Low-cost airlines – comparison

Here we give you an overview of most famous low-cost airlines in the world and its comparison.

The concept of the low-cost airline was originally developed in the USA in the ‘70s of the last century after which in the 1990’s it has spread first through Europe and then in the rest of the world. There are few criteria that low-cost airline should have in order to satisfy the low-cost model and to be considered as a true low-cost airline.

homogeneous aircraft fleet consisting of one aircraft model
the usage of secondary airports
point-to-point flight network
no code sharing
one-way tariff per flight
one class in the cabin
no extra services on board

Low-cost airlines focus on reducing costs in order to implement a leading price strategy. In low-cost airline companies, you need to pay additionally for food, drinks, and luggage. Plane tickets sales are mostly online, while administration and management are reduced. Usually, this kind of companies use smaller airports, while big and traffic ones are avoided. Smaller airports usually charge lower fees than larger airports and are willing to co-finance the promotion of new routes, so it is recommended to check on the map where is exactly landing airport so you can plan your trip better. Another thing is modest airplane exterior, seats are usually smaller, pillows are harder, and there is no TV. The usage of the younger homogeneous medium-sized fleet (usually Boeing 737-700/800 or Airbus 319/320) usually results in lower fuel, maintenance and personnel costs. Despite a significant contribution to the growth in the aviation sector, low-cost airlines have relatively low CO₂ emissions per passenger kilometer since they operate a modern and fuel-efficient fleet with more seats than competitors.

In the following text, we provide you a review of the most famous low – cost airlines in the world.

EUROPE

In Europe Ryanair and EasyJet, two largest low-cost airlines, are synonyms for cheap flights.

Ryan Air

Head office	Dublin, Ireland
Slogan	“Always Getting Better.”
Destinations	225 destinations in 37 countries
Fleet	439 aircrafts in service: Boeing 737 – 800
Baggage rules	Cabin Baggage 1 small personal bag on board which must fit under the seat in front of you (40cm x 20cm x 25cm) From 6 € – Priority & 2 Cabin Bags: 1 small bag which fits under the seat in front of you and the other (max 10kg) Checked Baggage From 10 € – a 10kg bag which must be dropped off at the check-in desk.
Frequent-flyer program	Ryanair Choice – costs £199 (225€ ) a year for membership and offers passengers: free seating choice fast-track security passes priority boarding on every booking
Special notes	· They have frequent ticket sales Ryanair serves some of the major airports like Amsterdam, Dublin, Athens, Barcelona El Prat, Frankfurt, etc Ryanair helped with the launch of low-cost airlines: VivaAerobús (Mexico) and VivaColombia (Colombia). According to researchers in the UK, Ryanair is declared as the worst airline on short distance for 6 years in a row During 2018 they changed luggage rules three times

Easy Jet

Head office	London, UK
Slogan	“Come on, let’s fly!”
Destinations	136 destinations
Fleet	328 aircrafts in service: 125 Airbus A319-100, 169 Airbus A320-200, 25 Airbus A320neo, 6 Airbus A321neo
Baggage rules	Cabin Baggage 1 cabin baggage – no weight restrictions on this baggage but it must be 56cm x 45cm x 25cm including handles and wheels EasyJet Plus, FLEXI fare, Upfront and Extra Legroom customers can bring an additional small bag at a maximum size of 45cm x 36cm x 20cm and must be placed under the seat in front. Checked Baggage Checked Baggage- Passengers can buy up to three hold bags (23 kg – 32 kg Baggage can be purchased online, over the phone, or at the airport and the price will depend on the route, season, flight and time of booking. Online, prices vary from £13.99-£33.99. At the airport bag drop, you will be charged £37 per hold item weighing up to 23kg. At the boarding gate, you will be charged £47 per hold item weighing up to 23kg.
Frequent-flyer program	EasyJet Flight Club – costs £215/year per person Free flight changes without paying admin fees Free name changes – up to five name changes per year completely free Price promise – If passengers find the same flight on easyjet.com at a lower price, the price difference can be put forward towards the next flight booked. Previews and special offers
Special notes	EasyJet announced the plan of buying electrical aircraft on some routes before 2027. For the beginning, this aircraft will be used for routes up to 500 kilometers. The aim is to reduce the emission of harmful gases.

Wizz Air

Head office	Budapest, Hungary
Slogan	‎”Now we can all fly.”
Destinations	141 destinations
Fleet	105 aircrafts: 68 Airbus A320-200 35 Airbus A321-200 2 Airbus A321neo
Baggage rules	Cabin Baggage FREE – carry-on bag, max 10 kg, 40 x 30 x 20 WIZZ Priority- Trolley bag, max 10 kg, 55 x 40 x 23 Checked Baggage PAID – checked-in bag, 10, 20 or 32 kg, 149X119X171 CM
Frequent-flyer program	WIZZ Discount Club Standard membership member + 1 companion 29.99 €/ year Group membership member + up to 5 companions 59.99 € / year Minimum 10€ discount on flights Minimum 5€ discount on baggage purchased online.
Special notes	Wizzair also has regular ticket sales. The deals become available to the WIZZ Discount Club members first, and after 1-2 days for everyone else. Wizz Air has the partnership with booking.com: when you reserve accommodation on booking.com with your Wizz Air membership number, you can get 10% back as Wizz Air credit and use it later to pay for tickets.

ASIA

Air Asia

Head office	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Slogan	“Now Everyone Can Fly.”
Destinations	138 destinations
Fleet	AirAsia fleet (excluding subsidiaries) consists of 97 aircrafts: 70 Airbus A320-200 27 Airbus A320neo.
Baggage rules	Cabin Baggage One Cabin Baggage: Must not exceed the dimensions of 56cm X 36cm X 23cm. Must fit in the overhead storage compartment in the aircraft cabin. One laptop bag or one handbag or one small bag: Must not exceed the dimensions of 40cm x 30cm x 10cm. Must fit under the seat in front of you. The total weight of both pieces must not exceed 7kg. Checked Baggage Checked baggage is charged based on its weight (20kg, 25kg, 30kg or 40kg) and the destination to which you’re traveling Prices may also vary depending on your travel period
Frequent-flyer program	Big Loyalty – free Get an instant member discount on flights Pay for your flights & add-ons with BIG Points for further savings Pre-save your card details for then faster one-click payment with BigClick 24-hour members-only priority access to sales Full flight redemption for free flights Exclusive access to monthly sales
Special notes	It has been operating and flying for 25 years Top qualities of this airline are the courtesy of the cabin crew, excellent customer service and good management. For last few years, Air Asia took first place on the list of the world’s best low cost airlines Air Asia has seven subsidiaries: Air Asia X, Indonesia AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia X, Philippines AirAsia, Thai AirAsia, AirAsia India, and AirAsia Japan.

USA

Jet Blue Airways

Head office	New York, USA
Slogan	“Inspiring Humanity.”
Destinations	102 destinations in North, Central, and South America
Fleet	253 aircrafts in service: 130 Airbus A320-200 63 Airbus A321-200 60 Embraer E190
Baggage rules	Cabin Baggage One personal item plus one carry-on bag. All carry-on bags must not exceed 55.88 cm x 35.56 cm x 22.86 cm, including wheels/handles Checked Baggage Checked bags that exceed 157.48 cm in overall dimensions (length + width + height) or exceedd 22.68 kg will also incur a fee
Frequent-flyer program	TrueBlue – free Ability to earn and use points: Flights worth two, four, or six points based on distance of the flights, and double points were awarded for flights booked online. Free checked bags Priority boarding/seating Expedited security
Special notes	The airline is operating since 1998 and it is considered the sixth biggest American airline

Southwest Airlines

Head office	Dallas, Texas
Slogan	“Low fares. Nothing to hide. That’s Transfarency.”
Destinations	101 destinations
Fleet	753 aircrafts in service: Boeing 737 jetline
Baggage rules	Cabin Baggage Carry-on items are limited to one bag plus one smaller, personal-type item. Carry-on bag dimensions 25 x 40 x 60 cm. Personal-type dimensions 47 x 22 x 34 cm. Checked Baggage Maximum weight is 22.6 kg and the maximum size is 157.48 cm (length + width + height) per check piece of luggage. Overweight items and oversized items but not more than 203.2 cm will be accepted for overweight and oversize baggage fee of $75 per item.
Frequent-flyer program	Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards – free No Blackout Dates – blackout dates essentially invalidate hard-earned miles and rewards points because they forbid travelers from using those miles on certain dates. Southwest has completely eliminated them without exception. Your points don’t expire Every dollar counts- program actually bases the points you earn on how many dollars you spend. You have many ways to earn points – Southwest has teamed up with many hotels, restaurants and merchants across the globe to help members earn points for doing everyday things while they’re traveling.
Special notes	World’s largest low-cost carrier In 1995, Southwest was one of the first airlines to have a website, called the “Southwest Airlines Home Gate The airline is known for great rates and friendly service. The airline’s average fleet age is 11 years old.

AUSTRALIA

Jetstar Airways

Head office	Melbourne, Australia
Slogan	“All day, every day, low fares.”
Destinations	39 destinations: 19 domestic destinations and 20 international destinations in 10 countries across Asia, North America and Oceania
Fleet	71 aircrafts in service: 52 Airbus A320-200 8 Airbus A321-200 11 Boeing 787-8
Baggage rules	Cabin baggage two carry-on items weighing up to 7kg. Checked baggage You can purchase checked baggage from 15kg to 40kg. No individual item can weigh more than 32kg. It’s cheapest to purchase checked baggage online when you book your flight. Checked baggage prices vary by route
Frequent-flyer program	Club Jetstar – from $49AUD Early access to biggest sales Exclusive member-only fares Partner offers tailored just for members 20% off bags and seat selection Apply your offers to you and up to 4 other people
Special notes	It is part of Qantas, a big airline company. 5 years in the row, Jetstar Airways is selected for the best low-cost airline of Australia, and the main reason for that is the comfort of aircrafts and low ticket fares. On all Boeing 787 international routes, Jetstar offers a two-class service.

SOUTH AMERICA

Azul Brazilian

Head office	Sao Paolo, Brazil
Slogan	“You up there. It’s Brazil up there.”
Destinations	112 destinations- most of the flights are within Brazil, but they also have connections with Europe, United States, Canada, Asia, Caribbean and Central America
Fleet	128 aircrafts in service: 1 Airbus A320-200 10 Airbus320neo 7 Airbus A330-200 1 Airbus A330-900 neo 40 ATR 72-600 10 Embraer E190 60 Embraer E195.
Baggage rules	Carry on baggage: the weight limit is 5 kg and the size should not exceed 115 cm Checked baggage: All checked bags must not exceed 158 cm in overall dimensions (length + width + height) and cannot exceed 32 kilos Passengers on international flights can buy up to 3 extra baggage per passenger: 1 extra baggage: US$ 95.00 2 extra baggage: US$ 190.00 3 extra baggage: US$ 285.00
Frequent-flyer program	TudoAzul Members accumulate points based on the airfare paid rather than on miles flown.
Special notes	The airline is established in 2008 and has the same owner as Jet Blue. All aircraft are modernly equipped and on an international flight, you can watch movies and listen to music. Azul Brazilian is considered to be the best low budget airline of South America, while its cabin crew was named for the best cabin crew of South America

Volaris

Head office	Santa Fe, Álvaro Obregón, Mexico City
Slogan	„Get out of town prices.“
Destinations	66 destinations
Fleet	75 aircrafts in service: 5 Airbus A319-100 41 Airbus A320-200 14 Airbus A320neo 10 Airbus A321-200 5 Airbus A321neo
Baggage rules	Cabin baggage 2 Cabin bags 9.97 kg in total. Checked baggage 1 Checked bag of up to 24.94 kg and 157.4 cm total.
Frequent-flyer program	v.club – 49$ per month The lowest prices on all flights and ways travel. Access to exclusive offers. Discounts on baggage when you book flights.
Special notes	The airline was officially launched in August of 2005 but they were not called Volaris at that time. The first name that the company used was Vuela Airlines. Volaris celebrates its anniversary by offering their passengers a discount of 70% off of all flights.

Low-cost airlines are different from classic airline companies in many aspects, but one is sure and most important, safety doesn’t depend on the price. You can be equally sure in your safety, no matter if you paid for the plane ticket 30 or 300 dollars. In fact, in 10 big airplane crashes, only 1 included low-cost airline company, and other 9 included regular airline companies.