Low cost airline. Low cost airline

A low-cost, or low-cost, airline is an air carrier that eliminates a number of services and flight conditions in order to reduce the cost of tickets. The birthplace of this term is the USA. It is worth noting that low-cost airlines are not small regional companies whose range of services does not include the amenities available to large carriers.

The concept of low-cost flights dates back to 1949 in the USA, when Pacific Southwest Airlines successfully launched this concept. In subsequent years and to the present day, low-cost airlines are actively competing with traditional airlines and charters. Many large carriers have created their own low-cost airline subsidiaries. IN Eastern Europe The development of low-cost transportation was facilitated by the accession of new countries to the EU.

Low-cost airlines in Russia began operating in 2006, when SkyExpress was founded. The carrier specialized in flights to Russian cities and used leased Boeing 737s for this purpose. In 2011, the airline became part of Kuban Airlines and ceased its low-cost flight operations. In 2009, the Avianova company was founded. The company introduced an electronic ticket system and operated flights to Russian cities from Moscow. In 2011, Avianova declared herself bankrupt.

In 2013, low-cost airlines in Russia were replenished with a new representative. It was Dobrolet, created under the leadership of Aeroflot. Due to the aggravated political situation and sanctions from the EU, the low-cost airline ceased to exist next year. The next project of a low-cost carrier from Aeroflot was called “Pobeda” and is still operating.

IN last years A new direction has emerged in budget flights - business low-cost airlines. They cut down some of the services of regular airlines and, nevertheless, retain some privileges for passengers.

The principle of building a low-cost airline operating system

The goal of the business model of such airlines is to reduce the cost of travel by reducing costs and expenses. That is why low-cost airlines are reducing the volume of services, allowing them to reduce the cost of customer service. This is achieved in various ways.

As a rule, low-cost airlines in Russia and foreign countries strive to use the same make and model of aircraft, as well as a single passenger class of service. This reduces the cost of training employees to operate and repair equipment.

The aircraft are equipped with the minimum required set of equipment; Passengers are not provided with televisions or displays. In this case, the weight of the vessel and its fuel consumption are reduced. Tickets are sold according to a simpler scheme using a single form. Today, many companies prefer electronic tickets. Selling tickets via the Internet allows you to reduce the cost of paying commission agents.

Booking your ticket early will result in a lower flight price. As the plane fills up, the price of a seat increases. Boarding passes often do not indicate a seat number, which encourages passengers to rush to board.

Departures often take place early in the morning or late in the evening from the least busy air hubs. One plane can make several round-trip flights per day. In this regard, most low-cost airline flights are direct to reduce transfer costs at hubs.

On-board services provided free of charge on standard airlines will be paid for on low-cost airlines. Additional services in the form of accompanying children, etc. may be excluded from the airline's list. Aircraft personnel often perform several functions at once. Thus, stewards can not only perform their immediate duties, but also clean the cabin after landing.

Quite often, low-cost airlines reduce fuel costs by actively hedging its cost.

Low-cost airlines in Russia

Low-cost airlines in Russia are divided into domestic and foreign. On the list Russian companies"Victory" is listed. Foreign low-cost carriers are represented in the following names:

  • Air Arabia;
  • airBerlin;
  • airBaltic;
  • Air One;
  • Blu-Express;
  • easyJet;
  • flydubai;
  • Germanwings;
  • Niki;
  • Norwegian;
  • Pegasus Airlines;
  • SmartWings;
  • Vueling;
  • Wizz Air.

As you can see, the list of countries offering their services is quite wide. Low-cost airlines in Russia are based in Germany, Britain, Hungary, Spain, the UAE, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Turkey. In Russia, via low-cost airline you can fly from the following cities:

  1. Moscow;
  2. Saint Petersburg;
  3. Ekaterinburg;
  4. Volgograd;
  5. Krasnodar;
  6. Kazan;
  7. Mineral water;
  8. Omsk;
  9. Rostov-on-Don.

Don't be afraid of budget flights. Despite a set of restrictions, company personnel strive, first of all, to protect the interests of passengers. At the airport and on board you will be greeted with friendly treatment, smiles and care. For the most part, eliminated services and costs do not affect the mood and comfort of the client during a short flight.

Low-cost flight options in Russia

To find out which is the most cheap airline in Russia, you need to analyze the offers of the carriers presented above. As a rule, they all offer flights to favorable conditions. The only inconvenience may be the departure time, which usually occurs at night or early in the morning.

Pobeda Airlines

Of the Russian carriers, Pobeda is the most budget-friendly and the only domestic company. It features low ticket prices with a large number of paid services included. Passengers will only be provided with free water in the cabin. Free baggage weight is up to 10 kg. Hand luggage is limited to a small set of items. Animals are not transported by low-cost airlines. Change ticket date, return or select seat carried out with additional payment.

The set of Victory routes is flexible and diverse. With the help of the airline you can fly not only to many cities in Russia, but also to Europe. Quite often, customers are offered combined flights with a transfer to a bus. From Moscow and St. Petersburg you can fly to German cities using airlines Air Berlin.

Low-cost airline Air Arabia

Air Arabia operates flights from the UAE to many countries, including Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. In Russia, flights are made through Moscow. The company offers big discounts on luggage when booking in advance. Online registration, seat selection, and meals services are paid.

Latvian company airBaltic

airBaltic is the national carrier of Latvia. Its operating principle combines a hybrid of elements of low-cost and traditional flights. In Russia, you can use the services of a carrier in St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Air One

Air One - subsidiary Alitalia airlines. On board you can carry hand luggage up to 8 kg and baggage up to 32 kg. In other cases, additional payment is required. There is a fee for selecting a seat depending on the seat type. During the flight you will be offered not only water, but also chips, chocolate, and drinks. Also an Italian company is Blu-Express.

Easy Jet

With Easy Jet you can fly from London to Moscow. To date, this is the only flight to Russia from this carrier. Passengers are allowed to carry three pieces of luggage with certain dimensions. Manipulations with tickets are paid separately.

Flydubai

Flydubai stands out for its wide coverage Russian cities. Flights are carried out through Moscow, Samara, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Ufa, Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don. Principle of cost and additional services The carrier's price is similar to other low-cost airlines.

Other low cost airlines

Germanwings has introduced three tariffs, each with its own cost for baggage, meals and additional services. The Austrian airline Niki offers flights from Moscow to Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck. There is also a division into three tariffs.

Norwegian aircraft fly 2-3 times a week on the route Oslo - St. Petersburg. There are three tariffs in the payment system. Pegasus Airlines is a popular carrier to Turkey. Initially, the company specialized in charters. Today its routes run through Moscow, Mineralnye Vody, Krasnodar, Sochi and Omsk. Tariffs are differentiated into several types.

Czech SmartWings allows you to fly from Moscow to Prague and back. Snacks and drinks are provided on board, luggage includes up to 15 kg in the hold and up to 8 kg in hand luggage. The Spanish company Vueling operates flights from resorts in Spain to Moscow and St. Petersburg. You are allowed to carry up to 10 kg of hand luggage free of charge. There are various tariffs, where the cost of certain services varies.

Wizz Air was founded in Hungary and has a branch in Ukraine. The company allows you to fly from Moscow to Budapest. The main emphasis is on the volume of hand luggage. Other manipulations with the place and ticket are paid.

Low-cost airlines, low-cost airlines, discounters are low-cost airlines with an efficient business organization, thanks to which ticket prices are greatly reduced. Most low-cost airlines:

  1. They sell tickets online and do not spend money on maintaining ticket offices.
  2. Free food and entertainment are not provided. If desired, all this can be ordered on board the plane or in advance, at the booking stage.
  3. They increase the number of passenger seats on the plane and do not allow free choice of seat arrangement. If you want to sit next to your loved ones, pay.
  4. Fewer staff are hired. As a rule, employees on board a low-cost airline perform several tasks at once, for example, loading luggage and cleaning the aircraft cabin.
  5. They use new planes. To eliminate repair costs, low-cost airlines use only new aircraft, and after several years of operation they sell them to other airlines.

What you need to know when buying an air ticket

  • Buy your ticket in advance. The higher the plane's capacity, the more expensive the ticket prices will be.
  • Register online. This can be done online for free, but at the airport you will have to pay.
  • Buy the cheapest tickets only if you are completely sure that you will fly. On cheap fares, you will not be able to return your ticket if you cancel your trip. Therefore, if you are not 100% sure, choose a tariff where the ticket can be returned.
  • Travel light. Cheap fares do not include free baggage space. You can only take with you hand luggage, and you will have to pay extra for luggage. If you cannot do without luggage, register it on the website in advance - it will be 50-90% cheaper.
  • Buy additional services in advance. If you plan to order in-flight meals or other services, do so in advance on the airline's website. It will be much cheaper than on board an airplane.

Below is a list of popular low-cost airlines for budget travel: 8 airlines with departures from Russia and 18 without.

Low-cost airlines with flights from Russia

Eurowings

Low-cost airline of the large German airline Lufthansa with base airports in Cologne-Bonn, Dusseldorf and Hamburg. The company's planes fly almost all over Europe, there are flights to the USA, countries of Africa and Asia.

Russian cities from which Eurowings flies

  • Moscow.
  • Saint Petersburg.

Baggage

Baggage allowances depend on the fare. The cheapest one provides one free piece of hand luggage weighing no more than 8 kg and dimensions not exceeding 55 × 40 × 23 cm. You can also take with you a small bag or briefcase with dimensions no more than 40 × 30 × 10 cm;

Airbaltic

Latvian national airline. It carries out both cargo and passenger air transportation. The main airport is in Riga.

AirBaltic is not a low-cost airline in pure form, however, it sells economy class tickets so cheaply that it deserves its name. AirBaltic flight directions can be found here.

Russian cities from which AirBaltic flies

  • Moscow;
  • Saint Petersburg;
  • Kazan;
  • Sochi;
  • Kaliningrad.

Baggage

The amount of free baggage allowed depends on the fare. In the cheapest one you can take free hand luggage with dimensions 55 × 40 × 23 cm and weighing no more than 8 kg + one personal item with dimensions 30 × 40 × 10 cm.

Vueling

The second largest air carrier in Spain, one of the largest low-cost airlines. Vueling serves destinations in Europe, the Western Mediterranean and North Africa.

Russian cities from which Vueling flies

  • Moscow.
  • Saint Petersburg.

Baggage and hand luggage

Each passenger is entitled to carry one piece of hand luggage, which should not exceed a weight of 10 kg and dimensions of 55 × 40 × 20 cm (with Excellence fare 14 kg) + a personal item with dimensions of 35 × 20 × 20 cm.

Wizz Air

Hungarian low-cost airline with airports in Hungary, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Wizz Air aircraft fly to 44 countries, making flights throughout Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Kazakhstan. It flies directly from Russia to Hungary: Debrecen and Budapest.

Russian cities from which Wizz Air flies

  • Moscow.
  • Saint Petersburg.

Baggage and hand luggage

Like other low-cost airlines, Wizz Air places strict restrictions on hand luggage. You can carry free hand luggage with dimensions of 55 × 40 × 23 cm and weighing no more than 10 kg. By purchasing the WIZZ Priority service, you can also take a small bag 40 x 30 x 18 cm with you and place it under your seat.

FlyDubai

Airline from United United Arab Emirates, based in International airport Dubai. Low-cost airlines fly across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia.

Russian cities from which Flydubai flies

  • Samara.
  • Kazan.
  • Ekaterinburg.
  • Rostov-on-Don.
  • Moscow.
  • Mineral water.
  • Krasnodar.

Baggage

On the Economy fare, you can carry free hand luggage with dimensions of 55 × 38 × 20 cm and weighing up to 7 kg. You can also take with you a small bag with dimensions of 25 × 33 × 20 cm. The total weight of hand luggage is no more than 10 kg.

Air Arabia

The largest low-cost airline in the Middle East with base airport in Sharjah (UAE). The airline's aircraft fly to countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

In addition to regular flights, there is a service called Air Arabia Holidays: ordering a tour package with flights and a hotel room at discounted prices.

Russian cities from which Air Arabia flies

Baggage

You can take one piece of hand luggage free of charge with dimensions no more than 55 × 40 × 20 cm and weighing no more than 10 kg. It is better to check your luggage online: you will pay 90% less and you can choose the weight: 20, 30 or 40 kg. Only 20 kg can be checked in at the airport.

Pegasus Airlines

A large low-cost airline, the second largest airline in Turkey. Provides passenger air transportation throughout Europe and Turkey.

Russian cities from which Pegasus Airlines flies

  • Moscow.
  • Mineral water.
  • Novosibirsk
  • Krasnodar.

Baggage

You can take hand luggage for free with dimensions of 55 × 40 × 20 cm and weighing no more than 8 kg. For more expensive tariffs one piece of luggage up to 20 kg is also provided free of charge.

SmartWings

Czech low-cost airline with daily flights between Moscow and Prague.

Baggage

At any tariff, a passenger is entitled to one free baggage weighing up to 15 kg, one hand luggage with dimensions 56 × 45 × 25 cm and weighing 8 kg and one small handbag with dimensions 40 × 30 × 15 cm weighing up to 3 kg.

Low-cost airlines without direct flights from Russia

Norwegian Air Shuttle

Norwegian low-cost airline, one of the largest low-cost airlines with its main airport in Oslo. Norwegian aircraft fly throughout Europe, North Africa, Asia, North and South America.

EasyJet

British low cost airline. Operates domestic and international flights to countries in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

Ryanair

Irish low-cost airline based in Dublin, the largest low-cost airline in Europe. Ryanair serves over 1,600 destinations across Europe, flying to Morocco, Israel and Jordan.

Blu-express

Italian low cost airline. Destinations: Greece, Italy, Cape Verde, Mexico, Albania, Cuba, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominican Republic, Kenya, Tanzania.

WOW Air

Low cost airlines from Iceland to European countries, USA, Canada and Israel.

Cebu Pacific


The Philippine low-cost airline serves 37 domestic and 27 international destinations in 17 countries in Asia.

Condor

German low-cost airline operating flights to the Mediterranean, Asia, Africa, North America and to the Caribbean islands.

Interjet

Mexican airline. Performs domestic flights and international flights to countries Latin America, USA and Canada.

Gol

The budget airline of Brazil operates regular passenger flights to airports in the country and abroad: to the USA, Latin America and Europe.

Mango

South African low cost domestic airline.

Atlasglobal

Turkish airline based in Istanbul.It provides regular and charter passenger air transportation within the country, as well as to European countries, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Iran, Morocco, Kuwait, Israel, and Cyprus.

Sun Country Airlines

Low cost airlineUSA, operating in the field of scheduled and charter passenger transportation throughout the USA, Mexico, Costa Rica and the Caribbean Islands.

Flybe

British low cost airlineflights to 85 European airports.

Transavia

Dutch low-cost airline. Flights from Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven to cities in Austria, Bulgaria, Greece, Egypt, Italy, Spain, Morocco, Portugal, Finland, France, Croatia.

Nok Air

Low-cost airline of Thailand with flights within the country, as well as to China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Singapore.

Air India Express

Indian low-cost airline headquartered in Mumbai. Operates in the market of passenger transportation from Indian airports to the countries of the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

AirAsia X

Malaysian low-cost airline, the most popular Asian low-cost airline. Provides Passenger Transportation throughout Asia, flies to Australia, New Zealand, France and Great Britain.

Jin Air

Low cost South Korean airline. Operates flights within Korea, to countries in the northeast and South-East Asia, to Guam and Hawaii.

Finding low-cost flights

Using search engines you can find a suitable flight at a low price.

Flylowcost

Looking for best price for Wednesday tickets of low-cost airlines and regular airlines. In the filters you can specify the airline, flight duration, number of transfers, and luggage. There is a calendar of low prices.

After selecting a ticket, you are redirected to the aggregator site for booking.

LowCostAirlines

Website in English. There are filters by price, transfers, flight times and airlines.

Cheapflights

Search engine with many filters, including payment method, flight duration and booking provider. The cost is indicated next to the options in the filters. For example, if you have chosen a specific airport, you can immediately see how much a flight from others will cost - convenient for those who are primarily interested in price.

When purchasing a ticket, be sure to check information about additional services, baggage conditions and permissible sizes hand luggage.

In the early 1990s and subsequently in many countries around the world. Term low-cost is a tracing paper with in English, where originally referred to all airlines with a lower operating cost structure than their competitors. While the term low-cost often applies to any airlines with low prices on tickets and a limited range of services, regardless of their operating models, low cost airlines should not be confused with regional airlines that operate on short flights without service or with airlines with full service but limiting the range of services.

Business model

A typical low-cost airline model usually (but not always) includes the following provisions:

  • one passenger class
  • one type of aircraft (usually an Airbus A320 or Boeing 737), which allows reducing costs for personnel training and equipment maintenance
  • a minimum set of additional equipment on the aircraft; modern video and stereo systems are usually absent, which allows reducing costs through its purchase and maintenance
  • simple toll scheme, use of one form for round trip travel, and Lately It is common that there are no paper tickets as such; tickets are sold online.
  • typically the ticket price increases as the plane fills up to encourage early reservations
  • absence of seats on boarding passes (but not always - this is how seats are indicated on Airberlin boarding passes), i.e. encouraging passengers to quickly board and take seats
  • using cheaper, less crowded secondary airports and departing early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid possible delays due to air traffic congestion, as well as to save on lower airport taxes
  • rapid turnaround of aircraft (in order to maximize its load)
  • simple routes, routes are built on a point-to-point principle (direct flights between airports) instead of transporting passengers to hubs (also in order to maximize the use of the aircraft and avoid delays associated with late transit passengers and loss of luggage between flights)
  • reduction in the range of services provided to passengers on board the aircraft, exclusion from this range of services that are standard in other airlines (for example, distribution to passengers soft drinks and food), transferring such services to the category of paid
  • receiving additional income from the sale of additional services on board the aircraft and goods
  • emphasis on direct ticket sales, especially over the Internet (to avoid paying commissions to agents and reservation systems)
  • employees perform several functions at once, for example, flight attendants, in addition to their direct duties, also clean the cabin (in order to save wages)
  • Aggressive fuel cost hedging programs

Not every low cost airline carries out the entire set of the above activities (for example, some low cost airlines indicate numbers on boarding passes, while others use more than one type of aircraft).

Story

The first successful low cost carrier it was Pacific Southwest Airlines in the US that pioneered the concept low-cost, their first flight took place on May 6. This primacy is often attributed to Southwest Airlines, which began operating in 1971 and has reported profits every year since 1973. Following the deregulation of air travel in Europe, the most notable success was achieved by the Irish airline easyJet, created in 1995. Low-cost airlines emerged in Asia and Oceania with 2000, the leading companies were the Malaysian AirAsia and the Australian Virgin Blue. Low-cost model has proven to be applicable throughout the world, but to best implement it requires market deregulation air transport. In 2006, new low-cost airlines were announced in Saudi Arabia and Mexico.

Low cost airlines pose a serious threat to companies with traditional full service services, since the high cost level of traditional carriers does not allow them to successfully compete on price - the most important factor by which consumers choose low-cost carrier. From 2001 to 2003, when the airline industry was hit by terrorism, war and SARS, most traditional airlines suffered significant losses, while many low cost airlines declared profits.

Many carriers have started to set up their own low-cost airlines, such as British Airways - Go, Air India - Air India-Express and United - Ted, but have found that they are taking passengers away from their main routes. The exceptions are bmibaby (owned by bmi, Lufthansa) and Jetstar (owned by Qantas), which successfully operate in parallel with their full-service counterparts.

IN tourist destinations low cost airlines compete with charter airlines.

Canada

India

Finland

Norway

Australia

First low cost airline Australia became Compass which began operations in 1990 but soon ceased to exist. In 2000 Impulse and Virgin Blue began low-cost transportation between Australian cities, competing fiercely with each other. Virgin Blue became Australia's second largest airline until Qantas bought Impulse and used a wet lease to create its low-cost divisions Jetstar. Qantas has created two low-cost carrier: JetStar competed with Virgin Blue in the domestic Australian market, and Australian Airlines began operating on Asian routes. In 2006, Qantas took over Australian Airlines' operations under a "wet lease", meaning that Australian Airlines crews and aircraft began operating under the Qantas brand. In 2006, Qantas terminated its leasing agreement with Australian Airlines and began developing its international operations. low-cost Jetstar brand.

New Zealand

Middle East

Asia

Japan

Criticism

Since quantity low cost airlines increases, they have to compete not only with traditional carriers, but also with each other. In the US, airlines began to offer different varieties low-cost models. US Airways offers passengers first class in-flight and airport lounges, while Frontier Airlines and JetBlue Airways offer satellite TV. Skybus Airlines, which sells advertising on the fuselage of its aircraft, began flying in 2007. In Europe, the emphasis has remained on cost reduction and simplified service. In 2004, Ryanair announced the possible elimination of reclining seats, anti-glare glass, headrests and pockets on airplane seats. Some elements low-cost models are the focus of criticism from governments and aviation regulators, for example in the UK the problem of non-inclusion is widely discussed low cost airlines(as, indeed, with other airlines) a number of expenses (airport taxes, taxes, etc.) are included in the advertised ticket price, so that the cost of the flight seems lower than it actually is. .

Low-cost model on long-haul routes

The first airline to offer a simplified transatlantic service was Laker Airways, which offered its famous "Skytrain" service on flights between London and New York in the late 1970s. The company pulled out of the market when its competitors British Airways and Pan Am were able to cut their ticket prices.

In 2004, Irish airline Aer Lingus cut prices to compete with Euro-type companies. In late 2004, Canadian airline Zoom Airlines also offered transatlantic flights between Glasgow, Manchester, and Canada for £89. Art.

Expected to appear on the market newest aircraft A380, which can carry 853 passengers in a configuration only economic class, which should allow us to radically reduce costs on long-haul routes. On the other hand, such an aircraft should reduce costs per aircraft so much passenger seat that the difference between a regular carrier and a low-cost carrier may be insignificant. In particular, low-cost carriers Usually they try to use aircraft as intensively as possible, scheduling the first flight early in the morning and the last flight late in the evening. However, planning long-haul flights is time zone-sensitive (for example, leaving the US East Coast in the evening and arriving in Europe the next morning), and longer flights offer less opportunity to increase fleet utilization since only one or two flights are operated daily .

In April 2006 magazine Airline Business carried out an analysis of the potential of long-haul low-cost transportation and came to the conclusion that many Asian low-cost carriers, including AirAsia, are the closest to ideal low cost airlines. On 2 November, AirAsia X, a division of AirAsia and Virgin Group, operated its inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Gold Coast, Australia.

In August 2006, Zoom Airlines announced plans to open a UK subsidiary, likely based at Gatwick, which would offer low-cost flights from the US to India.

Long-haul low-cost flights include Australian airline Jetstar Airways flights between Australia and Osaka and Nagoya in Japan.

Low-cost airline for business passengers

A recent trend is the creation of new low cost airlines, operating exclusively in the long-haul business passenger market, with an aircraft in a regular class of service, initially on transatlantic routes. Rather, the principle of their operation can be described as less frills(less service) than no frills(no service), early entrants including Eos Airlines, Maxjet Airways and Silverjet use midsize twin-engine jets such as the Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 to serve lucrative routes between London and East Coast USA.

European low-cost airlines for Russians

With the advent of low-cost airlines, Russians received cheap way flight across Europe. For 30-35 euros ( average price ticket) if you have a visa, you can travel throughout the Schengen area. Tickets are paid by payment from bank card in the Internet.

Russian regulators and airlines are categorically opposed to the entry of European low-cost companies into Russia, due to lobbying, fear of competition and fear of losing monopoly profits.

Currently, Russians (especially residents of the North-West) can take advantage of flights from:

1. Finland:

Helsinki (Blue1, Air Berlin, Ryanair);

2. Estonia: Tallinn (AirBaltic);

3. Latvia: Riga (AirBaltic);

4. Lithuania:

Vilnius (Ryanair);

5. Sweden: Stockholm/Nyköpping (AirBaltic).

6. Ukraine: Kyiv, Lvov, Odessa (

Lately, low-cost flights have become quite popular. They are successfully developed by low-cost airlines, which allow you to fly at “ridiculous” prices to a variety of destinations.

Low-cost flights allow travel even for those with a relatively low income. However, like all attractive offers, there are some nuances.

As you may have noticed, this word is borrowed from English (Low-Cost), and literally means “low cost”. Without further ado, this is what they call those flights whose price is much lower than what you usually find.

The very first low-cost airlines were opened in the USA - they gave the name to low-cost flights. Later such flights appeared in Europe and beyond. short term spread throughout the world. Why are ticket prices so low?

Literally speaking, low cost means low operating costs. They are reduced in various ways, but the cost of saving is never the safety of tourists. The most noticeable component is the inclusion in the ticket price of only the flight from point A to point B. Other expenses are paid separately.

How savings are achieved

Before using a budget airline, many people wonder why the ticket prices are so low. It is logical that if there is no catch, then absolutely all airlines would have such a price. However, there is no catch to low-cost flights, but rather rational use of resources and savings on various cost items. Let's look at methods to reduce prices.

1. Use of new aircraft.
Thanks to new technology, repair and operating costs are reduced.

2. Purchase of large quantities of aircraft.
The well-known principle of “wholesale is cheaper” also works here. The airline may receive a large discount from the manufacturer.

3. Using one class on an airplane, similar to .
This allows you to accommodate a larger number of passengers, and thus reduce transportation costs.

4. Spend minimal time at the airport.
Savings are achieved by minimizing the time the plane spends at the airport and optimizing flight connections. In addition, companies choose low-cost airports for flights with low cost of refueling and maintenance services.

5. Nutrition.
You pay for it separately. However, no one forces you to buy food on board. You can even take a homemade sandwich with you without any problems.

6. Cleaning the aircraft.
The use of leather seats and the absence of frequent meals on board save on specialized personnel.

7. Minimum luggage size.
On a plane you can take no more than 10 kg of cargo - that is, an average suitcase. For more luggage you will have to pay extra. Compensation for low-cost airlines is lower than that of other airlines.

8. Ticket distribution.
You can generally purchase tickets for low-cost flights via the Internet or specialized call centers. This allows you to get rid of commission costs.

This is how you get tickets for low-cost flights. A pleasant price for passengers – and a great benefit for companies.

Disadvantages of low-cost flights

Of course, the development of low-cost companies has become a real salvation for passengers who value the time spent in transport and, of course, minimal flight costs. But low-cost airlines are not ideal airlines, so they have their own conditions that may be inconvenient:

1. Buy tickets long before the flight itself.
The airline must be sure that it will arrange the flight, so the earlier you pay for the ticket, the cheaper it will cost.

2. Impossibility of returning a ticket.
If for any reason the flight has to be canceled or postponed to another time, there is no possibility of returning tickets.

3. On boarding pass no location specified.
To board, you will have to arrive much earlier and, possibly, bump into a crowd of people.

4. Failure to use connections.
Companies operate on the P2P (point-to-point) principle, which means that they are not responsible for broken connections.

5. Schedule.
It is always formed according to the concept of maximum use of aircraft. Therefore, it is rare to see businessmen on board such aircraft.

6. Airports.
For many, it is inconvenient that landing is carried out at remote airports, without special amenities and. Although most often compared to the cost of the ticket, this is not a problem at all.

But, despite all this, low-cost flights are extremely popular, stimulate the tourism industry and allow everyone to fly who had never even dreamed of it before!

When planning a trip, one of the most important questions that arises is where and how to buy cheap air tickets. I will write about how to buy a ticket a little later; in this article I will talk about such a phenomenon as low cost airlines(low cost). This low cost airlines(they are also called discount airlines), whose tickets are several times cheaper than those of regular airlines (unless they have some kind of promotion). There are now more than 150 such low-cost airlines in the world; there is plenty to choose from, so to speak.

  • Most often, the level of service of budget airlines is no worse, and sometimes even better, than that of regular airlines. The secret rather lies in the fact that these airlines try to wisely save money on optional things. For example, they do not have sales offices, there are no intermediary travel agencies, an air ticket is purchased via the Internet, and you can fly simply using a printout of your reservation, which is sent by e-mail.
  • Another important difference between low-cost airlines is that if you cancel a flight, the money for the ticket will most likely not be returned and miles will not be counted for frequent travel.
  • It should also be kept in mind that in low cost airlines There are strict restrictions on the weight of luggage, sometimes you have to pay for luggage separately, and if this is not done when booking a ticket, you will have to pay twice as much at the airport.
  • Since the price of a ticket on discount airlines is based on the occupancy of the plane, the closer the departure date, the more expensive the ticket. Therefore, if you want to fly cheaper, try to buy loakster tickets well in advance. The earlier you buy your ticket, the cheaper your flight.
  • For some flights you need to check in yourself online, otherwise you will have to pay extra for it at the airport. My advice to you is to carefully read the airline’s conditions on its website and ticket.
  • Most discount airlines do not provide free meals during the flight, but you can always buy them on board if necessary. And low-cost airlines often use secondary airports, which are less busy, which allows passengers to go through all the procedures upon arrival faster, and the low-cost airline itself to increase the frequency of flights. The only possible inconvenience may be the departure time, possible delay flight and the distance of the secondary airport, but this is not always the case.

The most important low-cost airline in Asia - AirAsia

There are convenient low-cost airline ticket search engines, which show which low-cost airlines fly to the city you need. These sites only give you the names of those budget airlines whose services you can use. In order to buy a ticket, you will need to go to the website of the low-cost airline itself and book a cheap air ticket there.

There are also sites that provide search for air tickets for all airlines(both low-cost and regular) and directions:

We mainly use them when searching for tickets. Firstly, you can immediately estimate the order of prices, and secondly, these services are often sufficient.

Aviadiscounters in Russia

Previously there were avianova and skyexpress, but on this moment There are no more low-cost airlines in Russia. That's it. Therefore, it is often cheaper to fly to Europe than somewhere in Russia.

Low-cost airlines flying from Russia to Europe

airberlin.com (from Moscow and St. Petersburg to many cities in Germany with transit to other European cities)
eurowings.com (from Moscow and St. Petersburg to German cities with transit to other European cities)
flyniki.com (flight from Moscow and St. Petersburg to Vienna)
norwegian.no (from St. Petersburg to Oslo with further transit through Northern Europe)
flypgs.com (flight from Krasnodar and Novosibirsk to Turkey)
vueling.com (flight from Moscow to Barcelona)
volawindjet.it (flight from Moscow, Samara, St. Petersburg, Rostov to Italian cities)
flydubai.com (flight from Ekaterinburg and Samara to Dubai)
blue1.com (flight from Moscow and St. Petersburg to Helsinki, and from there to Paris, London, Dusseldorf)

Low-cost airlines flying from Kyiv

wizzair.com (flight from Kyiv to Oslo, Cologne, London, Venice, Dortmund, Krakow, Simferopol)
airarabia.com (flight from Kyiv to Abu Dhabi, Athens, Dubai, Doha, Colombo, Delhi)

Low cost airlines in Europe

airbaltic.com Europe
airberlin.com Europe
blue1.com Europe
blueair-web.com Europe
bmibaby.com UK
brusselsairlines.com Europe and the world
clickair.com Europe
condor.com Europe
easyjet.com Europe
flug.idealo.de Germany, Europe, world
flyaeroflight.de Germany – Europe
flybe.com UK - Europe
flyglobespan.com Almost the whole world
flyniki.at Austria - Europe
flynordic.com Europe
flysas.com Europe and the world
germania.aero Germany, Kosovo, Macedonia
eurowings.com Europe
tuifly.com/en/ Europe
icelandexpress.co.uk Reykjavik - Europe
jet2.com UK - Europe
laudaair.com Austria – Europe
meridiana.it Italy – Europe
norwegian.n o Europe and the world
ryanair.com Europe and the world
skyeurope.com Europe
smartwings.net Prague – Europe
spanair.com Europe
transavia.com Amsterdam - Europe
thomsonfly.com Europe
vueling.com Barcelona – Europe

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