FlyArystan. How to fly cheap

In this post I will tell a little about FlyArystan (a daughter company of Air Astana, which has already become independent), about the impact it has had on air transportation in Kazakhstan and beyond, about the opportunities that have opened up, and also share some tips and tricks 🙂
If you look at the pattern of air routes over the past decades, it may seem that Central Asia is in the center of an uncharted no-fly zone, standing out as a white spot on the map. Flights were few and expensive, and even domestic flights were available only to a small number of rich people. To get from Semipalatinsk to Almaty, 1000 kilometers away, you needed to spend almost a day on a train. And while it was slowly creeping southward, you could feel the smooth change of season and climate. A depressing picture.
But in 2019 there was an amazing Phenomenon that literally opened the skies of Kazakhstan for flights. The birth of a low-cost airline! A real gift for travel enthusiasts! I adore flying, I love airplanes, and every flight is a holiday and a special adventure for me. Until 2019, I had only 2 flights with S7 airline and a few rare flights on Soviet IL-86 and An-24 (An-24 feels like a washing machine. Constant shaking, rumbling and a round window in the wall). And here – spacious, modern Airbus A-320! A real miracle!
At first, the airline flew only within Kazakhstan, only to a few cities with connecting hubs in Almaty and Astana. But it was already amazing, because ticket prices started from 6000 tg (12 euros) for a 1000 km flight, and for 25-30 euros you could fly from Astana to the Caspian Sea, across the whole country!

What is FlyArystan airline today? At the beginning of 2024 it is about 16 aircraft, 5 of which are brand new Airbus A320neo. Transfer hubs in Almaty, Astana, Aktau and Shymkent. 24 destinations (10 of them are foreign), more than 10 million passengers carried and a 4-star SkyTrax rating. An impressive beginning! FlyArystan currently operates flights to Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, China, India, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Seasonal flights to the UAE. There used to be flights to Armenia and Russia.

Airport codes (IATA): Istanbul – IST (International), Istanbul – SAW (Sabihi Gökçen), Ankara – ESB, Kutaisi – KUT, Tashkent – TAS, Samarkand – SKD, Bishkek – FRU, Baku – GYD, Delhi – DEL, Mumbai – BOM, Urumqi – URC, Astana – NQZ, Almaty – ALA, Aktau – SCO, Turkestan – HSA, Atyrau – GUW, Shymkent – CIT.

The cost of FlyArystan services is based on the model of “I pay for everything separately”, like typical low-cost airlines. Baggage, extended hand luggage, meals on board, insurance, flexible booking functions, seat selection and so on – everything is paid for separately, and you can choose only those services that are necessary and not overpay. And the cost of the flight itself is comparable to the cost of a railroad ticket. Incredible generosity in our reality!
As an independent (solo) traveler, I immediately appreciated the advantages of low-cost carriers. You can fly with amazing economy – twice, three times or even many times cheaper than regular airlines. While the cost of flying is usually about ⅓ of the total travel budget. If you aim to get from point A to point B without spending on extra services and travel light, you can save a lot of money.
So how do you achieve this? There are some obvious, and not so obvious, nuances to consider.

How do I find the cheapest tickets?

FlyArystan’s pricing is based on the “auction” principle, as I call it. Twice a year (at the beginning and at the end of the year, usually in November and February) tickets are available for six months in advance. Conditionally, the first 5 tickets for each flight are at the lowest price, then, as they are sold out, the price rises more and more until it exceeds the cost of even regular Air Astana flights. So, passengers in a hurry overpay for the urgency, and those who want to maximize savings book tickets in advance, 3-5 months ahead. From time to time there are discounts and sales, for example, for new destinations, for flights abroad out of season, for additional services, etc. And on FlyArystan’s birthday, May 4, or on Black Friday, the discounts are especially tasty. For instance, I was able to fly from Astana to Aktau (1700 km) for only 6 euros!
When booking, exclude all extras – especially SMS flight notification and airport check-in. These options are automatically activated, but you can cancel them. Just keep an eye on the total cost so that nothing extra is added. Check in for your flight online. Only this option will be free. Plus, you’ll be able to print your nice boarding ticket for free at the airport at the iJan terminal.

How to fit in that doesn’t fit

For maximum savings, you should travel light. The basic fare includes one (and only one!) piece of hand luggage weighing 5 kg with the size of 56x23x36 cm. At first there was no such strict condition that you can take only one bag, and it is quite inconvenient. Although the sizes are quite capacious and 2 bags will fit in them quite well.
What to do? 
1) Take a duffel bag and put several bags inside. The main thing is that the total volume should fit within the size of the bag. If the outer bag is suspiciously large, you will be asked to demonstrate its align with permitted size in a hand luggage calibrator (meter).
2) You don’t have a duffel bag but can’t fit everything in your backpack? Or is it too fragile to tamp it inside? You could tie a bag on the outside with whatever doesn’t fit. Nominally it will still be one carry-on.
3) Put more clothes on. Airplanes are usually chilly, so you won’t get sweaty. Anything you can put on yourself doesn’t count.
4) Carry a man purse with you. It will fit half a kilo of necessary things, and under the outer clothes such a purse is well hidden and does not cause questions.
These 4 tips are especially relevant when you take an extended hand luggage, but do not fit by volume, not by weight.
One more thing. If you check in for a domestic flight online and print out your boarding pass at the iJan terminal (which is very convenient, by the way), you don’t have to cross the check-in counter at all, and no one will check your hand luggage for compliance with the dimensions and weight (if it looks normal, within reasonable limits). For example, you can drag through all 10 kg this way, if you can fit it in the same volume. But I didn’t do it myself, and I don’t advise anyone to do it – why spoil the impressions of the travel, risking to get overweight penalty, if additional +5 kg in the extended hand luggage is not so expensive? I usually take the extended one on the way back, when my backpack is full of souvenirs and gifts 🙂

Fly with taste without spending a lot of money

A few more useful tips. Instead of taking food on board (the price list there is literally sky-high), you can take care of the food in advance and bring it with you. It is not forbidden. For example, a croissant from the supermarket, with ham and a leaf of salad will be a great snack. Also a perfect snack on the way will be an assortment of nuts and dried fruit – delicious and very nutritious. It’s also a great source of energy. What about drinks? Anything that can leak comes under the definition of “liquids” and is limited to a maximum permitted volume of 100 ml. That’s not much. But you can carry up to a liter of liquids per passenger on board. How do you do that? By pouring them into 100 ml bottles. These can easily be found in online stores as travel kits. This way the drinking issue is also easily solved. Only the bottles should be packed in a transparent cosmetic bag with a zipper, or in a good zipper bag.
I would like to note that FlyArystan’s in-flight meals include quite tasty sandwiches for 5 euros, and for 1 euro you can buy half a liter of compote or a simple soda. When ordering in advance, online, the price is lower. So if you want to try onboard food, you can find acceptable options in the menu of Arystan Café.
How to choose a seat without choosing a seat

Another interesting hint. Seat selection is a paid service, and the system automatically suggests a random seat during online registration. But if you are not satisfied with the offered seat, just start registration again. Most likely you will get a completely different seat. For instance, I always like to sit by the window. More often than not – it works out 🙂

I will note the main pros and cons of low-cost carrier FlyArystan, compared to other airlines:

• quite modern and comfortable airbus A320 and A320neo airplanes. There are some brand new ones, straight from the factory.
• growing geography of foreign destinations. A wide network of domestic flights between cities of Kazakhstan.
• basic flight cost is comparable to rail transportation.
• convenient automatic check-in and boarding pass printing terminals at the airport.
• the seat backs can recline, which is not available on all low-cost carriers.
• online check-in opens one month before the departure date.
• there are many special services like parcel delivery or congratulations on board. You can even book a separate charter for a large group.
• Interesting opportunities are available to save on additional services, while flying in comfort. • beautiful livery and logo 🙂
• flights are periodically delayed or may be canceled. In case of cancellation, free rebooking is offered.
• only 1 piece of carry-on luggage allowed, even extended.
• The low-cost carrier format is not suitable for everyone. Especially if you are flying with your family, with children, far away and with a lot of luggage. And if you are used to all the services on board.
• strongly rising ticket prices closer to the departure date – you need to catch cheap prices months in advance. The starting price of tickets has also increased. This year a ticket to Almaty cost me twice as much as last year.

How to avoid negative experiences when flying with a low-cost carrier?

Most of the negative comments from passengers online are based on a lack of knowledge of how a low-cost carrier works, as well as a lack of patience or politeness. In fact, everything is quite simple. It is enough to accept the specifics of their work, carefully check the data at check-in, departure dates, flight status, notifications on the mail. Do everything on time, check in online, arrive at the airport in advance and use the small tips I shared with you in this post.
I would like to note that in less than 5 years I have flown with FlyArystan about 30 times (including constant connections between hubs) and generally had a great experience. The airline’s employees have repeatedly helped me in solving complicated issues with rebooking in case of flight delays, they were helpful with hand luggage and seat selection (which is usually paid exclusively by low-cost carriers), for which I am very grateful to them. All I had to do was to demonstrate patience and politeness, and they always tried to help me. We, Central Asians, are immensely lucky that we now have such a low-cost carrier, FlyArystan. As the author of a wonderful channel about airplanes – SkyShips – said, I wish the airline and all its passengers fast flights and soft landings! Fleet expansion and new interesting destinations!