still under the new rules and regulations. Why were these particular carriers chosen? It was part of a state strategy aimed at keeping passenger flows to a minimum in order to reduce the risk of the virus spreading. Air travel did resume to some degree, but it was not within everyone’s reach: a one-way ticket cost on average between 1,500 and 3,000 GEL.
Seating arrangements on board
The social-distancing rule introduced to prevent the spread of the infection applied to air travel as well. Under the regulations drawn up specifically for the aviation industry, passengers were seated with the middle seat left empty. Since airlines could not fill their aircraft completely, they sold the available seats at a higher price and recouped the cost of the empty ones that way.
Tickets that were not publicly available
Some airlines did not release their tickets publicly on their websites, which meant those tickets were not available to everyone. The LOT representative office in Georgia, for example, did not put Warsaw tickets into the online system and gave customers no way to buy them for themselves.
The representative office of Aegean Airlines worked on the same principle, reserving the right to sell Athens tickets exclusively for itself. Since demand on these two routes was considerable, anyone wanting to travel had no choice but to approach these agencies to buy a ticket.
The depreciation of the lari
Finally, the depreciation of the lari had always affected ticket prices, but in the circumstances of the time it became far more noticeable. Together with all the reasons listed above, the further weakening of the lari pushed ticket prices up sharply.
What has changed since the pandemic
Pandemic restrictions were lifted long ago and Georgia’s aviation market has fully recovered. Borders are open, regular flights serve dozens of destinations, and competition between airlines is far stronger than it was in 2020. It is this competition that has brought back fares which seemed unimaginable during the pandemic.
The biggest change has taken place in the low-cost segment. Kutaisi International Airport has established itself as a base for budget carriers — Wizz Air, Pegasus Airlines, Belavia, FlyArystan and others operate from there. Kutaisi is now Georgia’s second-largest airport: in 2024 it handled more than 1.7 million passengers.
Full-service airlines still dominate at Tbilisi airport, but the number of routes keeps growing steadily there too: recent seasons have added new direct flights to European cities, among them Copenhagen, Cologne and Frankfurt. Batumi airport, meanwhile, focuses mainly on seasonal summer destinations.
What determines the price of a flight ticket
The price of a ticket is never a random number — it is made up of several constant factors that work the same way now as they did before the pandemic:
- The cost of fuel — jet fuel is one of an airline’s largest expenses and often accounts for around a quarter of operating costs. Changes in the oil price usually show up in ticket prices with a lag of several months.
- Competition on the route — when several airlines serve the same route, the price almost always falls. A single carrier with a monopoly has the opposite effect.
- Seasonality — summer, the New Year period and school holidays are peak times. The cheaper periods are the second half of autumn and the stretch from mid-January to spring.
- When you book — airlines sell tickets in so-called fare classes: the cheapest class sells first, and the fuller the flight becomes, the more the remaining seats cost.
- Airport and government charges — a significant part of the ticket price never reaches the airline at all; it goes on airport, security and state fees.
- The exchange rate — much of an airline’s costs are in dollars (fuel, aircraft leasing, maintenance), so movements in the lari feed directly into prices quoted in lari.
How to find a cheaper flight ticket
- Book ahead: one to three months in advance is about right for European routes, and three to six months for long-haul flights.
- Compare both airports — flying from Kutaisi is often considerably cheaper than from Tbilisi, though you should factor in the time and cost of getting to the airport.
- Be flexible with dates: midweek flights are usually cheaper than Friday and Sunday departures.
- With low-cost airlines, always work out the final price including baggage — checked bags, seat selection and sometimes even check-in are charged separately.
- Consider flights with a connection: a single stopover is often noticeably cheaper than flying direct.
- With traditional airlines a return ticket is often cheaper than two one-way tickets bought separately.
The market in numbers: how supply is changing
Ticket prices are ultimately set by the balance between demand and supply, so it helps to see the scale of the market. According to the Civil Aviation Agency, Georgia’s airports served more than 6.4 million passengers in the first nine months of 2025 — 14% more than in the same period a year earlier, while the number of flights grew by 18%.
- Tbilisi — more than 4 million passengers, growth of roughly 12%;
- Kutaisi — more than 1.4 million passengers, growth of roughly 10%;
- Batumi — almost 1 million passengers, growth of roughly 32%.
What matters here is that the number of flights is growing faster than passenger numbers. That means the supply of available seats is increasing, and growing supply is usually a factor that pushes fares down. It is exactly why European routes today offer prices that would have been unthinkable in 2020.
What is included in the ticket price — and what is not
Tickets for one and the same flight can sell at several different prices, and the difference lies not in the seat but in the conditions of the fare. Today almost every airline sells tickets in several tiers:
- The cheapest fare (Basic, Light, Economy Saver) — normally covers only hand luggage or a small bag. The ticket is usually non-refundable, and changing the date is either impossible or expensive.
- The mid-range fare (Standard, Classic) — adds checked baggage and often seat selection; date changes are allowed for a fee.
- The flexible fare (Flex) — the most expensive option, which allows date changes free of charge or for a nominal fee and often a refund as well.
With low-cost airlines this logic is even more pronounced: the base price often includes nothing but one small bag, while checked baggage, seat selection, priority boarding and sometimes even airport check-in are charged separately. So when you compare two “cheap” tickets, always work out the final price with baggage included — a ticket from a traditional airline that includes baggage from the outset often works out cheaper in the end.
Passenger rights when a flight is cancelled or delayed
The ticket price also buys you the rights that protect you when something goes wrong. Georgia applies a rule based on European regulation covering compensation and assistance for passengers in cases of denied boarding, flight cancellation and long delays.
- Cancellation or denied boarding — a passenger may be entitled to compensation of 250 euros on flights up to 1,500 km, 400 euros between 1,500 and 3,500 km, and 600 euros on flights over 3,500 km. If the airline offers an alternative flight and the delay is short, the compensation may be halved.
- Delay — from 2 hours on short flights, 3 hours on medium-haul and 4 hours on long-haul routes, the airline must provide meals, refreshments and a means of communication. If the flight is postponed to the next day, it must also provide a hotel and transport to the airport.
- Delays of more than 5 hours — the passenger has the right to demand a full refund of the ticket or to be re-routed to the final destination. A refund must be made within 7 days.
You are not entitled to compensation if the cancellation or delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances — severe weather, closed airspace or a security threat, for example. Even then, however, the airline remains obliged to look after passengers: to provide meals and, if necessary, a hotel.
Where to buy: the airline website or an aggregator
The best way to search for a price is an aggregator — it shows you on a single screen which airline is offering which fare on a given date. When it comes to buying, it is worth comparing both options:
- If the price is the same, buying straight from the airline’s website is more convenient — changing dates, adding baggage or requesting a refund is handled directly with the carrier, without an intermediary.
- An aggregator or agency is particularly useful for complex itineraries, when several airlines are involved in one journey.
- Before buying, check who is issuing the ticket and what the refund terms are — some platforms deduct their own service fee from any refund.
- Before paying, check once more that the passenger’s name and surname match the travel document exactly — correcting these details later is a paid service with almost every airline.
Airport expansion and what it means for ticket prices
In the long run, fares are also shaped by how many flights the infrastructure can handle. In the summer of 2026 a large-scale expansion project began at Tbilisi International Airport: the operator, TAV Airports, is investing roughly 150 million dollars, which should raise the airport’s annual capacity to around 10 million passengers.
For passengers this has a very practical meaning: the more flights an airport can accommodate, the greater the chance that several airlines will appear on the same route — and competition is the single biggest factor pushing prices down. At the same time, temporary changes in the terminal are to be expected while construction work is under way, so it is worth allowing extra time when you arrive at the airport.
Payment and currency: where the extra money goes
The final price of a ticket is not determined by the fare alone — part of it is often added at the payment stage:
- Currency conversion. If the fare is quoted in euros or dollars while your card is in lari, the conversion is carried out either by your bank or by the site itself, which offers to “pay in lari”. The latter is dynamic currency conversion, and its rate is usually less favourable than your bank’s.
- Card fees. Some airlines and agencies add a separate payment fee depending on the type of card; this amount often appears only on the final screen.
- Pre-selected extras. Insurance, seat selection or priority boarding may already be ticked during the booking process — check what is included in the total before you pay.
- The price on the first screen and the last. Compare the amount shown in the search results with the amount you actually pay — the second is the real price of the ticket.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the price of a ticket change several times a day?
Airlines use dynamic pricing: the seats on each flight are divided into several fare classes, and as soon as a cheaper class sells out the system automatically moves to the next, more expensive one. That is why the price can change within a single day.
Does the price really go up if I keep searching for the same flight?
This is a common belief, but the main reason prices rise is not your search history — it is the cheaper fare classes selling out. If you want to be sure, check the same flight from another device or in your browser’s incognito mode.
How far in advance should I buy a ticket?
There is no universal rule, but experience shows that the best fares on medium-haul European routes are sold one to three months ahead. In peak season — summer and the New Year period — it is worth booking even earlier.
Is flying from Kutaisi really cheaper?
As a rule, yes — Kutaisi is served mainly by low-cost airlines and the base fare is lower. Your final cost should include baggage and the journey to the airport, though; sometimes a direct flight from Tbilisi works out better.
Does the lari exchange rate affect ticket prices?
Yes. A large share of airlines’ costs is in foreign currency, so whether the lari strengthens or weakens is reflected in fares quoted in lari — even when the airline’s own pricing policy stays unchanged.
Am I entitled to compensation if my flight is cancelled?
In most cases, yes. Under the rules in force in Georgia, a passenger whose flight is cancelled is entitled to compensation of between 250 and 600 euros depending on the distance, unless the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances (weather, closed airspace, a security threat) or the airline notified you of the change in advance and offered an alternative flight.
Which is cheaper — a low-cost or a traditional airline?
It depends on how you travel. If you fly with hand luggage only and are flexible on dates, a low-cost airline is almost always cheaper. If you need checked baggage, or your route involves a connection, a ticket from a traditional airline — which includes baggage and a guaranteed connection from the start — often turns out to be the better deal.
My ticket is priced in euros — should I pay in lari?
When a site offers to “pay in lari”, it is using dynamic currency conversion, and that rate is normally less favourable than your own bank’s. In most cases it works out cheaper to pay in the ticket’s original currency and leave the conversion to your bank.
How early should I get to the airport?
The usual recommendation is two hours before short international flights and three hours before long-haul departures. In peak season, and while construction work is going on at the airport, an extra margin is particularly worthwhile.
