| This is a simple but complete guide to low | | | | |
| cost flights and airlines. | | | | - Certain offers (as low as 0.99?) are only |
| | | | valid for in-advance bookings or are limited |
| General information on low cost airlines | | | | offers, for a relatively low number of seats. |
| | | | |
| Low cost airlines and their fares deeply | | | | - Lean management (savings on staff). For |
| changed the flight sector. A low cost (or no | | | | instance, Germanwings in Cologne employs no |
| frills, or low fares) is an airline company | | | | more than 50 people. |
| that offers flights at very competitive | | | | |
| prices by not offering or by selling most of | | | | It isn't easy to be low cost: flops |
| passenger services (like on-board meals, | | | | |
| seats bookings, etc.). Low cost flights were | | | | There were new low cost companies that flew |
| born in USA in 1971 with Southwest Airlines, | | | | only a few months, or even only a few days, |
| and started spreading in Europe at the | | | | like Ireland's JetGreen Airways, that stopped |
| beginning of the '90s with Ireland's Ryanair. | | | | all activities in May 2004 after only one |
| | | | week without paying back about 40.000 already |
| Statistics and history in brief | | | | sold tickets. |
| | | | |
| To point out the strong growth of low cost | | | | - V Bird flew from October 23, 2003 to |
| flights we will show a few stats: in 1994 | | | | October 8, 2004 from D?orf. |
| about 3 million passengers flew low cost, | | | | |
| most of them with Ryanair, and in 1995 they | | | | - VolareWeb, low cost daughter of Italy's |
| reached 17,5 million. | | | | Volare went bankrupt on November 23, 2004. On |
| | | | October 30, 2004 they stopped at once their |
| In 1995 British Airways founded their low | | | | flights between Germany and Italy. In June |
| cost division named Go, operating from London | | | | 2005 they started to fly again, mainly to |
| Stanstead airport in 1998. The same year Go | | | | domestic destinations and a few European |
| started operating form London Luton as well. | | | | ones. |
| In the year 2000, Go was sold to with an | | | | |
| operational loss of over 21 million Pounds. | | | | Several more or less known flops were: |
| In 2000 KLM also entered the low cost world | | | | Minerva, Gandalf, Azzurra, Air Sicilia, |
| with Buzz, which was bought over by Ryanair | | | | ItalAir, Air Libertè(R)S |
| in 2003 with very high losses. Currently and | | | | |
| Ryanair are among the most successful | | | | When to book |
| European low cost airlines, and operate over | | | | |
| several hundred routes. | | | | It is usually better to book your flight in |
| | | | large advance, at least 15 days before |
| Today's market situation sees a strong and | | | | leaving. Better offers are for departures |
| constant growth of the low cost flights | | | | from Mondays to Thursdays: Better to avoid |
| sector, new routes being opened every day by | | | | leaving on week ends. Always buy return |
| all main airlines, In the future a strong | | | | tickets and be ready to take off at unusual |
| growth of low cost companies it is foreseen | | | | times (early mornings or late evenings). |
| also in the long range flights segments. | | | | |
| | | | Canceling or modifying bookings |
| Why low cost flights are such | | | | |
| | | | Before booking read thoroughly the company's |
| Low cost airlines are very flexible and | | | | regulations about cancelling or modifying |
| efficient organizations with a cost structure | | | | bookings! Usually tickets not used on the |
| that is very different from the one of | | | | booked flight are not payed back as recession |
| traditional airlines. Cutting any costs | | | | rights for long distance travel do not apply |
| allows them to offer very competitive prices. | | | | to this kind of sales. About changing |
| | | | departure dates, every company have different |
| Costs are optimized mainly in the following | | | | regulations, which you better always check on |
| areas: | | | | the company's site. Usually changing dates is |
| | | | not convenient. It is better to loose your |
| - Tickets sales are direct, Internet being | | | | old ticket and buy a new one. |
| the main channel. By shortening the | | | | |
| intermediation chain, costs can be deeply | | | | How to pay |
| reduced. | | | | |
| | | | To shorten intermediation chains, thus |
| - Smaller and cheaper airports are used, that | | | | offering competitive prices, low cost |
| are also less jammed by traffic. | | | | airlines use favor Internet and call canters |
| | | | (these may apply a small overcharge). |
| - On-board services and crews. No meals are | | | | Therefore be ready to pay via credit card |
| served. Fewer crew members are used, and | | | | (payments are secure, to verify be sure that |
| airplanes need less cleaning. | | | | Internet addresses change form http: to |
| | | | https:). |
| - Full usage of aircraft capacity. Airplanes | | | | |
| always fly full charge and fly more often to | | | | Confirmation and check in |
| amortize costs. They have faster load | | | | |
| download times (25/35 minutes vs. 2 hours of | | | | If you book on line, you will receive a |
| traditional companies). | | | | confirmation mail at the e-mail address you |
| | | | specified. For telephone bookings at a call |
| - Newer and all equal aircraft. Low cost | | | | center, you will receive confirmation via |
| companies fleets are made all of the same | | | | fax, e-mail or, eventually by regular mail. |
| make of planes, all new ones and easy to | | | | In the last case, certain companies ask for a |
| service, in order to have them all at maximum | | | | small overcharge if sending via messenger |
| efficiency. | | | | mail. If you are e-booking, that means if you |
| | | | buy your ticker on line, you receive |
| Characteristics of low cost companies | | | | confirmation via e-mail. It is enough to |
| | | | print it out and to show it at the booking |
| To operate low cost flights, airlines must | | | | counter at the airport. |
| have specific characteristics to allow them | | | | |
| to keep prices as low as possible. The basic | | | | Secure on line payments |
| ones are: | | | | |
| | | | On line payments are preferred by low cost |
| - A single passenger class, with free choice | | | | airlines. To guarantee discretion in data |
| of the seating place. | | | | transfer on the web, credit cards use the |
| | | | most advanced SSL (Secure Socket Layer) |
| - A single airplane make (in order to | | | | technology. When paying, if your browser uses |
| optimize service costs), such as Airbus A320s | | | | SSL you just select Protected Mode and your |
| or Boeing 737s (for instance: Ryanair uses | | | | data will be protected. If the browser has |
| Boeing 737 series, EasyJet favors both Boeing | | | | limitations, you can use Unprotected Mode. We |
| 737s and Airbus A319s). | | | | recommend to get hold of the latest version |
| | | | to be able to carry out without problems all |
| - Airplanes have more seats (for instance, | | | | transactions. |
| Lufthansa's Boeing 737s carry 132 passengers, | | | | |
| EasyJet's ones carry 148). | | | | Watch out for taxes and extras |
| | | | |
| - Lower weight allowance for both hand | | | | Unfortunately, in offers of may low cost |
| carried and stored luggage. | | | | airlines there is a not yet regulated very |
| | | | bad habit of give only a partial price, not |
| - No free meals or beverages are served on | | | | including overcharges and extras. So don't be |
| board, but they are available to buy. | | | | fooled by offers at 0.01 cents, always |
| | | | calculate global prices including taxes, |
| - Crew members fulfill multiple tasks (mainly | | | | overcharges and fuel costs. Sometimes there |
| stewardesses and stewards). | | | | are huge differences in price. |
| | | | |
| - Intensive use of airfleets. For instance, | | | | Get organized for transportation |
| EasyJet flies an average of 10.7 hours a day, | | | | |
| while British Airways flies 7.1 hours. | | | | Low cost companies usually fly from secondary |
| Airport stops are shorter (with a faster | | | | airfields that can be very far from final |
| turnover, usually 25 minutes between | | | | destinations (there are almost 70 miles from |
| flights), and flights are shorter too. | | | | Stanstead to London), so make sure you know |
| | | | your way out (costs, timings and |
| - Connections are made using convenient | | | | transportation time) and get organized to |
| secondary airfields, often far away from town | | | | reach your destination. |
| centers, without slot restrictions, little | | | | |
| air traffic and lower airstrip fares. | | | | Your luggage |
| | | | |
| - Straight peer-to-peer connections without | | | | Luggage transport is another point to pay |
| luggage transfers to other coincident flights | | | | attention to when flying low cost to avoid |
| (separate check-in and check-out), no | | | | spending more on extra allowances than on |
| coordinate flight plans with other airlines. | | | | tickets. Extra payload is usually very |
| | | | expensive and companies are very strict about |
| - Expenditure savings trough direct ticket | | | | it. So pay extreme attention to luggage |
| sales, especially trough the Internet and | | | | overweight regulations and "weigh well" your |
| outsourced call centers, automated check-ins | | | | suitcases. |
| and, occasionally service fees. | | | | |