Pros and Cons of Flying Budget Airlines

Air travel is a necessity for the avid traveler. Most of the places you dream of seeing around the world, and even in your own country if you live in a large country like the US, are easier to reach if you fly. In the post-pandemic years, airlines have registered record numbers of travelers, meaning the demand for plane tickets is higher than before. And with that comes increased cost. So, it makes a lot of sense for travelers to look at budget airline options as possible alternatives for travel plans to save some money, especially for shorter-term travel (think a week or less). But of course, not all budget airlines are created equal, and there are some caveats to keep in mind before you buy that $9 ticket. Otherwise, that “super cheap ticket” may not end up being the bargain that you thought it would be. 

In today’s article, we’re going to review some of the most important pros and cons to consider when flying in a budget airline.

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Pros of flying with budget airlines

Your experience flying with a budget airline may vary from one flight to another. Not all budget airlines are created equal, and some of these pros may not apply to every budget airline worldwide. Our experience is limited, after all. 

Budget carriers, or budget airlines, have captured a larger market share of worldwide air traffic over time and are projected to increase. There certainly are advantages to flying with low-cost airlines, and the fact that more of these airlines provide flights worldwide each year means you can experience these advantages using airlines around the world. Here are four advantages of flying with low-cost airlines: 

Cheaper airfares to popular destinations

You may be familiar with Spirit Airlines’s $9 fare club, now called the Spirit Savers’ Club, which gives you access to Spirit’s lowest fares for a yearly fee. Sales aren’t just limited to Spirit, however. Ryanair has frequent sales, while Wizz Air has frequent low fares across Europe and the Middle East, and Allegiant, Frontier, and Southwest have low fares in the US market.

There is at least one low-cost or budget airline in most airline markets, and most of them offer very low fares, which could make sense for short-term vacations, such as going away for a short holiday (long weekend or weeklong holiday). For instance, we have taken advantage of $25 or $50 round-trip tickets to Abu Dhabi on Wizz Air a couple of times now, and honestly, it’s great. It’s less than an hour of flight time, and if we’re going for a couple of days, we can save some money on airfare and allocate what we save to something else, like a nicer hotel or dinner. 

Newer, safer, more streamlined planes

Most low-cost airlines try to keep their fleet updated and mostly rely on newer planes for their flights. Newer planes have slimmer seats, which allows them to accommodate more passengers, weigh less, and are more fuel efficient, all of which allow the airline to charge less for airfare. And of course, the newer the plane, the more up-to-date with the latest safety features are going to be, and the less of a risk there is to have an issue like an air conditioning system damaging mid-flight, for example. 

Sales and memberships for access to lower fares

Some budget airlines offer yearly memberships to guarantee access to low fares. By paying a flat fee, you may be able to consistently take advantage of reduced fares to your favorite destinations and build loyalty with a budget airline. Not all offer it, but some notable examples include Frontier and Spirit Airlines.

In addition, budget airlines often run sales leaving from specific destinations, as well as sales during popular sales periods like Black Friday. It’s worth checking out if you have a trip in mind; just make sure you check the booking terms and conditions to ensure your date falls under the promotional dates and what the cancellation policy is.

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Cons of Flying with Budget Airlines

Naturally, while there are many positives to flying on budget airlines, there are drawbacks that you should keep in mind when you choose to go for cheap fares for your next trip. Not keeping these in mind may negate the budget of the airfare and add way more cost to your airfare than you intended. 

The fine print and hidden fees

You may be able to opt out of many of the extra fees that budget airlines try to get you with during the checkout process when you purchase a ticket, but it’s always possible that you may miss a hidden fee here or there that may come back to get you unexpectedly. Some of the most common ways in which budget fees get you are: 

• Online check-in: On one of our visits to Abu Dhabi, Wizz Air charged us to check in at the airport rather than online for our return ticket. This took us completely by surprise. We had checked in online to get there but lost the plot before leaving; we assumed that we could check in at the airport…

Checking in at the airport ended up costing us $50 per person. That was right about the price of each of the tickets themselves. We had to dig deep in the fine print to find where it was stated…but it was indeed there. Lesson learned! 

• Changes and cancellations: Make sure you are checking the airline’s policies and understand what it would cost to make changes or if you cancel your flight on short notice. Once again, you may end up paying more for the additional fees than what the flight cost you in the first place. 

• Seat selection: Budget airlines typically don’t assign seats upon purchasing a ticket. Either you get a seat assigned upon check-in, or if you want to buy a specific seat location, it will cost you. If you’re traveling with a large group or even with your children on a budget flight, making sure you can sit together with your group may be more important, and you are not guaranteed that the airport agent can make accommodations when you check in. So it’s something that could also raise the price of your booking and negate the benefit of flying a budget airline. 

• Baggage allowances: One of the things for which budget airlines are better known is their strict baggage requirements. Some will go as far as weighting and measuring every piece of baggage you bring to determine if you need to check it or not. The baggage allowance you get is specified on your ticket and will depend on how much you paid for it. 

The most common baggage allowance you get with the cheapest tickets in budget airlines is a “personal item,” which translates to “a bag that can fit under the seat in front of you.” That could be a backpack, a duffel bag, or a tote bag, for example. We have successfully taken up to 40L duffel bags on budget flights and put them under the seats. 

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The typical carry-on suitcase may not make the cut and has to be checked. And depending on the airline, that can cost quite a lot. We recently had to pay about 300 EUR to check TWO CARRY-ON BAGS on Andaloujet when we returned to Istanbul due to weight (the weight was beyond the carry-on allowance…in our defense, we were bringing back two handwoven, VERY EXPENSIVE rugs…). So, the baggage fees are one of the things that make budget flights feasible, but only for short-term trips. 

Southwest is a notable exception regarding budget airlines and baggage fees because you get two checked bags and a carry-on as part of your baggage allowance, regardless of the fee you pay. This helps Southwest stand out from competitors, making it very attractive to fly to some of its international destinations, like Mexico, Costa Rica, or the Dominican Republic. 

• Low legroom: Budget airlines have to cut on other things to fit as many seats as possible to offer those low fares. The most common loser is legroom. If you’re very tall, you may want to book a ticket in the front row or an exit row to have more space for your knees. 

Final Thoughts on Budget Airlines

In our experience, budget airlines can be a viable alternative to short-term travel. If you’re going away for the weekend and not taking a lot of luggage, it can help you balance out the cost of a trip, so you can spend more in other areas.

If you’re taking a short flight, and also make it less expensive by flying budget, that can help you maximize benefits even more. We recommend that you always review the fine print and make sure that you’re aware of possible fees that could add to the cost of your flight before booking. 

Do check airline websites on their own, as sometimes budget airlines won’t show up on major travel search engines like Kayak. 

And think about how saving on a plane ticket can help you make your trip easier, more special, or make more financial sense, and what kind of trips are better suited to budget flying. 

Have you ever flown on a budget airline? What was your experience like? Let us know in the comments! 

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