Do's and Don'ts: Budget Airlines
Budget Airlines in Europe: Convenient and Confusing
Europe is a great starting place to travel because everything is so close and you have a lot of different means of travel available to you. And one of the most popular ways to get around is by flying. But this modern day miracle is expensive. Thankfully there are small airlines out there that offer cheap ways to travel around. These are airlines such as Ryanair, easyJet, and Transavia. They usually only make flights within continental Europe and offer ways to get around without breaking the bank. But there are a few things you should know before flying.Don't
Don't assume that you will be served a meal or even snacks. The idea behind a budget airline is they cut out a lot of things, making the price lower. Yes you can buy food on the plane, but at an outrageous price. And don't expect peanuts, those sound like a luxury now!Do
Do remember to pack snacks if you think you'll get hungry. For short distances it's not really necessary to have full meals, another reason why the airline doesn't serve food. But if you think you'll get hungry, bring your own snacks. Airport food is expensive, so you'll be ruining the point of flying on a budget airline: staying on a budget. Just remember all the restrictions about liquids and weights of carry ons.Don't
Don't expect amazing customer service. I'm sure that these people are getting complaints every day about the baggage fees or the service aboard the plane, so I understand if they are a little short with people. I'm also sure that they are understaffed because of the low budget. So if you're looking for amazing customer service, you won't get that on these airlines, especially in Europe, where customer service is a foreign language.Do
Do remember that you get what you pay for. If you go in with that attitude, you will be a lot less disappointed with the service because you already expect just a seat on a plane to your destination. Anything received after that point is just a bonus. You get what you pay for means that for anything extra than your seat you will have to pay for it. Food? $ Checked bags? $$$ Everything costs something.Don't
Don't think about sneaking that large bag on board. Many airlines have these little boxes next to the area where you board. If you bag doesn't fit in the box, you have to check it, and then you have to pay the fee for a checked bag. And sometimes the people at the check in counter don't take a look at the bags, meaning you cleared security and find out after that you took it all this way for nothing. Make sure to check about the weight and size restrictions and stick to it! These airlines don't mess around.Do
Only travel with carry on. The whole point of the budget airline is to save money. If you want to bring a whole bunch of bags, maybe you should look into a more expensive airline with more frills, it might be cheaper. But if you truly intend to travel on a budget, pack carry on and avoid the checked bag fees. They could cost more than your plane ticket.Don't
Don't forget to print your boarding pass. For some reason, these airlines don't always like to print out your boarding passes for you. I've even read stories about people having to pay for them. So remember that you're going to have to check in online and print it up. What's nice is that so many do the e-ticket, so you don't have to worry about having to find a printer while traveling. What I did was I found internet, checked in, took a screen shot, and went through everything without using any data abroad. Now that's traveling on a budget.Do
Do try out different airlines. Most budget airlines don't have fidelity programs, so if you find one to be a better deal than your usual choice, try it out. I personally like easyJet because you can print boarding passes weeks on advance, rather than the standard 24 hours in advance. I also found them reliable and easy to use, but I've also flown other airlines because the price was cheaper. I wish I was earning points, but I'd rather spend less money, so I'll stick to those budget airlines.
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