Traveling to Kaunas, Lithuania, can be a challenge, since only two airlines -- airBaltic and Ryanair -- fly there. Many major flight search engines, such as Kayak.com and Orbitz.com, do not index the itineraries of these small regional carriers. However, with a little ingenuity and the help of a not-widely-advertised search engine, you can get to Kaunas for much less than you might expect.
Go to the ITA Matrix website, matrix.itasoftware.com. A link is in the References section of this article. Click "Log in as a guest."
In the "From" field, enter the city or airport you'll be flying from. In the "To" field, enter "KUN", the airport code for Kaunas. Enter your flight dates and the number of travelers.
Click the blue "Go!" button.
Find a suitable flight in the list of results, then click "Details".
Click "Show Booking Details," then scroll to the bottom of the page. Note the booking and fare codes for each segment. The total includes all taxes and fees.
Compare prices with Ryanair at ryanair.com to see if you can lower your fare, since ITA Matrix doesn't search Ryanair's fares. A link to Ryanair is in the References section of this article.
In the booking details, codes starting with BT are airBaltic flights. If they're more than €30 each, go to the Ryanair website. Ryanair flies to Kaunas from Birmingham, Liverpool, and London, England; Bremen and Frankfurt-Hahn, Germany; and from Dublin, Ireland.
If you find a flight that beats airBaltic's price, use ITA Matrix to find a flight to the appropriate Ryanair departing airport. Make sure the arrival and departure times are compatible. You may wish to book a hostel and spend a day in the city from which your flight to Kaunas will leave.
Contact a travel agent with the booking information and have the agent book the tickets for you. ITA's "E-mail This Itinerary" link will send all necessary information to your travel agent.
If you'll be switching to Ryanair, book that flight on the Ryanair website.
