A plane ticket from Košice Airport is never just one price – for almost the same fare you might get only a seat with no luggage, or a bundle that includes free date changes and a larger bag. Anyone who flies from Košice regularly knows that the difference between the cheapest and the mid-tier fare often decides whether you end up paying extra fees that outweigh the original “bargain” price. In this article we look at what the fares from Ryanair, Wizz Air and the network carriers Austrian Airlines, SWISS and LOT actually include – all three fly from Košice Airport to their hubs in Vienna, Zurich and Warsaw – and when it is worth paying more.
Low-cost fares: Ryanair and Wizz Air
On most routes from Košice (for example to London, Dublin, Malaga or Zadar), Ryanair offers four basic fares – Basic, Regular, Plus and Flexi Plus. Basic is the cheapest option, but it only includes a small personal bag that fits under the seat, you cannot choose your seat, and cabin baggage in the overhead locker plus priority boarding are not included. The Regular fare already includes what is called Priority & 2 Cabin Bags, meaning that besides the small bag you also get a larger cabin bag for the overhead locker and priority boarding. Plus adds a standard seat and checked baggage, while Flexi Plus also includes free date changes and a faster lane at security. A full overview of current Ryanair fares and fees can be found in the Ryanair section of our website.
Wizz Air works on a similar principle – Basic is the cheapest fare and only includes a small bag that fits under the seat, with no seat selection and no free airport check-in. The WIZZ Go fare adds a standard seat and checked baggage, while WIZZ Plus adds priority boarding, a larger checked bag and the option of a free date change. Passengers who fly from Košice to Cologne or Rome more often may also consider a WIZZ MultiPass subscription or Wizz Discount Club membership, which brings discounts on tickets and baggage throughout the year – though this only pays off if you travel repeatedly, not for a single flight.
Network carriers from three Košice hubs
Three network airlines currently fly from Košice to their home airports – Austrian Airlines to Vienna, LOT Polish Airlines to Warsaw and SWISS to Zurich. All three belong to groups that offer connecting flights to dozens of further destinations, so it is worth paying a little more attention to their fares than to those of low-cost flights. Austrian and SWISS have a similar economy-class fare structure – Light, Classic and Flex (Austrian also uses the label Basic within Europe). Light is the cheapest option, usually without checked baggage or with only limited change options, Classic already includes checked baggage and standard seat selection, and Flex brings free rebooking and greater comfort during check-in. LOT Polish Airlines offers the Economy Saver, Standard and Flex fares – Saver comes with hand luggage only, Standard adds a checked bag and free changes, and Flex also allows refunds for a fee. Besides economy class, all three carriers also offer Premium Economy and Business, which are worth it especially when connecting onward on long intercontinental routes via Vienna, Zurich or Warsaw.
What the cheapest fare actually includes
The biggest differences between fares are not only about baggage, but above all about flexibility. With the cheapest fares – Ryanair Basic, Wizz Basic, Light with Austrian and SWISS, or Saver with LOT – you usually cannot choose a specific seat (you get a random one), changing the date of your flight is either impossible or comes with a high fee, and if you cancel your trip you get back little or nothing. With network carriers, the cheapest fare also usually earns you fewer miles or loyalty points. So if you are certain your travel date will not change and you are travelling only with hand luggage, the cheapest fare makes sense. But if you are not sure about the date, or you want to be certain of sitting next to your partner or children, you should budget for an extra cost already at the time of purchase.
When paying more is really worth it
Paying extra for a higher fare is worth it above all when you are travelling during a period when plans might change – business trips with an uncertain return date, a family holiday where you want to be sure of sitting together, or a flight that connects to a further leg, where a delay could mean missing the connection. With network carriers, a higher fare also pays off if you plan to collect miles or intend to fly with the same alliance repeatedly. On the other hand, for a simple leisure trip without luggage and with a fixed date, the cheapest available fare is almost always the best value – the price difference between Basic and higher bundles can be considerably greater than what you save on comfort you ultimately will not use.
How to choose the right fare for a flight from Košice
Before buying a ticket, first check whether your trip is certain and whether you will need more than hand luggage – if so, it is worth calculating whether it is cheaper to pay extra already at booking rather than adding items later, when they tend to cost more. It is also useful to check the current flight schedule and the overview of destinations from Košice, so you know which carrier actually flies the route and what fares it offers. If you are looking for inspiration on better travel dates, we also regularly update our promotional tickets from Košice. In the end, the decision is not about which fare is “best”, but which one matches your specific flight – a one-off trip with light luggage, or a journey where you will appreciate the certainty of flexible changes and comfort.
Cheap flights from Košice
Direct routes from Košice Airport with current fares. Prices are indicative – the cheapest one-way fare as of 12. 10. 2026.
LondonRyanairfrom €16View offer
LiverpoolRyanairfrom €18View offerLondonWizz Air UKfrom €22View offerBratislavaWizz Airfrom €23View offerRomeWizz Air Maltafrom €26View offer
MálagaRyanairfrom €35View offerLinks lead to our partner Pelikan.sk. Booking through them supports this website.