The Golden Rule of Budget Airlines

Before we start, the one thing you must internalise: the advertised base fare is never the full price. Every low-cost carrier (LCC) makes a significant portion of its revenue from ancillary fees — bags, seat selection, priority boarding, airport check-in, food, credit card surcharges. Understanding which fees apply before you buy is the difference between a genuine bargain and a mediocre deal at a full-service price.

Europe

Ryanair

The world's most polarising airline and, on pure route network and price, one of the most impressive. Ryanair connects over 200 European destinations at fares that are genuinely hard to argue with when you catch a good deal. The experience is transactional to a fault — no free water, seats that don't recline, and a fees structure designed with near-algorithmic precision to extract money from the unprepared.

Know before you fly: the 40x20x25cm cabin bag limit (which fits under the seat) is free, but a larger cabin bag requires Priority boarding at €6–€25 depending on the route. Checked bags are expensive. Print your boarding pass or pay €20 at the airport. Use their app, comply with their rules, and Ryanair is exceptional value. Fight the system and it's an unpleasant experience of your own making.

easyJet

A notch more comfortable than Ryanair in terms of overall experience — slightly more generous cabin bag policy, better app, and a less aggressively hostile fee structure. easyJet serves many primary airports where Ryanair prefers secondary airports, which matters when you're comparing real journey times. Prices are generally higher than Ryanair but the overall experience is more relaxed. Their FLEXI fares are genuinely useful for unpredictable trips.

Wizz Air

Dominant in Central and Eastern European routes — Warsaw, Bucharest, Budapest, and dozens of secondary cities that Ryanair and easyJet underserve. Consistently the cheapest option on many of these routes and worth considering seriously. The cabin bag policy has become more restrictive in recent years; read the current rules carefully as they have changed multiple times. Wizz All-Inclusive bundles (covering a large cabin bag, seat selection, and flexi rebooking) are often good value if you're using those features.

Asia

AirAsia

The LCC that opened Southeast Asia to mass budget travel. From its Kuala Lumpur hub, AirAsia (and subsidiaries AirAsia X for long-haul, Thai AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia, etc.) connects the region comprehensively and cheaply. The BIG Loyalty programme accumulates points quickly. On-board food and the AirAsia app are both better than most LCCs. Kuala Lumpur KLIA2 terminal — AirAsia's home — is a genuinely pleasant airport once you navigate the slightly confusing layout.

Scoot

Singapore Airlines' LCC subsidiary flies medium and long-haul routes across Asia, Australia, and to limited European destinations. For the Singapore-Australia run specifically, Scoot offers a legitimate competitor to full-service carriers at considerably lower prices. The ScootPlus cabin is a reasonable mid-tier option on long sectors. Service is functional rather than warm, but reliability is good and the Singapore hub is excellent.

VietJet Air

Vietnam's cheerfully chaotic budget carrier is cheap, runs across Vietnam and regional Asia, and has a better on-time record than its reputation suggests. The booking experience can be frustrating and the website has been known to add fees quietly — review your cart carefully before paying. For intra-Vietnam travel specifically, VietJet and Bamboo Airways are your key options and prices are genuinely low.

Americas

Southwest Airlines (USA)

The outlier in this list because Southwest isn't really a traditional LCC in the hidden-fee sense — two checked bags are always free, no change fees, no seat assignment fees. This fundamentally changes the value proposition. Southwest is often not the cheapest headline fare, but when you add bags, it frequently wins on total price. The open seating model (boarding groups rather than assigned seats) is either fine or maddening depending on your personality.

Spirit and Frontier Airlines (USA)

The US ultra-low-cost carriers operate on the Ryanair model but with even more stripped-back infrastructure. Spirit and Frontier fares can be extraordinary — $30 cross-country tickets are not mythological. But the fees are extensive: carry-on bags cost more than checked bags, seat selection is paid, and the aircraft interiors are determinedly bare. These airlines make sense for short trips with minimal luggage where you've done the full fee calculation. Long domestic routes on a budget are their sweet spot.

Azul (Brazil)

Easily the most pleasant LCC in South America. Azul's service culture is genuinely warm, the route network covers Brazilian destinations that LATAM and Gol underserve, and the Tudo Azul loyalty programme is competitive. Worth serious consideration for any Brazil itinerary.

Middle East

flydubai and Air Arabia

Dubai and Sharjah-based respectively, both connecting the Middle East, South Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe at prices that full-service carriers can't match on many routes. flydubai's Business Class (available on many routes) is a surprisingly compelling product for its price. Air Arabia's absolute base fares are some of the cheapest in the region. Both are well-operated and reliable.

When Budget Airlines Make Sense

When to Pay for a Full-Service Carrier

Pro Tips for Flying Low-Cost

  1. Always compare total price including bags and seat selection, not headline fares
  2. Book directly through the airline's own site or app for the lowest fees
  3. Check in online the moment the window opens — it's free; airport check-in usually isn't
  4. Measure your bags against the carrier's specific requirements before you leave home
  5. Download the boarding pass to your phone and screenshot it as backup
  6. Eat before you fly — the margin on in-flight food is extraordinary
Budget airlines aren't better or worse than full-service — they're a fundamentally different product. Understand what you're buying and they're some of the best value in travel.