Budget Airlines: What’s the Deal?

We have flown on discount airlines both domestic and abroad.  For the most part, it has been a good experience.  Low cost carriers offer prices so low that they provide a legitimate alternative to more traditional overland options.  Discount airlines can be a key ingredient to making your trip affordable.

There really are not any catches when it comes to budget airlines.  However, in order to avoid incurring often outrageous fees, it is important to become familiar with the carrier before your trip.  So, what do you need to know?  First, be aware that the rules for discount airlines can differ greatly and you’ll need to carefully review your booking materials as well as the airline’s website.   With the proper planning and minor modifications to your schedule, you will be able to save a considerable amount of money on your next adventure.   Never-the-less, there are a few things to look out for.

BAGGAGE

Baggage rules are the most important thing to be aware of with a budget flight.  It is quite common for the carry-on and checked baggage size to differ from the standards that are used on more traditional carriers.  Not only the sizes, but the weight restrictions will almost certainly be lower.  Some airlines don’t even allow free carry-on baggage.  With most legacy carriers now charging for checked baggage, the fees you will have to pay will likely be similar to what you are used to.  However to avoid fees completely, it is very important to check these details prior to arriving at the airport.  It is common for the baggage fees to vary greatly depending on when you pay.  By paying during the booking process, you will likely save yourself money.  Make sure to not exceed any weight limitations as each pound (or kilogram) will result in what can be a significant extra cost.  Be aware that some airlines can be incredibly strict with these restrictions with little to no allowance for mistakes.  AirAsia was particularly diligent in baggage rules.  Even after getting past check in and security, an employee walked around with a luggage scale and singled out bags as passengers awaited the flight.

AIRPORT LOCATIONS

The biggest inconvenience with many budget airlines is that they sometimes fly out of secondary airports.  These airports many be located just outside of the listed destination or possibly even in a neighboring city.  For example, a Ryanair flight to Vienna, Austria actually takes you to Bratislava, Slovakia.  Generally there will be affordable bus or van transportation to accommodate travelers in getting to their intended destination.

CHECK IN

Be careful about how and when you check in for your flight.  You’ll likely be asked to check in online prior to your flight.  You may need to print your own boarding pass as well.  Ryanair used to charge nearly $100 to reprint your boarding pass at the ticket counter.

IN-FLIGHT EXPERIENCE

Don’t expect to have much provided to you beyond a seat and a safe flight.  No, they don’t charge you to use the restroom but they do charge for nearly everything else.  If you want to have a snack on the flight, you should bring it with you.  Otherwise, you will have to pay.  Want a drink?  Better buy it in the duty free store before boarding.

One of the bigger annoyances can be the lack of designated seating.  On Ryanair, seating is handled on a first-come-first-served basis upon boarding.  Frontier Airlines assigns seat at check in.  They don’t guarantee that bookings made together will be seated together without paying $6 per seat.  Frontier does say they will “do their best” to accommodate this situation depending on the occupancy of the flight. We booked together and were assigned seats together without paying the additional fee.  Also, while we found the Frontier seats comfortable enough for a couple of hours, they do not recline.

PRICE

Budget flights can be found for incredibly low prices.  We took several flights on AirAsia ranging from <$50 to about $100.  A Frontier flight from Atlanta to Denver recently costs us only $75 each.  These prices can be comparable to the taxi ride you take to the airport.  However, I should point out that this is not always the case.  Depending on the route, budget airlines may not provide any saving over legacy carriers.  Similar to any other airline, the airports you fly into and out of greatly influence the price.  If possible, structure your trip with the discount hubs in mind.

With all these warnings it might be surprising that I would strongly recommend using a budget airline.  The companies do not engage in any deceptive practices.  If you are proactive in planning, you will be able to avoid nearly all the issues seen in angry reviews found all over the internet.  Dealing with minor annoyances these airlines present is easily outweighed by the substantial savings they can provide.  If budget is at all a consideration for your travels, consider low cost airlines.  Just don’t allow yourself to be the naive traveller who gets taken advantage of by (not so) sneaky fees.