Budget flights: are they worth it?
Many of us love a cheap flight. Budget airlines offer us the opportunity to see the world at a fraction of the normal price. For me based in London, budget flights have enabled me to see amazing, beautiful cities in Europe for less than a train ticket to other cities in the UK. But are they really worth it? Whilst the cheap price of a flight can be appealing, there are a number of important caveats that travellers must think about before booking a ticket. Hidden additional costs can mean that the total expenditure for a budget flight can be the same or more than a normal ticket.
Here are 3 major things to consider before booking that “bargain” flight:
Luggage - This is probably the most important thing to consider when booking a cheap flight because it is where additional costs can be the most expensive. Most budget flights will ask you to pay extra for checked luggage and will have tight restrictions on the number of hand luggage you can take on board as well as restrictions on size and weight. The general rule for a cheap flight is that you can only take one piece of hand luggage weighing 10kg at no additional cost. Anything else will cost you money. For most budget airlines, you will also be able to take an extra handbag/rucksack on board but for stricter airlines such as EasyJet, this is not allowed and you will have to pay an additional cost for this item (this can be as much as £45 (approx. €48/$58) if done at the airport departure gate. The cost for a checked bag can range from £30-50 (approx. 32-54/$38-64) each way. I recently booked a cheap flight to New York with Norwegian Airlines not knowing that I would have to pay additional for my checked luggage. I ended up paying £50 extra each way and the total cost was the same as taking a flight with Virgin Airlines! Big mistake!
Food – Budget flights are great for short trips (up to 3 hours) where you may not necessarily need to eat on the plane, but if you’re planning to use a budget airline for a long haul flight, be prepared to pay more than usual for food. Ryan Air and EasyJet often offer meal deals at £9 (€10) but some airlines can see you paying as much as £25 (approx. €27/$32) per way for a hot meal excluding drinks. One way to get over this hurdle is to buy food at the airport and either eat this before or take it with you on the plane.
Comfort – It’s common knowledge that there is less foot room on budget airlines. If you want to pay less for a flight, be prepared for a much tighter squeeze on the plane! This is less of a problem for short-haul flights but can be difficult for a flight of 3 hours or more, particularly if you suffer from back problems or aching joints. Many budget airlines also do not offer those small touches of comfort that can make a huge difference e.g. pillows, blankets, a bottle of water etc… For my flight to New York with Norwegian Airlines, I was shocked to learn that I would need to pay an additional $5 for a blanket and $3 for headphones. To get all the small touches I normally expect from other airlines would have meant that I was not saving any money from my “bargain” flight.
The conclusion: Do a bit of research! Budget airlines can be great but before booking the flight, find out about the luggage restrictions and what food and accessories are provided to you on the plane. Think about your journey and ask yourself these questions: How much will I really save by booking this flight? Am I willing to pay a bit more for comfort? In some cases, a budget flight will work perfectly but in others, you may find that you will get better value for your money by booking a regular flight/airline.
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