Traditional Versus Low Cost Airlines – Who to Fly With?

Are you planning a weekend getaway or a holiday break and want to find cheap air tickets? Before you start searching for them, find out if it is more beneficial for you to fly with traditional or low cost airlines. Both types have their pros and cons and it can pay off to consider them in advance. 

What is the biggest difference between these airlines? Ironically, it is not always the air ticket price. Traditional airlines had to decrease their prices on many (especially short-haul) routes because of fierce competition and the prices can be often similar. If you watch carefully airfare deals offered by traditional carriers, you can fly even cheaper with them than with low cost airlines. 

However, you can encounter problems with finding affordable air tickets if you need only one-way flight, or your trip is short and you do not comply with airline's minimum-stay requirements. While low cost airlines make no difference whether you buy one-way or return flights, traditional companies often increase the price for a one-way trip so significantly, that in some cases it is cheaper to buy a round trip, even though you will not use the second leg of your flight. 

There are also no limitations for return flights with low cost airlines. You can fly in the morning, go back the same day in the evening and still pay the same price for the air tickets. Contrary to that, traditional carriers sometimes set minimum-stay requirements or a Saturday-night-stay rule in order to get a bargain price. If your trip is only one or two days long, the price can be again much higher.

A great advantage of traditional airlines remains in all-in services. You will not pay extra for airport check-in or checked bags and if you happen to carry excess baggage, employees of traditional airlines are more likely to overlook one or two additional kilograms. In most cases you will get free refreshment on board with these airlines, but they are some exceptions – for example SAS does not offer complimentary drinks and snacks on their short-haul flights any more. 

It is therefore very useful to decide before buying an air ticket, how many bags you are going to travel with and which of them you need to take on board with you. Traditional carriers enable you to take one carry-on bag together with a handbag or a laptop, whereas some low cost airlines (such as Ryanair) allow you to have only one piece of carry-on baggage. You have to check in all the others and pay a fee for it. Because of that even an air ticket for 1 cent can get pretty pricey.