Airlines

A host of low-budget airlines, as well as most major airlines, along the west-east, north-south axes, fly through Berlin. Whether EU-Metro-Hopping, touring Germany, or on a European sales trip, flying into Berlin is possible on nearly any budget. Even the backpackers these days should seriously consider flying, thereby gaining time and another city on the itinerary, saving the more expensive train fare, though certainly sacrificing the romance (ala Ethan Hawke/Julie Delpy in "Before Sunrise").



Low-Budget Airlines:

EasyJet: flight network throughout Europe to and from Berlin.
RyanAir: only between Schönefeld Airport and Eastern Midlands and London Stansted!
HLX: flight network all over Europe to and from Berlin, even to Croatia's coast, otherwise no destinations in Eastern Europe.
flydba: flights to and from Berlinmostly within Germany, a few destinations in Italy and Greece, and flights to Moscow.
airberlin: flights all over Europe and beyond, to and from Berlin!

Even Lufthansa offers some very competitive fares with lots of flights all over Germany and Europe.


Major Airlines:

Air France (AF) www.airfrance.com Flughafen Tegel , 13405 Berlin | Tel: 41 01 27 15, Fax: no fax | Airport Bus from S+U Zoologischer Garten, U7 Jakob-Kaiser-Platz or Kurt-Schumacherstr. | Central Reservations Tel.: 1805- 830 830 France's national carrier offers a number of daily flights to Paris -where else-, though French propensities for industrial action might have to be taken into account, if you're dependant on arriving on time. Together with partner airline, Delta, they often have attractive fares to the U.S.

Aeroflot (SU) Unter den Linden 51, 10117 Berlin - Mitte | Tel: 22 69 81-0, Fax: 22 69 81-40 | Tel.: (Switchboard), 22 69 81-11 to -15 (Reservations) | Schoenefeld Airport | Tel.: 60 91 53-72, -70 The days of "exclusive" Ilyushin or Tupolev "service" are gone, at least on most international flights, as these are now operated with aircraft from reputable manufacturers. Nevertheless, Aeroflot still offer bargains on many long distance destinations, all via Moscow, of course.

Alitalia (AZ) www.alitalia.it/eng Flughafen Tegel , 13405 Berlin | Tel: 41 01 26 50, Fax: no fax | Airport Bus from S+U Zoologischer Garten, U7 Jakob-Kaiser-Platz or Kurt-Schumacherstr. | Central Reservation Tel.: 069-69 50 52 33 Don't expect Alitalia to carry you nonstop to Rome. Their Berlin offer is a service to Milan's new Malpensa airport, which is fine for connections, but a drag if Rome itself is your destination. Alitalia's linkup with KLM has extended their network considerably, and they often have budget fares to the U.S.

Deutsche BA (DI) Budapester Str 18B8, 10787 Berlin - Charlottenburg | Tel: 254 00 00, Fax: no fax | S+U Zoologischer Garten | Travel Shop Poststr. 4-5 | 10178 Mitte | Tel.: 247 36 80 | Customer Service TXL Tel.: 41 01 26 47 | Reservations 0180-333 34 44, 0180-535 93 22 | map: Germany's number two carrier usually offers slightly cheaper fares and more enthusiastic service than the "other one". This has just won them a top ranking in a survey conducted by a business magazine. If you're flying for fun, go for Friday afternoons, when they have their inflight cocktail hour on intra-German flights. Frequent flyers accumulate miles on Executive Club, from DI's mother company British Airways, and there is BonusPlus for those who mainly travel on DI.

British Airways (BA) www.britishairways.com Budapester Str. 18B, 10787 Berlin - Charlottenburg | Tel: 254 00 00, Fax: no fax | S+U Alexanderplatz | Tel.: 247 36 80 | Office Flughafen Tegel | Tel.: 41 01 26 44 | Customer Service | Tel.: 41 01 26 47 | Central Reservations Tel.: 01803-34 03 40 map: BA has flights from Berlin to London -Heathrow only- and to Birmingham and Manchester. Heathrow naturally gives you access to BA's immense network, and BA's partners in the oneworld alliance will take you pretty much anywhere you want to go. Budget travellers will be discouraged by BA´s recent announcement that it intends to focus on the luxury end of the market. This will be great for passengers in BA´s intercontinental business class who will soon be treated to the industry's first sleeper seats, but it doesn´t auger well for backpacker bargains.

Eurowings (EW) www.eurowings.de Flughafen Tempelhof , 12101 Berlin - Tempelhof | Tel: 69 51 28 32, Fax: no fax | U6 Platz der Luftbrücke | This "small" carrier, actually one of the large European regional airlines, is only of interest if you're travelling to or via places like Münster, Dortmund or Nuremberg. Romantic souls might consider their summer service to Venice (Sat only). Their frequent flyer program is linked with KLM's Flying Dutchman. Many travellers on the Frankfurt-Berlin route mourned EW's withdrawal from this service.

Lufthansa (LH) www.lufthansa.com info@lufthansa.de Kurfürstendamm 220, 10719 Berlin - Charlottenburg | Tel: 8875 3800, Fax: 8875 3801 | U15 Uhlandstr | Reservations and flight info 0049 1803 803 803 map: Germany's "flag carrier" is not exactly known for low fares or warm-hearted service, but it is unavoidable on the crucial Berlin-Frankfurt route and the most frequent operator on many others. Look for their special offers, which can actually make LH a budget airline. Their business class is one of the least gracious around, and travellers looking for a generous frequent flyer program should still look elsewhere.

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