Discount air travel tips

Discount airlines are airlines that offer tickets at a lower price, relative to those of traditional airlines. It’s not that they use shorter routes or minimize fuel consumption. Discount airlines sometimes referred to as budget airlines or price fighters, work using the ‘no-frills’ concept, meaning that they try to minimize the unnecessary extras associated with flying, like meals and entertainment. The airlines do offer some of these extra amenities, but to get them, passengers have to pay extra. Consequentially, their airline tickets are more cost-effective.

Some of the best know discount airlines in Europe include RyanAir in Ireland, easyJet in Scotland, Norwegian in Norway, and Wizz Air in Hungary. The United States also has a myriad of them, including Spirit, Allegiant Air, and ValuJet. What makes discount airlines so desirable when it comes to taking a vacation? Why should you use them instead of getting tickets from the other traditional airlines? Let’s delve a little deeper.

The advantages

• Cost

The most significant upside is the amount of money you will spend on airfare. This factor comes through, especially when you are vacationing, as you can transfer those excess funds elsewhere in your budget. A return ticket for Amsterdam- London route will cost you 100 euros less than you would pay on the traditional airlines, meaning for a family of seven, that’s 700 euros saved.

These airlines set a basic fee for the seats on the airline. It is up to you, the traveler, to choose the extra privileges you want and are willing to pay for. Choosing your sitting location, checking a bag, and priority boarding are the extras you could choose from.  This way, you can determine the amount of money you’d like to spend on the ticket.

Low-cost airlines are even cheaper if you book tickets several months in advance, as opposed to booking them a fortnight before when you plan to travel. For this reason, discount airlines are often the preferred option when planning to take a vacation.

• Promotions

In addition to the low cost of flying, low-budget airlines offer promotions and discounts regularly. Even though they may only be available for certain traveling weeks and are on for a couple of days only, it offers you an even cheaper alternative.

• Parking

Budget airlines often use smaller airports as opposed to the major ones that traditional airlines use. Consequentially, these small airports charge lower parking fees.

• Sightseeing

These small airports may not be near the assigned destination. You’d probably have to use another means of transportation to get to the exact place you wanted. Though this may entail the use of additional funds, the glass is still half full. Moving about the place you just landed will allow you to engage in sightseeing even if you have not planned for it.

The disadvantages

• Service provision

The services offered by discount airlines are less than what you would get in traditional airlines. This is the sacrifice to have to make for the cheap airfare. Take Ryanair, for example. It doesn’t have TVs in the seatbacks. Unlike traditional airlines, the cost of the inflight food isn’t catered in the price of the ticket and is considered an additional cost that you have to pay for. This is not to mean that the services themselves are substandard; they are just less luxurious.

Many times, discount airlines don’t offer refunds for canceled flights. Ultimately, once you schedule a flight, you must take it. Rescheduling means you have to pay extra fees, consequently defeating the purpose of cutting costs for the vacation.

• The distance between the airport and the city

Like earlier stated, the airports discount airlines use are not located in the exact destination stated. This is cheaper for the airline, but it means that travelers have to take other means of transport to get to where they were going. Ryanair advertises the destination as Paris, but the actual airport it lands is 50 miles from Paris. It is essential to check the exact landing location before you purchase your ticket so that you don’t get stranded.

• Extra costs

The ticket prices offered by discount airlines are often ridiculously low. However, you will often find that these are not the prices you will pay. The cost of taxes and surcharges will proliferate the overall cost of the flight. Not to mention the baggage check fees, seat location fees, and payment processing fees. It is no surprise then that Spirit airline generates more than a third of its profits from such.

What travelers prefer

It’s safe to say that most budget airlines don’t rank highly amongst people’s travel options. A recent survey conducted by Zogby analytics showed that Spirit only had 18 percent ratings for excellence. In comparison, Southwest Airlines had over 35 percent excellent ratings, and the customers who rated it poorly were less than five percent.  Even though safety is an essential factor, it is not the only thing that customers look for. Reputation and customer service are vital, and they differ among budget airlines.

In a 2015 study conducted by J.D. Power, travelers who selected airlines based in price said that they were 37 percent likely to recommend the airlines to others, and only 29 percent said they would fly with the discount airline again. Overall, the J.D. Power study concluded that customers who selected airlines based on reputation and customer service were more satisfied with their travel experience.  

Budget airlines are touted for the low costs of their tickets. An in-depth analysis of this claim and we conclude that it’s only half right. The hidden fees and they are numerous, increase the total amount you spend on the traveling part of your vacation. There is no complimentary services and everything that you want you will have to pay for.

There are numerous airlines that you could choose from when planning to travel. The big question, however, is whether you are willing to sacrifice amenities for the lower prices. Either way, you will get to your destination, the only significant difference being the comfort of the fight.