Travelling with cheap airlines is becoming more and more popular, because most of us don't mind saving some money. What parts of the World would the inexpensive flight take us to?
A ticket that's several times cheaper than usual? Nowadays it's possible mostly because of the popularisation of cheap airlines. Although low-cost airlines fly in many directions, they mostly handle the short distance routes around Europe. When visiting a neighbouring country, you can easily use budget airlines. However, you should remember to book in advance when flying with cheap airlines.
Something you should know about budget airlines is that they usually fly to the airports located a little bit further from the city centres. Unless you're going to a smaller city with just one airport – no bother then. The airports served by budget airlines are usually located around 10-30 km from the city centre and they're easily accessible. You'll be able to use public transport or a taxi without any problems. You can also rent a car for the time of your stay.
The best time to book your holidays may be during the summer. This is the time when many companies offer cheaper flights and bigger discounts. This option allows you to tick off an exotic trip on your bucket list, so get ready for a holiday outside of Europe. What's typical for cheap airlines is that you can't use the buffet cabin free of charge. This is not a problem though because the airports always offer plenty of cafés and restaurants.
| Airline | Overall rating | No. of reviews |
|---|---|---|
Flybe (BE)
|
3.7 | 1140 |
Wizz Air (W6)
|
4 | 9301 |
easyJet (U2)
|
3.9 | 2881 |
Ryanair (FR)
|
3.8 | 18820 |
Blue Air (0B)
|
3.8 | 184 |
Eurowings (EW)
|
4 | 456 |
British Airways (BA)
|
3.9 | 353 |
Aer Lingus (EI)
|
4.1 | 228 |
Iberia (IB)
|
3.8 | 263 |
Vueling (VY)
|
3.9 | 448 |
It turns out that most people value the price of the ticket more than the comfort on the plane. Is there anything else you should take into consideration, other than the price of a ticket?
There are no specific companies that would offer you the cheapest prices in terms of flights. The case is that the flight costs are small because they're lowered by the lack of comforts during the flight. If you go for the cheap airline ticket, you simply let go of free drinks, buffet or VIP room access. For many people, those aren't necessary elements and they're happier with the possibility of travelling to their holiday destination fast and inexpensively.
The cheap airline flights are usually around 3 hours long, so you normally don't even think about the lack of comfort while flying. Consider the fact that budget airlines don't fly to every country. Be thorough when checking where your plane lands and what's the distance from the airport to the city centre. A good tip is to find out the fare for public transport. It might turn out that getting out of the airport is even more expensive than your flight ticket.
Low-cost airlines are certainly good for weekend breaks when you don't have to bring any checked luggage. Its price is not included in your ticket fare, so if you wish to bring a larger bag – you have to pay for it. However, if your stuff fits into a sizable bag, usually up to around 10 kg capacity, you don't have to worry about extra surcharges. Cosmetics or hygiene products may be bought when you get there.
It's no secret that all passengers are interested in airline deals and discounts. How to find them and save up?
Discounts are the most stimulating factor in terms of triggering sales, this applies to aeroplane tickets too. No wonder if you can go to a desired destination in less than half the price. How do you search for cheaper flight deals? First of all, check out the carriers' websites. There's usually one day of the week when all flights are cheaper. Bear in mind that the websites are usually under a lot of traffic then and may be running slow. But, as Leo Tolstoy would put it - „The two most powerful warriors are patience and time”.
Another good way of finding flight deals is visiting the platforms that gather information from all the different carriers about their discounts. This way you might actually find a flight to the spot you were hoping to go on holidays to in the first place. If you haven't specifically decided on the place you wanted your to spend holidays in, you might actually end up booking a great holiday for the whole family. So go ahead and look for those deals to save some money.
Even though you search for cheap flights, you should also check if at the moment any other discounts aren't running for regular flights. You might be surprised. Many people travel like that around Europe and they don't necessarily spend a fortune on fares. An interesting fact is that deals are usually offered on the openings of a new connection to one place or another. That way it's worth your while to follow several carriers with their offers, and to keep your eyes on the prize.
There are several airports in the UK served by budget airlines. They offer both domestic and international flights. You can easily fly to your holiday destination from the bigger airports, like London Gatwick, Birmingham, Leeds Bradford, or Manchester.
The most popular cheap airlines are WizzAir and Ryanair. Anyone who's even just once travelled on a plane, has most likely used one of these carriers. Ryanair is an Irish company set up in the eighties, while WizzAir is Hungarian and was brought up to life relatively recently – in 2004. Both airlines have become the most popular budget carriers and bring millions of passengers to various holiday destinations every year.
Cheaper airlines serving long-haul destinations from the UK to Asia, USA or Africa, are for example EasyJet or Norwegian Air. The first airline is British and serves even up to 600 domestic and international flights. The second carrier comes from Norway and has been flying passengers since 2002, offering over 400 routes. If you think of tropical holidays – you should check out their offers.
Traveling on a plane is considered one of the safest means of transport, even though this fact may shock some of you. It's hard to differentiate between various companies because the standards are the same. Every plane is tested before every departure and is double-checked on many points concerning safety. Needless to say that every year, all aeroplanes undergo an annual examination to verify their condition. The cheap airlines’ fleets undergo the same process as the more expensive carriers. The difference may be only in the comfort of flying. For example, some planes have expanded leg space, while other ones have more comfortable seats. However, that isn't in any way a safety factor.
When looking for cheaper carriers, you can follow the exact same steps as when searching for regular airlines. Just do it via Web(the Internet?). You can use a flight search engine to find a trip that you're interested in. When you enter the required information – the departure and the returning dates as well as your destination, the flight search engine will find cheap flights available for you, including also the names of the carriers. By doing that, you can select the airline that you're mostly interested in. What's crucial – the flight search engine allows you to look for deals several days ahead, so you won't have to check the price list every day. You can also do a price comparison using the flight search engine, or simply go the various carriers’ websites and select the offers you’re most interested in.
