A One-Stop Guide to Budget Flying in Europe

Low Cost Airlines in Europe: All You Need to Know

Have I told you about the time I flew from Nuremberg, Germany to Milan in Italy for EUR 10 (return)?

I haven’t?

Well, I flew from Nuremberg to Milan for EUR 10. RETURN.

That’s the magic of low-cost airlines in Europe.

Plane travel has historically been something of a luxury, but budget airlines have changed the travel game massively – in Europe, in particular.
Ubiquitous as they are, these provide an excellent means for European travelers to zip across the continent at, sometimes, absurdly low prices.

This article will tell you everything about how low cost airlines operate in Europe, which are the key players, pros and cons of flying with budget airlines and tips to find cheap flights in Europe.

WHAT ARE THE LOW COST AIRLINES IN EUROPE

As the name suggests, low-cost airlines (also called low-cost carriers or LLC) help willing travelers fly cheap flights in Europe. Compared to traditional carriers, these airlines offer a no-frills service, commensurate with their costs.

Ryanair was the first airline to establish this model in Europe, but the idea is by no means new. Companies like Spirit and Southwest have been offering low-cost airfare for a long time in the United States, where the concept first came into being.

Thanks to such low prices, especially in Europe, spending weekends on the sandy beaches of Positano or snowboarding in the Alps of Austria cease to be mere pipe dreams – they’re realistic, completely affordable travel experiences.

WHY ARE FLIGHTS IN EUROPE SO CHEAP

The reason why flights in Europe are cheap is that their operations are very lean. The airlines standardize the type of plane (easyJet uses Airbus planes alone, and Ryanair only flies Boeing 737), which helps reduce auxiliary expenses like training the flight personnel, and maintenance costs.

These airlines also have a low turnaround time, which speaks to a high degree of focus on efficiency.

What goes without saying is that Europe has a massive geographical advantage. Short distances across the continent means more flights can be possible with a comparatively smaller fuel requirement.

That said, many discount airlines in Europe like WOW Air and Germanwings have gone bust, as they couldn’t sustain the low cost model. Many airlines have also announced a suspension of operations in the aftermath of the coronavirus.

[Related: 15 Practical Tips to Travel Europe with No Money]

PROS AND CONS OF FLYING WITH A LOW COST FLIGHT IN EUROPE

We all were taught as kids that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Nothing is perfect. Low cost air travel in Europe has its share of advantages and disadvantages.  But for most travelers, the cheap fares far and away outweigh the inconveniences.

That being said, it’s always good to be aware of exactly what you’re signing up for.

Pros of Flying with Low Cost European Airlines

• You Can Visit a LOT More Places

Usually, flights constitute the biggest cost in travel.

Low cost airlines offer a chance to fly longer distances within Europe for under EUR 100-EUR 150. Although, to be honest, anything upwards of EUR 100 is considered too pricey – that’s the benchmark these flights have come to establish.

It’s no surprise when your air ticket turns out to be cheaper than the cab ride to the airport!

This means that travelers can cover much more ground; one can visit a lot more places as flying with low-cost airlines is extremely affordable. In fact, some of the prices could even fit in a backpacker’s budget – flying in Europe can often be less expensive than trains and buses!

• Flight Tickets are Cheap, Sometimes Laughably Cheap

To give you an idea, standard carriers like Lufthansa or KLM usually charge around EUR 200-EUR 250 for a flight from, say, London to Berlin.

By contrast, a while back I flew to London via Ryanair for EUR 30.

As you can see, the difference is substantial. This is not to say that low-cost airlines in Europe ALWAYS offer dirt cheap prices. However, you can often get really good deals.

And who wouldn’t want to save all that money, right?

• You Can Discover New Places to Visit in Europe

There are 44 countries in Europe. That number is large and it’s not practical to travel to each and every country extensively.

The amazing thing about the low cost Europe airlines, is that they serve destinations beyond the usual London and Paris.

While most tourists still flock to the evergreen destinations, there is a ton of historic and cultural wealth in the continent that is yet to explored. Low cost airlines help put many of these overlooked cities on the map of Europe.

Apart from the bigger players in the low cost flight segment like easyJet and Ryanair, which have a sprawling network of flight routes across Europe, most budget carriers serve smaller regions. For instance, WizzAir connects Western Europe to many Eastern European countries like Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.

I’ve had the chance to visit places like Malta and Manchester, hugely underrated destinations in my opinion, thanks to budget airlines in Europe.

Besides these, there are many off-the-beaten-path cities like Timisoara, Valencia, Crete, that are just one (cheap) flight away for travelers in Europe.

Cons of Flying with Low Cost European Airlines

• Budget Airlines Provide Very Basic Service

When it comes to low cost airlines in Europe, what you pay for is what you get.

This means that you’ll get a bare-bones service of transiting from point A to point B. And, hopefully, you’ll get a randomly allocated seat.

(Psst: Ryanair unsuccesfuly tried to sell the idea of offering standing places on airplanes, or getting customers to pay to use the toilet. Thankfully, these ludicrous proposals didn’t get approved.)

Beyond this, you’ll have to pay for pretty much everything else. Low cost carriers are frugal service providers and you can’t be choosy about the quality of service, if you want to enjoy the low prices.

YA CAN’T HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO, YA KNOW. Budget airlines won’t let ya.

• Budget Airlines Often Land at Secondary Airports

If you book a flight to London with a budget airline, there’s a high chance the plane will fly into Stansted Airport, a secondary airport located about 43 km from central London. Which means the cost of catching a tube to the city might even exceed the cost of your flight!

In order to keep overheads low, budget airlines often fly into smaller secondary airports like Stansted in London or Aéroport Paris Beauvais, which charge lower fees to land compared with the corresponding primary airports in these cities.

Although these secondary airports offer good connectivity to the city center, a significant money or time cost may be involved.

This is not to say that all budget airlines fly only in to secondary airports for all their connections.

However, you might want to factor this into your budget and weigh the larger expense of getting to the main city, rather than just the price of the flight ticket.

• Low Cost Airlines aren’t Very Comfortable

While budget airlines in Europe outpace their full-service counterparts in pricing, they don’t rank very high on comfort.

The planes are meant for shorter distances, hence there isn’t a lot of leg room. In some planes, the seats don’t recline and the space between the seats is rather scant.

If you’re not a fussy flier, this should work just fine. Also, these airlines are worth their while especially if you’re flying over a short distance (say, upto 3.5 to 4 hours). Beyond that, you can make a call.

Personally, I don’t care too much about reclining my seat, or a bit of suboptimal comfort here and there, when the prices are low and the flight duration is short. For anything beyond 4 hours, I wouldn’t mind shelling a little extra money in lieu of comfort.

• Airlines Tend to Overcharge for Everything Else

Like I said, low-cost airlines will offer you no extra services unless you pay for them.

Outside of just the act of flying, there are tons of auxiliary charges which are critical to the low cost model.

Think about all the things that we take for granted when flying with a traditional carrier-free check-in baggage, complimentary meals, snacks, drinks, the occasional free upgrade to premium economy. None of these things come free with the low cost airlines operating in Europe.

COMMON FEES CHARGED BY BUDGET AIRLINES IN EUROPE

Below are the most commonly charged fees, however, this list is not exhaustive. The airline enjoys the prerogative to up the cost of an ancillary service. Some airlines might also charge a processing fee, or jack up the prices if you’re traveling with a baby.

Cabin and Check-in Lugguage

Normally, full service airlines allow passengers to bring a cabin bag and one check-in item onboard for free.

Low cost airlines charge passengers for this.

Most airlines allow a personal item (a handbag or backpack) weighing upto 10 kg. The condition is that it should comfortably fit under your seat.
I’ve seen many airlines randomly picking out passengers with bigger-looking lugguage, and putting the bags in mock slots to confirm if they are within the maximum weight and dimensions limit.

Should you want to bring a personal item and another cabin bag (say, a small suitcase), the airline can charge anything between EUR 10-20.

Additionally, check-in luggage always costs extra. The price varies from one airline to another, but the rough estimate is EUR 30-40 for a 15 kg bag.

If you must buy extra baggage allowance, make sure to include it before booking the ticket, as after the booking is done, additional baggage prices shoot up.
In case you’ve booked the ticket already but want to add baggage later, book ahead of time as the price keeps increasing as you approach the departure date.

Allotment of Seats

If you’d like to reserve a specific seat onboard the flight, you’ll have to buy it in addition to the basic ticket fare. Seats in low cost airlines usually cost around EUR 6-EUR 8.

Food and Beverages

Low cost airlines often charge way higher prices for in-flight food and beverages. The prices can be more than even airport food.

One hack is to carry your own food that you can eat at the airport or onboard the plane. Note that some budget airlines might fuss a bit about you eating your own food on the plane. Mostly, though, it shouldn’t be a problem.

Also VERY important: Discount airlines also charge for water onboard. Carry your own bottle that you can fill up from an airport water fountain to save an unnecessary expense.

Extras

Like with most full service airlines, budget airlines usually throw in some frills towards the end of your booking. As you approach the payment page, things like insurance and car rentals might be auto-added to your total. So don’t forget to double-check the final amount before hitting ‘Pay’.

• Low Cost Airlines Will Slug Extra Costs Wherever they Can

The remarkably basic service and higher costs of ‘perks’ notwithstanding, one thing that can be really offputting is that, budget airlines don’t miss an opportunity to slap ridiculous charges wherever they can.

It is almost like these airlines stay on the lookout for the customer to make one tiny lapse. And the airline will grab the chance with both hands.

Checking in at the Airport

While checking in online is free for most airlines, a fee applies if you do an in-person check-in at the airport desk. This charge can be anything upto EUR 150.

Should you want to buy extra check-in baggage or change to priority booking, a higher fee applies when checked bags are purchased at the airport desk. Also, higher charges apply if you book through the airline call center.

Printing Out a Boarding Pass

Ridiculous as it sounds, many budget airlines operating in Europe charge a steep fee for printing out a boarding pass. They expect you to mandatorily carry a physical copy, and if you don’t, printing it out at the airport desk can cost ~EUR 20.

Overweight Baggage

Low cost airlines like Ryanair are extremely strict about their baggage allowance, so make sure to weigh your luggage at home before heading to the airport. Overweight luggage can be presented a fine of EUR 60-EUR 80.

• Budget Airlines Offer Average Service

Ryanair’s tagline says, “Low fares, made simple.”

Wizz Air has the tagline, “Now we all can fly.”

This is not a lesson in branding. This is to give you an idea about how these airlines position themselves in the market.

The biggest selling point for low cost airlines in Europe is cheap fares, and the airlines promise just that. So, it’s understandable that they don’t give a hoot about customer experience.

And while the experience isn’t bad as such, it may not be the best.

You’ll always find at least one person who’s had a below-average flying experience onboard a low cost European carrier.

Budget Airlines and Connecting Flights

Sometimes, budget airlines try to mitigate the cost of moving your luggage from one plane to another, while on a connecting flight.

This means that you might have to collect your luggage and check it in again. It is a good idea to keep some extra time up your sleeve during the stopover in between connecting flights.

LOW COST AIRLINES IN EUROPE LIST

There are 62 low cost airlines operating in Europe, and this list is growing every year.

Below is a list of the cheapest airlines in Europe.

1. Ryanair

Airline Identification Code: FR
Founded in: 1985
Headquartered in: Swords, Ireland

2. Norwegian Air

(going through a rough patch during coronavirus and may go bust)

Airline Identification Code: D8
Founded in: 1993
Headquartered in: Fornebu, Norway

3. easyJet

Airline Identification Code: U2
Founded in: 1995
Headquartered in: London, United Kingdom

4. Eurowings

Airline Identification Code: EW
Founded in: 1990
Headquartered in: Dusseldorf, Germany

5. Wizz Air

Airline Identification Code: W6
Founded in: 2003
Headquartered in: Budapest, Hungary

6. Vueling

Airline Identification Code: VY
Founded in: 2004
Headquartered in: Barcelona, Spain

7. Pegasus Airlines

Airline Identification Code: PC
Founded in: 1990
Headquartered in: Istanbul, Turkey

8. Onur Air

Airline Identification Code: 8Q
Founded in: 1992
Headquartered in: Istanbul, Turkey

9. AirBaltic

Airline Identification Code: BT
Founded in: 1995
Headquartered in: Riga, Latvia

10. Jet2

Airline Identification Code: LS
Founded in: 2002
Headquartered in: Leeds, United Kingdom

11. Transavia

Airline Identification Code: HV
Founded in: 1965
Headquartered in: Harlem, Netherlands

HOW TO FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS IN EUROPE

Although the extra costs and sneaky fines slugged by budget airlines are annoying, you can save a ton of money if you get a good deal and are clever about your booking.

Below are some ways to find the cheapest flights in Europe. When booked smartly, these low cost airlines can make a big difference to your Europe travel budget.

• Book through aggregators like Skyscanner and Momondo. On these websites, you can compare prices across various low cost airlines.
• Visit the airline’s own website as well. They often have limited period offers that only run on their website/app.
• Generally, flight prices are cheaper mid-week. This is not a rule of thumb, though. I’ve found amazing deals for flying on weekends as well.
• Flights during shoulder season (Fall and Spring) are generally cheaper.
• Steer clear of booking during public holidays. The prices tend to go up.
• Don’t forget to check out prices offered by traditional airlines as well. Full service airlines in Europe often roll out deals which might result in your flight ticket being cheaper than the corresponding budget airline’s price.
• Low cost airlines usually offer last minute bargains to make sure their flights are full. So you can hitch a really good deal if you’re willing to jump on a plane in the next 3-4 days. At the time of writing this article, I can see a Ryanair flight to Palermo this weekend for 11 bucks.

MORE TIPS FOR FLYING LOW COST AIRLINES IN EUROPE

Here are a few more tips to keep in mind when you fly with a budget airline in Europe:

• Make sure to carry printouts of your ticket confirmation and boarding pass.
• In case of a flight delay or cancellation, you may be eligible for a compensation under the EU 261 regulation.
• Airlines generally provide a 48-hour window to check-in online. Hold on to checking-in until towards the end, closer to time of departure. Say, 20 hours in advance. You’ll be more likely to get a window/aisle seat.
• Check your luggage weight before leaving for the airport. Discount airlines are very anal about excess baggage weight.
• In-flight entertainment is usually not available, so carry your books/music/laptop, etc. on board.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON BUDGET AIRLINES IN EUROPE

The way low cost airlines in Europe structure their additional costs might seem a little crazy but I think it speaks to reason. If you’re paying less, you can’t expect anything else.

Besides, while it might bring into question how safe these airlines are, it is worth noting that most budget airlines in Europe have excellent safety records.

And while there may be cases of extremely poor service here and there, most low cost airlines provide a decent flying experience and good value for money.

It always helps to do your research, though. Read up on the airline beforehand. Especially the fine print, to avoid any surprises at the airport.

Happy flying!

Visiting Europe soon? Check out these articles:

• 15 Practical Tips to Travel Europe Cheap
• Getting Around in Europe: All You Need to Know
• 49 Most Famous Landmarks in Europe