Budget 'Low Cost' Airline Flights - Reduce Your Airfare
Short-haul air travel has never been cheaper. Budget or low-cost discount airlines have changed the dynamics of the airfare market considerably over the last decade. Southwest airlines originally pioneered the low-cost concept in the US back in the 1970s. |
However with record oil prices it remains to be seen whether this era of ultra cheap flights can continue. In 2008 alone we have seen the bankruptcies of Aloha Airlines, Skybus, Oasis Hong Kong Airlines and the disappearance of Silverjet, Maxjet and EOS Airlines.
Southwest continue to trade successfully in the USA along with JetBlue; Virgin America has recently entered the market.
In Europe the number of budget airlines has grown significantly - there are currently scores of operators and a number of major hubs all over the continent.
European hubs include Frankfurt (Germany), Dublin (Ireland), Brussels Charleoi (Belgium), Rome (Italy) and of course London. The main Euro low-cost players are Ryanair, Easyjet, Air Berlin and Skyeurope. Consider that just 10 years ago your only option was to take a very over-priced flight with a national carrier.
Very recently Asia has seen the rise of the budget carrier with Air Asia establishing an extensive network around south-east Asia. This has brought air travel to many people who were previously priced out of the market. Air Asia is putting considerable pressure on airlines in that region, such as Malaysian Airlines, who are now running a loss on many of their routes. In India, Air Deccan, Kingfisher and SpiceJet are offering discount flights to the domestic market.
Air Asia has launched a long-haul budget airline called Air Asia X. See our article here: Air Asia X.
Australia has Virgin Blue and Qantas JetStar competing in the budget airline sector and flight prices today are significantly lower than a few years ago.
Flights in Europe - Think Budget
Those visitors flying long-haul into Europe can reduce their European travel costs considerably by buying cheap flights from budget airlines. Even those who usually purchase train passes may find this works out cheaper.
So rather than getting a direct trans-Atlantic flight to your destination, you can often get a better deal by flying into a hub like London, UK and then using one of the many low-cost airlines to get around the continent. This will give you both freedom and flexibility to visit more places as well as saving some money. The great thing about the low-costs is that you don't have to purchase a return fare, so you can customize your trip as you like.
Example
You want to fly from New York to Rome, Italy. Cost of flying (random day selected)
is $860 via Spain with Iberia or $923 direct with Alitalia. However you can also
fly the more competitive route to London for $640 and then book a return flight
from London to Rome with Ryanair for the special offer fare of $80. Total cost
$720 plus stopover in London if you wish. This saves you up to $200 off your flight
cost.
Please note, long-haul flights to London will usually arrive at Heathrow or Gatwick airports. The budget carriers generally operate out of London Luton or Stansted airports. Both are 1 hour north of the city and can be reached easily enough by bus or train. Easyjet also operates some flights out of London Gatwick
Expensive to stay in London? Yes, but Easyjet founder Stelios Haji-Iannou has now branched out into the hotel business and his easyhotels chain now offer small rooms at 3 locations in Central London from just £25 / $50 per night if you book ahead. This is not five-star accommodation - some rooms even lack a window - but it is for those who want to get a cheap night's sleep in a clean, safe brand-name hotel. Easyhotels also has properties in Switzerland and Hungary.
If you are flying to south-east Asia you can do the same by flying into a hub like Bangkok and continuing your journey from there using the budget carriers. International flights to Bangkok tend to be cheaper than flying to say Kuala Lumpur or Jakarta.
To get the very best fares on budget carriers you should:
1. Book your flight well in advance - lowest fares are filled on a first come, first served basis. Book months ahead and you can get some very low fares.
2. Fly out very early or very late in the day.
3. Fly during midweek (Tuesday and Wednesday are usually cheaper). Avoid Friday and Sunday evening as demand is greater for these flights.
4. Don't fly just before major holidays and be wary of major football matches in Europe which can cause demand to a certain destination to spike as fans fly out to watch the game.
5. Check low-cost airline websites on a regular basis for any special offers. You should get on their email list to alert yourself of any up-coming promotions.
A quick caveat about flying with low-cost airlines. They are not always cheaper than the full service carriers, especially if you are booking at reasonably short notice. So always make price comparisons between airlines.
Also, check how far the airport is from the city centre and what onward transport options you have. For example "Frankfurt" Hahn used by Ryanair is actually an airbase around 80 miles from Frankfurt! This may be fine for a leisure trip but possibly inconvenient if you are flying in on quick business.
You should always allow plenty of time for any connections. Flights can be delayed or cancelled which could disrupt your travel plans - the airline will normally book you on the next flight but will not provide hotels etc.
In summary, budget airlines in Europe and Asia and elsewhere will allow you to both travel around very cheaply and reach some of the more out-of-the-way destinations. You can now get to places such as Poland, Estonia and Slovakia in Europe and Sarawak (Malaysian Borneo) and Macau in Asia for very little money.
Air Travel Articles & Resources > Budget Airline Flying > Budget Airline Tips
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