Budget Airlines

Hey peeps,
It’s been a while since this space was updated but that was because too many good things were happening for us at Your Travel Beacon. In between planning itineraries over the world for friends and clients, we welcomed a precious new life as well! (hi baby ng!!)

With the launch of budget airlines scoot, we have been getting a number of request and questions about flying via budget airlines. While budget airlines are a great way to save money,  there are many factors you should consider when selecting your budget flights.

Read the fineprint carefully
The advertised price of $50 to your dream destination might sound like a great deal. But the addition of a list of hidden expenses can ensnare the unsuspecting traveler. For example, most budget airlines require you to pay for your check-in luggage. Also, they slap on a hefty charge for every extra kg above the weight limit. Some budget airways require you to check-in online and penalizes you if you did not do so. For example, somewhere within the mambo jambo of Ryanair’s Travel Itininerary email is the following

IN ORDER TO TRAVEL YOU ARE REQUIRED TO CHECK-IN ONLINE AND PRESENT AT THE AIRPORT YOUR ONLINE BOARDING PASS AND VALID ACCEPTED TRAVEL DOCUMENT, PASSENGERS WHO DO NOT PRESENT A BOARDING PASS AT THE AIRPORT WILL BE CHARGED A RE-ISSUE FEE OF EUR40/GBP40(each boarding pass must be printed and presented on an individual A4 page).

Eur40 is not a pricey sum to pay for not reading and following their very specific instructions. Sometimes, the extras that you pay might add up to  be more than your ticket price!

Confirm your travel dates

Changing travel dates would most definitely mean that you would be paying way more than your advertised prices. In most cases, heavily discounted tickets do not allow changes to the itinerary. One way to overcome this problem is to buy travel insurance so that you are compensated for any unforeseen changes to your travel dates.

Click carefully when you are booking your flight

Booking a budget airline ticket can be quite a chore. Sometimes the process of buying a budget airline ticket is like navigating a minefield of potential charges. One has to read each and every step carefully in order not to purchase something unnecessary. Some of the budget airline websites have selections pre-set for you. Things like priority boarding at a fee, seats with extra legroom are usually selected by default.

Nothing is included in the flight, but the seat on the flight!

Budget airlines offer few cabin amenities. The typical budget airline offers a basic seat and anything else a passenger wants in-flight can be had for an additional fee. Be it earphones for $3, blankets for $5, bottled water for $5 etc. Make sure you bring your own essential items to avoid paying for these items.

Reliability of the budget airline carrier

Some budget airline carriers change their flight schedule at the very last moment, often neglecting to inform their customers. Sometimes, flights are cancelled or merged because there are too few people on the flight.

While budget airlines offer great savings on a flight, sometimes their fares are not as cheap as one would think. Before booking your flight, be diligent!

Your Travel Beacon,
Cindy