Cheap flights to Hungary on Malév
Good news, campers! The Hungarians are flying across Romania’s borders to help us out with some air travel expenses. And, now, with more frequency to more destinations…
Sounds like an advertisement? Well, it’s almost an endorsement, so to speak.
“Everyone” knows Tarom, the national airline of Romania, has long been terribly overpriced. I’ve checked their prices since 2003 and always found it laughable. At the same time, “everyone” knows that an influx of other European airlines should eventually force Tarom to be more competitive in the market. Outside of Romania, no one flies Tarom. And, frankly, I don’t even understand why Romanians do it… especially after I flew Tarom once (on a complicated multi-destination package deal) and only once.
The bright management of Malév, national airline of Hungary, are capitalizing on the Tarom-factor with increased flight offerings to the Transylvania cities, primarily because of the relatively large ethnic-Hungarian populations who live here.
Whereas most international airlines focus their Romania service exclusively on Bucureşti, the capitol of Romania, where the population is largely ethnic-Romanian (read: weak interest in traveling to Hungary), the clever folks at Malév are instead diversifying their flights to include some of the secondary airports like Timişoara, Cluj-Napoca and, most recently, Tirgu Mureş.
In the press photo above, you see Malév execs inaugurating the new service to Tirgu Mureş
Of course, they do offer Bucureşti service for business travellers as well as Constanţa flights for vacationers. My speculation is that mostly likely they add Sibiu in the near future, as the Transylvania trend of expansion continues.
Prices are pretty good, too. To celebrate, flights from Tirgu Mureş to Budapest are only 20€ for a round-trip flight! That’s an incredible offer. (Sadly, it doesn’t last forever. You have to hurry and buy during the next month or so… and complete your flight by March.) Even their normal prices are definitely worth noting. Compare this: round trip for 2 persons on a weekend in March, from Timişoara to Budapest, Malev asks 209€ each (while Tarom demands 298€ each).
It’s very smart for Malév to work with Romania. Other companies should follow suit as should politicians. Despite the strain of past history between the two groups, we are living in a new era of relative peace where these cultures can build on the better memories of the long co-existence. It’s not always been bloody. There are good relationships in Transylvania that can create a bridge between Hungary and Romania, bringing economic prosperity to both.
Tarom, are you listening?
By the way, if you’ve never been to Budapest, then you have no idea what you are missing!
