So you’re searching for flights and stumbled on a $20 round trip flight. Is it too good to be true??
Most countries with airlines also have a budget or several budget airlines. In the US the most well-known budget airlines are Spirit and Frontier but there are many more. Throughout Europe the two most known are Easy Jet and Ryan Air. The biggest complaint people have when booking a budget airline is that they’re expecting the same level of service that they would receive on a “regular” airline like United or Delta. But if that so called “regular” airline is charging $200 for a roundtrip ticket that you could get from Frontier for $20, why would we expect the same level of service? This is where the saying “You get what you pay for” comes to mind.
Now in reality what we SHOULD expect from any airline regardless of what type is that they get us to our destinations SAFELY and preferably on time.
For every negative experience a person has had when flying a budget airline there’s an equal number if not more of decent/positive experiences. It’s all about being prepared before booking the super low fare!
#1 Do the math!!
What additional fees are there for the flight? Do you need to pay for baggage? Some airlines will charge for carry-on bags so unless you can fit everything in a small backpack you might have to pay for a carry-on bag at a minimum. Are you ok with assigned seats or would you rather pick your own? Don’t assume just because you booked 2 seats the airline will automatically sit you together. Are you able to check yourself into the flight? Can you get an electronic boarding pass or can your hotel print your pass for you? You’d be surprised how much some of these carriers charge just to physically hand you a boarding pass at the airport.
#2 Look up the airport!!
In some cases, the budget airlines will fly into different airports. Often these airports are much further away from the city center (this is the case for many of the European budget carriers). It may be more difficult to get to the airport and more expensive, perhaps public transportation is no longer an option to use. Factor in the cost of getting to your airport (is it the same you normally fly out of or is it much further) as well as the airport you’re flying into. In addition, remember to factor these costs twice as you’ll pay them when you depart and when you arrive. Perhaps it makes more sense to rent a car for the time you’re away because of the airport distance?
#3 Look into the flight times!
So let’s say the airport is an hour and a half away from the city center but there’s a bus you can take to get to it, OK GREAT! But these super cheap flights have you landing super late when the bus no longer runs, or way too early before the bus starts running. Sometimes the budget flights can run during less than ideal times. Make sure to consider the flight times in your overall itinerary to make sure they work for you.
These 3 things you should always do before choosing the flight. Sometimes they extra low fare will still save you tons of money even with all the fees, but sometimes the cost can be about the same as the more expensive option and a heck of a lot more in inconvenient. So always look at the whole picture before deciding!
DO these every time!
These 3 things you should always do before choosing the flight! Sometimes they extra low fare will still save you tons of money even with all the fees, but sometimes the cost can be about the same as the more expensive option and a heck of a lot more in inconvenient. So always look at the whole picture before deciding!
