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