Low-cost airline companies. Low-cost airlines - what is a discounter and low-cost airlines. European low-cost airlines for Russians

Low-cost airlines, low-cost airlines, budget airlines - these are all names of the same class of carriers that fly from point A to point B for pennies. Today I’ll tell you how this became possible, about the peculiarities of flying with low-cost airlines, as well as what pitfalls exist in this segment, how to avoid hidden fees, and much more.

Low-cost airlines: what is it anyway?

The name “low-cost” itself comes from the English “low-cost”, which means low price(logical, right? ;-)). Previously, flying on an airplane was a privilege for the wealthy, but the world is rapidly changing before our eyes: now flying is available to everyone. Flying at a price of 1 ruble per 1 km of travel is a reality. For example, you can take a flight across Europe for a couple of euros, across Asia for $3-5, and across Russia for 999 rubles.

The point is to reduce the cost by giving up some comfort and optional services, optimizing the route network and the work of all divisions of the airline.

And here are the lists:

How it works?

It's actually quite simple. What does the cost of an air ticket consist of? Direct transportation fees (including meals), airport surcharges, fuel surcharges and much, much more.

The more passengers, the cheaper

It is logical that the more passengers, the less the cost for each of them will ultimately be. Therefore, low-cost airlines have more seats, which means less distance between the rows. In addition, they keep a few "normal" seats and sell them for a higher fee.

Aircraft fleet

Surprisingly, the aircraft of low-cost airlines are much younger than traditional carriers. The fact is that after several years of operation of the aircraft, it begins to consume an increased amount of fuel. In addition, new cars do not require expensive repairs in the first couple of years.

I consider this a big plus, because among other things being equal, flying on a new plane is safer than flying on an old one.

Asian low-cost airline Tiger Air

Arrival/departure airports

Low-cost airlines do not fly to main airports (with rare exceptions), but choose secondary ones, often located very far from the city. Just imagine how many fees the airline has to pay: parking, maintenance, parking, and so on.

Old and remote airports set minimum fees, which is why low-cost airlines use them. Sometimes getting to the city center costs more than the air ticket itself! But this is not always the case. For example, the largest low-cost airline in Asia, Air Asia, flies to Bangkok at Don Mueang airport in the north of the city, and between it and the main Suvarnabhumi airport There are buses and taxis, it's easy and cheap to get there.

Some companies specifically fly to major airports to differentiate themselves from competitors, such as Spain's Vueling.

It happens that passengers have to walk to the plane - this way the airline saves on renting buses or hoses. We always got the bus.

Where to buy tickets for low-cost airlines?

Air ticket search engines have long learned to include tickets from low-cost carriers in search results. To be sure, check both on and on.

Low-cost airlines are by no means a panacea for expensive flights - weigh the pros and cons for yourself. If you are ready to sacrifice a little comfort, endure a couple of hours without food and fly light, then low-cost airlines will become in a good way Save a lot on your flight.

Your comments and questions are welcome! Ultra-cheap flights for all of us ;-)

Low-cost airlines, low-cost airlines, discounters are low-cost airlines with an efficient business organization, thanks to which ticket prices are greatly reduced. Most low-cost airlines:

They sell tickets online and do not spend money on maintaining ticket offices.
Free food and entertainment are not provided. If desired, all this can be ordered on board the plane or in advance, at the booking stage.
They increase the number of passenger seats on the plane and do not allow free choice of seat arrangement. If you want to sit next to your loved ones, pay.
Fewer staff are hired. As a rule, employees on board a low-cost airline perform several tasks at once, for example, loading luggage and cleaning the aircraft cabin.
They use new planes. To eliminate repair costs, low-cost airlines use only new aircraft, and after several years of operation they sell them to other airlines.

What you need to know when buying an air ticket

Buy your ticket in advance. The higher the plane's capacity, the more expensive the ticket prices will be.
Register online. This can be done online for free, but at the airport you will have to pay.
Buy the cheapest tickets only if you are completely sure that you will fly. On cheap fares, you won't be able to return your ticket if you cancel your trip. Therefore, if you are not 100% sure, choose a tariff where the ticket can be returned.
Travel light. Cheap fares do not include free baggage space. You can only take hand luggage with you, and you will have to pay extra for luggage. If you cannot do without luggage, register it on the website in advance - it will be 50-90% cheaper.
Buy additional services in advance. If you plan to order in-flight meals or other services, do so in advance on the airline's website. It will be much cheaper than on board an airplane.

Below is a list of popular low-cost airlines for budget travel: 8 airlines with flights from Russia and 18 without.

Low-cost airlines with flights from Russia

Eurowings

Low-cost airline of the large German airline Lufthansa with base airports in Cologne-Bonn, Dusseldorf and Hamburg. The company's planes fly almost all over Europe, there are flights to the USA, countries of Africa and Asia.

Russian cities from which Eurowings flies

Moscow.
Saint Petersburg.

Baggage

Baggage allowances depend on the fare. The cheapest one provides one free piece of hand luggage weighing no more than 8 kg and dimensions not exceeding 55 × 40 × 23 cm. You can also take with you a small bag or briefcase with dimensions no more than 40 × 30 × 10 cm;

Airbaltic

Latvian national airline. It carries out both cargo and passenger air transportation. The main airport is in Riga.

AirBaltic is not a low-cost airline in its purest form, but it sells economy class tickets so cheaply that it deserves its name. AirBaltic flight directions can be found here.

Russian cities from which AirBaltic flies

Moscow;
Saint Petersburg;
Kazan;
Sochi;
Kaliningrad.

Baggage

The amount of free baggage allowed depends on the fare. In the cheapest one you can take free hand luggage with dimensions 55 × 40 × 23 cm and weighing no more than 8 kg + one personal item with dimensions 30 × 40 × 10 cm.

Vueling

The second largest air carrier in Spain, one of the largest low-cost airlines. Vueling serves destinations in Europe, the Western Mediterranean and North Africa.

Russian cities from which Vueling flies

Moscow.
Saint Petersburg.

Baggage and hand luggage

Each passenger is entitled to carry one piece of hand luggage, which should not exceed a weight of 10 kg and dimensions of 55 × 40 × 20 cm (with Excellence fare 14 kg) + a personal item with dimensions of 35 × 20 × 20 cm.

Wizz Air

Hungarian low-cost airline with airports in Hungary, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Wizz Air aircraft fly to 44 countries, making flights throughout Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Kazakhstan. It flies directly from Russia to Hungary: Debrecen and Budapest.

Russian cities from which Wizz Air flies

Moscow.
Saint Petersburg.

Baggage and hand luggage

Like other low-cost airlines, Wizz Air places strict restrictions on hand luggage. You can carry free hand luggage with dimensions of 55 × 40 × 23 cm and weighing no more than 10 kg. By purchasing the WIZZ Priority service, you can also take a small bag 40 x 30 x 18 cm with you and place it under your seat.

FlyDubai

Airline from United United Arab Emirates, based in International airport Dubai. Low-cost airlines fly across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia.

Russian cities from which Flydubai flies

Samara.
Kazan.
Ekaterinburg.
Rostov-on-Don.
Moscow.
Mineral water.
Krasnodar.

Baggage

On the Economy fare, you can carry free hand luggage with dimensions of 55 × 38 × 20 cm and weighing up to 7 kg. You can also take with you a small bag with dimensions of 25 × 33 × 20 cm. The total weight of hand luggage is no more than 10 kg.

Air Arabia

The largest low-cost airline in the Middle East with its base airport in Sharjah (UAE). The airline's aircraft fly to countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

In addition to regular flights, there is a service called Air Arabia Holidays: ordering a tour package with flights and a hotel room at discounted prices.

Russian cities from which Air Arabia flies

Baggage

You can take one piece of hand luggage for free with dimensions not exceeding 55 × 40 × 20 cm and weighing no more than 10 kg. It is better to check your luggage online: you will pay 90% less and you can choose the weight: 20, 30 or 40 kg. Only 20 kg can be checked in at the airport.

Pegasus Airlines

A large low-cost airline, the second largest airline in Turkey. Provides passenger air transportation throughout Europe and Turkey.

Russian cities from which Pegasus Airlines flies

Moscow.
Mineral water.
Novosibirsk
Krasnodar.

Baggage

You can take hand luggage for free with dimensions of 55 × 40 × 20 cm and weighing no more than 8 kg. On more expensive fares, one piece of baggage up to 20 kg is also provided free of charge.

SmartWings

Czech low-cost airline with daily flights between Moscow and Prague.

Baggage

At any tariff, a passenger is entitled to one free baggage weighing up to 15 kg, one hand luggage with dimensions 56 × 45 × 25 cm and weighing 8 kg and one small handbag with dimensions 40 × 30 × 15 cm weighing up to 3 kg.

Low-cost airlines without direct flights from Russia

Norwegian Air Shuttle

Norwegian low-cost airline, one of the largest low-cost airlines with its main airport in Oslo. Norwegian planes fly throughout Europe, to countries North Africa, Asia, North and South America.

EasyJet

British low cost airline. Performs internal and international flights to countries in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

Ryanair

Irish low-cost airline based in Dublin, the largest low-cost airline in Europe. Ryanair serves over 1,600 destinations across Europe, flying to Morocco, Israel and Jordan.

Blu-express

Italian low-cost airline. Destinations: Greece, Italy, Cape Verde, Mexico, Albania, Cuba, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominican Republic, Kenya, Tanzania.

WOW Air

Low cost airlines from Iceland to European countries, USA, Canada and Israel.

Cebu Pacific

The Philippine low-cost airline serves 37 domestic and 27 international destinations in 17 Asian countries.

Condor

German low-cost airline flies to the Mediterranean, Asia, Africa, North America and to the Caribbean islands.

Interjet

Mexican airline. Performs domestic flights and international flights to countries Latin America, USA and Canada.

Gol

The budget airline of Brazil operates regular passenger flights to airports in the country and abroad: to the USA, Latin America and Europe.

Mango

South African low cost domestic airline.

Atlasglobal

Turkish airline based in Istanbul.It provides regular and charter passenger air transportation within the country, as well as to European countries, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Iran, Morocco, Kuwait, Israel, and Cyprus.

Sun Country Airlines

Low cost airlineUSA, operating in the field of scheduled and charter passenger transportation throughout the USA, Mexico, Costa Rica and the Caribbean Islands.

Flybe

British low cost airlineflights to 85 European airports.

Transavia

Dutch low-cost airline. Flights from Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven to cities in Austria, Bulgaria, Greece, Egypt, Italy, Spain, Morocco, Portugal, Finland, France, Croatia.

Nok Air

Low-cost airline of Thailand with flights within the country, as well as to China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Singapore.

Air India Express

Indian low-cost airline headquartered in Mumbai. Operates in the market of passenger transportation from Indian airports to the countries of the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

AirAsia X

Malaysian low-cost airline, the most popular Asian low-cost airline. Provides passenger transportation throughout Asia, flies to Australia, New Zealand, France and Great Britain.

Jin Air

Low cost South Korean airline. Operates flights within Korea, to countries in the northeast and South-East Asia, to Guam and Hawaii.

Finding low-cost flights

Using search engines you can find a suitable flight at a low price.

Flylowcost

Looking for best price for Wednesday tickets of low-cost airlines and regular airlines. In the filters you can specify the airline, flight duration, number of transfers, and luggage. There is a calendar of low prices.

After selecting a ticket, you are redirected to the aggregator site for booking.

LowCostAirlines

Website at English language. There are filters by price, transfers, flight times and airlines.

Cheapflights

Search engine with many filters, including payment method, flight duration and booking provider. The cost is indicated next to the options in the filters. For example, if you have chosen a specific airport, you can immediately see how much a flight from others will cost - convenient for those who are primarily interested in price.

When purchasing a ticket, be sure to check the information about additional services ah, baggage conditions and allowable sizes of hand luggage.

Low cost airlines(they are also called discount airlines or low cost) are a new type of airline that has become popular all over the world in last years. They brought a new approach to the airline business, expressed by the formula "low costs - low tariffs - high demand - high profits."

A little history of low cost airlines

The first projects of low-cost airlines in the early 1970s ended in failure - American PSA, People Express and Laker Airways disappeared forever and were forgotten. Achieved success. Having started flying in 1971, today Southwest has become the largest low-cost airline in the world, covering the entire United States with a network of low-cost airlines. The low cost revolution in Europe began in the early 1990s. The pioneers of low-cost transportation were the now defunct Buzz and Go airlines. By 2000, low-cost airlines had gained popularity around the world and are now in almost every region globe There are large discount airlines serving 1-2 hour flights.

How do low-cost airlines differ from traditional airlines?

Classic airlines are building their route networks around one or more hub airports. All flights to these airports have convenient connections to each other. Due to this, airlines can offer you a large number of cities that can be reached with a transfer at a hub airport. The wide geography of flights attracts a large number of passengers flying to different cities.

Everything would be fine if such a scheme were not expensive:

To connect both large and small cities, airplanes of different sizes are needed; more different airplanes mean more costs for maintenance, pilot training, etc.,

Some flights are longer, others are shorter. To meet at the hub airport at the same time, short-haul flights must wait while long-haul flights arrive. And the longer the plane sits, the more expensive it costs,

To sell tickets at a higher price, airlines offer additional services - business lounges at airports, meals on board, baggage reloading at the hub airport, etc. All this requires money to maintain,

Traditional airlines are surrounded by intermediaries - airline ticketing agencies, global computer networks for booking seats. They all receive a considerable share of the cost of the air ticket,

Budget airlines have taken a different route: Reducing costs, increasing flight efficiency, selling tickets at cheap rates without intermediaries, offering additional services only to those who wish for a fee.

How do low-cost airlines save money?

Better use of airplanes - discount airlines fly point-to-point, so they are not tied to specific airport arrival times and can fly more frequently, reducing costs per hour of flight,

Using one type of aircraft means lower costs for maintenance and personnel training, higher crew efficiency,

Absence additional service- for low-cost airlines, food on board is a source of income, not expense,

Fewer staff - the simpler the business, the fewer people are required to run it,

Selling via the Internet - there are no costs for maintaining city ticket offices, printing and processing paper forms.

Discount airlines in Russia

Today, discount airlines are becoming popular in Russia. At first, German and Germania Express (today -) connected Moscow with German cities. Then low-cost airlines opened from Moscow and St. Petersburg to Austria, Spain, Italy, and Norway. In January 2007, the first Russian low-cost airline began flying, after which discounters made attempts to organize low-cost flights in Russia

“Low-cost airline... What is this? - many novice travelers will ask. - How can they help us in planning the route? Is it worth using their services?

Let's try to figure it out together, because it is these budget companies that make flights from one part of the world to another accessible not only to the rich, but also to passengers of average, and sometimes even low, material income.

What do low-cost airline companies offer?

It is unlikely that anyone will dare to deny the fact that air transportation plays a huge role in the modern world. And this is perhaps not surprising.

High speed of movement in space is highly valued today. However, no less important is the reasonable cost of air tickets. That is why a question like “Low-cost airline - what is it?” It shouldn’t even arise today. You need not only to know about the existence of such companies, but also to actively resort to their services.

The desire to increase the number of passengers who use by air, led American companies in the second half of the 20th century to develop the concept that a flight could be accomplished at a minimal cost. How? Due to the refusal of additional passenger services.

From the USA, the low-cost concept penetrated first to Europe and then to other parts of the world.

Initially, the term “low-cost airlines” referred to organizations whose operating cost structure was comparatively lower than that of their competitors.

Today, this definition also applies to various carriers offering a limited range of passenger services. By the way, when answering the question: “Low-cost airline...what is it?” - do not take into account regional companies operating on short flights with limited service.

Characteristic features of this type of transportation

To understand what the business model of these companies consists of, it is necessary to find out what distinguishes it from other similar ones.

Let's say, the low-cost airline Aeroflot, like, in principle, any other company in the world, has the following characteristic features:

All passenger seats belong to the same class.
As a rule, such airlines use one type of aircraft in order to reduce the costs required for maintaining various types of equipment and training personnel.
Application of a simplified ticket payment scheme. Today widely used electronic air tickets. Low-cost airlines promote them via the Internet. This means that you can book a flight if the World Wide Web is available while you are located or living in any corner of the globe.
Transportation is organized in such a way as to ensure the operation of insufficiently loaded runways. Why? The thing is that such airports have lower fees, so it becomes possible to reduce various types of costs.
Intensive use of technical equipment (in one day the aircraft makes several flights, which seemed impossible a couple of decades ago).
Direct flights are preferred.
The range of services is usually reduced.
Optimizing the work of airline employees by allowing each person to perform several functions at once.

History of the emergence and development of low-cost airlines

The idea of low-cost transportation has always been attractive. Decisions were made to increase the number of seats on airplanes. Carriers used old aircraft with a new logo.

The intensification of the use of winged vehicles sometimes became so high that downtime on the ground was practically reduced to zero.

The first low-cost airline in the United States is Southwest Airlines. It should be noted that low-cost airlines in Europe have already learned from her.

Initially, it carried out transportation in the state of Texas. At that time, the company could not organize moves to other states due to the prohibition of current laws. To increase the popularity of flights, charming girls were hired as flight attendants. Uniforms emphasized their amazing appearance and an impeccable figure.

In Europe, the first company of this kind was Ryanair. It began transporting passengers in 1985, but began operating as a real budget low-cost airline in 1998. This was due to the abolition of preferences for national air carriers.

It is interesting to note that low-cost airlines currently operate in all parts of the world except Antarctica. Since 2012, this type of air carrier has existed even in Africa, and in the Philippines, almost 65% of passengers travel by air using low-cost airlines.

Are there any disadvantages to this type of transportation?

Today there are so many budget companies that they are forced to compete with each other. In this regard, some of them began to attract passengers by offering first class conditions and satellite television, of course, for an additional fee.

In the UK, the problem of deliberately underestimating the advertised cost of air tickets is being actively discussed - the declared price, as a rule, does not include taxes and fees. All additional payments are not refundable if the flight is canceled due to the fault of the company. The fact that hand luggage is subject to a high fine if the weight exceeds the permissible weight rules is also criticized. By the way, low-cost airlines in Asia also practice this.

Why are there so few budget airlines in Russia?

In Russia, there have also been attempts to properly organize low-cost airlines.

In 2006, the Sky Express Corporation began to operate within the framework of the budget tariff policy. At that time, the cost of any ticket was 500 rubles.

In 2009, the Avianova company determined the cost of a ticket at 250 rubles. But they could not work for long under such conditions. The reasons for abandoning the budget company business model were that it was not possible to increase the volume of transportation in such a way as to reach the required indicators. These companies had a small fleet of aircraft, so there were constant problems with flight delays. Due to the fact that the costs of servicing the liners began to increase, the companies were forced to cease to exist.

It is impossible not to note purely technical points. A serious problem for the development of low-cost transportation in Russia has become the manual control model, while this type of transportation involves the automation of all processes to provide passengers with a minimum set of services. Quick repairs, timely receipt of the required spare parts, availability of transport support for remote airports, the ability to quickly service aircraft that spend a minimum amount of time at the airport - all this is quite problematic in Russia. In addition, Russian officials do not have the skill to quickly make decisions in response to proposals from budget companies.

The duties on foreign cars that the government of our country introduced also played a role, not allowing low-cost airlines to significantly reduce costs to the level required for normal development.

And the complexity of Russian laws creates obstacles to the development of airlines that offer passengers only the necessary services and inexpensive tickets. Considering all of the above, it becomes clear why the statements: “Low-cost airline? What is this? Cheap tickets? No, it doesn’t happen like that!” - are asked most often in Russia; in Europe or, say, in the USA, such services are the norm

Dobrolet is a modern Russian carrier

In August 2013, the Aeroflot board of directors decided to develop the Dobrolet low-cost airline. The former head of Avianova became its leader.

It is planned that the company will initially operate flights with 8 aircraft. The park is expected to expand by 2018 aircraft up to 40.

All additional services are available for a fee. Check-in for the flight will be done online. The planned cost of tickets is 40% lower than the average fare of a classic Russian airline.

The route network involves travel from Moscow to St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Kaliningrad, Samara, Tyumen, Krasnodar and back from these cities to Moscow.

Wizz Air is the main low-cost airline in Ukraine, Poland, Hungary

The Hungarian-Polish air transportation company has been operating in Ukraine since 2008. In 2013, it operated flights on only one domestic route - Kyiv-Simferopol.

Wizz Air is trying to enter the Russian market, but this process is difficult due to the rather strict requirements imposed by Rosaviation. Aeroflot's low-cost airline is perhaps the only, albeit domestic, company that has been able to stay there for a long time.

However, Wizz Air does not abandon plans to increase traffic and expand its geography.

Finnair is the largest Finnish airline

It should be noted that Finnair is considered the safest in Europe. Since 1963, not a single emergency situation has been recorded. Russian low-cost airlines, as well as many other organizations of this kind, should learn from her.

The history of Finnair dates back to 1924. Today it is a stable operating company.

Passenger rewards programs, a special class for children, and lounge management all contribute to increased popularity. As of 2012, the airline's traffic volume amounted to 9 million people.

Air Arabia is an Arab low-cost airline

The first company to carry out large-scale transportation in the Middle East is Air Arabia. Today it provides transportation services to 76 countries. The headquarters is located 15 km from the center of Dubai.

In 2007, Air Arabia established another base, this time in the capital of Nepal. The difficult economic and political situation in this region contributed to the fact that the company's activities had to be temporarily suspended.

In 2009, Air Arabia created in Egypt new company, whose base was supposed to be located in Alexandria. The growth in passenger and cargo transportation volumes, the expansion of the range of paid additional services, and a variety of entertainment systems are exactly what low-cost airlines in Russia can envy.

Air Arabia is implementing all this step by step, achieving operational stability.

Qantas Airways is Australia's largest airline

"Flying Kangaroo" - this is the nickname of Qantas Airways. It is one of the oldest organizations whose shares can be bought and sold on the ASX.

In 2007, this company was ranked 3rd in the world by Skytrax research. The company's net profit in the 2005-2006 financial year amounted to 350 billion 45 million dollars. International and domestic transportation is very popular.

By the way, Qantas Airways is considered the safest in the world, as its jet planes never had an accident.

Kingfisher Red - India's first low cost carrier

Frequently traveling tourists know that Kingfisher Red is based in Bangalore.

It has been operating for quite a long time, and the first flight to Hubballi from Bangalore was made in 2003. Founder G.R. Gopinath aimed to create a company that could provide air travel to every Indian.

Today, this Kingfisher Red is actively competing with GoAir, Indigo, SpiceJet. As a result of this competition, passengers benefit as airfare prices go down.

All more people resort to air travel to cover long and short distances. The convenience of flights lies in the short travel time and the ability to access any corner of the world. However, the problem of high ticket prices often arises. Currently, the concept of low-cost is gaining momentum. What is a low-cost airline in aviation and how it can help you save money, we will consider below.

“Low-cost airline, what is this?” - tourists who have not yet encountered such a concept often ask themselves. The answer is simple: a low-cost airline is a carrier whose goal is to reduce the price of a ticket by refusing some services during the flight.

The birthplace of low-cost airlines is considered to be the United States, where it was first put into practice by Southwest Airlines in the 1970s. Subsequently, this idea was picked up by many airlines, creating serious competition for traditional carriers. Currently, many companies are establishing subsidiaries specializing in low-cost flights. The spread of low-cost aviation has made flights affordable and forced major carriers to introduce combined fares, where you can choose a set of services and thereby reduce the cost of your trip.

When answering the question of what a low-cost airline is, many people confuse it with a charter. The concept of a budget flight is similar in both cases, however, charters are sold with the cost of a tourist package included.

The essence of low-cost flights

Minimizing the cost of a ticket occurs by eliminating some services and reducing costs. The main tricks on the way to this are as follows:

Low-cost airlines prefer direct flights, in which one aircraft can make several flights a day without downtime at hubs.
Some services, such as changes in the date of the ticket, seat selection, food and drinks on board, and carriage of a certain amount of baggage, are paid.
Aircraft personnel often take over the cleaning duties of the aircraft to reduce costs and the number of workers.
Companies are introducing an electronic registration and ticket purchasing system.
One type of aircraft is used for flights, which reduces costs for personnel training and aircraft maintenance.
Some of the ship's equipment, as well as monitors for passengers, are missing to reduce the weight of the aircraft and, therefore, reduce fuel consumption.

Don’t think that a budget flight will leave an unpleasant impression on your memory. Passengers may not notice the absence of many services, and a direct flight will reduce travel time. Plus, budget airline staff are just as friendly as any other airline.

Thus, we can briefly answer the question of what a low-cost airline means: it is an airline that produces low-cost flights by eliminating some services and providing others for a fee. Low-cost airlines are often confused with small regional companies, but the latter provide services due to the lack of capacity and conditions for the full implementation of all services.

Advantages of low-cost airlines

As mentioned above, one of the advantages of low-cost airlines is decent and unobtrusive service. In addition, the main advantage of this type of flight is its cost compared to regular tickets. Low-cost airlines also allow you to save time without having to worry about long transfers and downtime at the airport.

If you order a ticket well in advance, its cost turns out to be much lower than the price of a ticket purchased before the flight itself. As the salon fills up, the amount usually increases. Thus, airlines encourage customers to take care of their purchases in advance travel document. Another advantage of low-cost airlines is their prevalence. Today, flights from numerous budget airlines can be found in many popular destinations.

Disadvantages of low-cost airlines

Most of the shortcomings of low-cost airlines lie in their strategy and ways to reduce the cost of flying. Many companies operate remote, unpopular airports, which can be reached by spending extra money on a taxi or car. Departure and arrival times are usually scheduled late in the evening or early in the morning, which causes inconvenience: getting to the airport and back at this time public transport If you fail, you will have to pay for a taxi service.

Tickets for budget flights are non-refundable, that is, you will practically not be able to carry out a refund procedure for an unused ticket. However, there are also return schemes borrowed from traditional carriers. In them you can get up to 75% of the amount for an air ticket if you return it a day or more before registration and the entire amount with a shorter refund period.

The lack of many services can affect the comfort of the flight. Many low-cost airlines offer passengers only water on board, and other drinks and food are paid separately. The baggage allowance is also a small number of kilograms, and you will have to pay a significant extra for excess baggage. If you decide to change your departure date, name on your ticket or change your seat, this will also incur additional costs.

Thus, out of ignorance or in order to improve the conditions of the flight, you risk ending up paying an amount equivalent to a traditional flight. To prevent this from happening, it is better to familiarize yourself with the baggage transportation and flight rules of a particular airline in advance and carefully weigh all the pros and cons of your future flight.

It is worth noting that the list of restrictions and paid services differs for each carrier. Some companies are willing to provide drinks and snacks on board. Others have higher baggage and hand luggage allowances. Also, many companies today combine the features of traditional and low-cost flights, creating a range of fares for flights. In each of them different prices The ticket is combined with different prices for additional services or the absence of payment for some of them.

How to use the services of low-cost airlines

Lists of low-cost airlines are available on the Internet upon request. You can purchase tickets for the flight you are interested in on intermediary websites, at the addresses of the companies themselves, or at online ticket offices. As a rule, flight destinations directly depend on the country of origin of the company. The low-cost airline Pobeda officially operates in Russia, and many foreign low-cost carriers operate flights on its territory.

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