A Guide to Low-Cost Carriers

Not all low-cost carriers are created equal. To make up for a lower level of service and amenities, Southwest Airlines treats and compensates its employees exceptionally well and expects a high level of customer service. Each carrier utilizes different methods to keep costs to a minimum, sometimes on the backs of the employees, sometimes with old equipment and barebones service. The implication of this is that they may not have similar amenities and fees from one carrier to the next. This leads to some discrepancy in the tickets costs and services between airlines (e.g. jetBlue and Allegiant). So which budget airline is the best? Frankly, this is a very subjective, personal choice. If money is the biggest motivator, the answer lies in the lowest ticket price and the schedule availability. If amenities and customer service are also cherished values, the desired airline could be entirely different.

In the United States, J.D. Power and Associates voted jetBlue Airways as the “Highest in Airline Customer Satisfaction” for the last 10 years. Southwest Airlines comes in a close second for customer satisfaction under the J.D. Power cachet.

Pay-to-play can be a boon or a bane, depending on the pre-preparation and education of the consumer. Consumer education is the surefire way to avoid the shock of “hidden fees”. All of the fee information for each airline is available on the company website. Educating oneself of the particular airline fees in advance is the defense against going over budget and having a stress-free journey.

“Pay-to-play is a huge benefit to those that understand and utilize it correctly since they allow the educated consumer to determine the level of service desired. Spirit Airlines calls this frill control, whereby consumers pay for what they use, and don’t pay for services that are unwanted. For example, at full-service carriers, the costs of “complimentary drinks and snacks” on-board the aircraft may be caked right into the ticket costs, whether you take advantage of them or not. Spirit allows the consumer to choose to pay for drinks and snacks, thereby lowering the overall costs.

All of that being said, buyer beware. There are many questions that need to be answered before traveling budget airlines to avoid the surprise of fees. Air carriers all have their own fee pitfalls and a list of non-conclusive questions to answer before booking is included below:

• Are taxes included in the final ticket price?
• What are the various baggage fees? Can I carry on bags for free?
• If I am hungry or thirsty, are there free snacks and drinks on my flight? Do I mind paying the inflated snack costs?
• Did I book round trip? If not, how much are return flights?
• How much is my time worth? Am I required to connect at an airport that is a significant detour to the destination?
• What are the entertainment options on board? What can I do to improve my own experience?
• Do I mind flying at off-peak days and times to get the best travel deal? Do I mind red-eye flights or o-dark-thirty departure times?
• Do I mind flying into smaller airport away from the city center? How far away is the destination airport from my final destination?
• Does the airline charge a fee to print out the boarding pass at the airport?
• How important is personal space? How big are the seats on this aircraft?

The following tables show a comparison of important features between the major low-cost airlines around the world.

Below is a list of a few popular low-cost carriers, sorted by region and their respective services, amenities, and fees.

Data points above are based on economy class. Economy class service differentiations are not included (An example would be an “economy plus” or exit row seating). *Seat Pitch is a measure of the distance from a point (usually the seat back) on a particular seat to the same point on the seat behind of or in front of it. •The assumption with baggage fees is the standard one carry-on item and one personal bag are gratis and will be indicated by a “Yes” in this column. ∞Meal service may only be on select flights. check with the carrier for when meals are served. This column only indicates the avaiability of meals on the flight. It is highly likely meals are pay-to-play only. #Premium Cabin shows whether the airline offers more than one class of service i.e. Premium Economy or First Class. While efforts are made to keep this info updated we do not guarantee the information provided is 100% accurate and recomend checking the individual airlines.

Budget carriers and their pay-to-play system are an overall benefit to consumers. They allow the consumer to choose the levels of extra service or reject the unnecessary and to save a great deal on airfare. These facts open up air travel to those who could not otherwise afford it. Moreover, for those that already travel often, budget carriers aid in a higher frequency of travel. As a passenger, do not expect a lot of legroom, a three-course meal, and real silverware from these airlines. Do expect to get a better deal on flights. Do expect that travel will become more accessible as low-cost carriers look to new technology and novel means for lowering costs as we move forward. The future of air travel looks bright for those of us that want to travel often and do so on a budget.

Happy flying!

Graham Hoff-Downing