Best Airlines To Use When Flying To Croatia

Looking for the Best Airlines in Croatia?

Airports in Croatia tend to run at two extremes, hectic over the summer and nearly to the point of closing over the winter (some do close). This applies for all airports over the country except Zagreb which is seen as more of a winter destination and more of a short stopover during the summer season. If you’re reading this article then you’re likely looking at visiting Croatia during the high season so here are our personal favourites for airlines that fly in and out of Croatia based on several factors including; comfort, affordability, availability, service, and convenience.

Wizz Air

Wizz Air is the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe and is originally based In Hungary. Wizz Air has 33 bases in 16 countries and operates over 800 routes to nearly 200 destinations in Europe and beyond. They often have extremely cheap flights in and out of destinations around Croatia and honestly, we have very rarely heard of people with negative experiences with Wizz Air. In regards to all things considered, it's a get-what-you-paid-for service with a general level of satisfaction from their customers.

They fly to Split, Dubrovnik, and Osijek. So very ideal for these locations, however with no flights to Zagreb, Zadar, or any other places they are somewhat limited in their reach of the country and are one of the less common carriers used in and out of Croatia.

Our final verdict - comfortable, and good value but limited in options.

Croatia Airlines

Croatia Airlines is Croatia’s one national airline and represents the country with flights nationwide and also to destinations all around Europe all year round. They are very convenient as they fly to regional airports that no other airlines can reach, especially over the high season so it is a good option for those looking for the most comfortable and least time-consuming way to travel around Croatia and its islands.

That being said, it is not seen as a low-cost carrier and therefore will generally cost more than other low-cost airlines that fly to destinations in the country, though they do have a monopoly over particular destinations in the country. They also boast a reasonable business class option, unfortunately, flights within Croatia don’t last long enough for the full business class experience to be enjoyed as it should. Also with this, airport lounges are somewhat limited within the country.

Our final verdict - comfortable, not the best option for value but very good for range and visiting destinations that other airlines don’t have access to.

Ryanair

Despite all the criticism that Ryanair receives, it’s still by far the busiest airline in all of Europe and has also definitely raised its prices in recent years, nowadays it is tough to find those below 10 Euro flights like you used to before 2020. They cut a lot of their inefficient routes after the pandemic meaning more routes to more popular destinations, luckily Croatia and many of its international and regional airports are just some of these hot spots.

If you’re travelling light then this is almost definitely the best option in regards to a low-cost carrier, that is if your hand luggage can fit under the seat in front of you. Nothing worse than having to fork out another fifty euros or having to chuck on a few extra layers of clothing just to make their weight limit. Make sure to prepare for your flight by checking in online or printing out boarding passes before arriving at the airport or else a relatively cheap, uncomfortable flight can become an expensive day out, with no extra comfort offered.

It also depends on where your flight is departing from. Generally, inbound flights into Croatia shouldn’t exceed three hours as it is quite a central destination from most European airports.

Our final verdict - not so comfortable but incredible value for money if you plan accordingly. Decent range of options depending on where you’re coming from or where your next stop is.

EasyJet

Honestly, we couldn’t give you a huge difference between EasyJet and Ryanair apart from they have different colour logos. But from an outsider's point of view, it seems they offer somewhat the same flight paths and generally the same deals. We will say that better deals often appear slightly more for Ryanair and from memory, the seats on EasyJet seem ever so slightly softer and thicker, maybe we just got lucky with that one particular aircraft, or maybe the traditional airport beers before take-off hit us a little harder before one flight compared to the other.

EasyJet also has a wide range of flights from around Europe and the UK landing in many airports within Croatia. They also have some hubs in the United Kingdom that are solely theirs which might make them more convenient for people coming to Croatia from a range of different places. In regards to price, it is also known as a low-cost carrier and it is common to find cheap flights and sales to a variety of destinations, again it is best to read the terms and conditions regarding what luggage allowance is allowed and what is requested of the individual before check-in.

Our final verdict - is probably just behind Ryanair on value for money and for convenience, however slightly more comfortable.

Lufthansa

In 2018; the landing of today’s Lufthansa flight LH1414 in Zagreb marked the 50th anniversary of Lufthansa’s continuous presence in Croatia. Currently, the Lufthansa Group offers 147 weekly flights from Croatia. Lufthansa offers 56 weekly frequencies from five local cities to the two main hubs; namely, flights from Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Pula, Split, and Zadar to Frankfurt and Munich, and is in direct partnership and codeshares flights with Croatia Airlines to Frankfurt and Munich.

This puts them in the Star Alliance category and means they have a loyalty program that can be lined up with many other Star Alliance airline loyalty programs like Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, etc.

Lufthansa will not be the cheapest option to fly in and out of Croatia but the reason for their popularity is because of their connections from Europe across the Atlantic to the United States and for a reasonable price too. Because of their long haul options, they offer comfortable seating and very good upgrade options, if it’s within your budget. It is regarded as a safe airline with very good customer service and has a good reputation worldwide.

Our final verdict - is very comfortable, however, if you’re flying to Croatia from relatively close it’s probably not the best option due to pricings. Depends on what you value your comfort at.

Swiss Airlines, Eurowings, Brussels Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and the rest...

All are good-class airlines and all are involved in worldwide alliances, however, we have decided to place them all in the same article as they offer much smaller services in and out of Croatia compared to those we touched on above. The first three offer extremely good service around other European countries while Turkish airlines offer flights leaving Europe to destinations in Asia, America, and Africa. It has rapidly become one of the best airlines in the world.

All aren’t considered low cost so will come with a price tag but with extra comfort offered. Our recommendation of the three is to stick with Turkish Airlines, can’t fault their service and definitely cannot fault their prices, especially flying through Istanbul.

Our final verdict - is high comfort but low convenience as they fly rarely in and out of Croatia and probably even more to the destination you’re looking for. Prices can also vary.