Travel loukostom: how to save money and avoid unpleasant surprises
'19.05.2017'
When planning trips, some travelers do not consider flights with low-cost airlines, while others, on the contrary, rely on ultra-low prices, and in the end they find themselves faced with a choice between price and quality. How to save money wisely and what is important to consider in order to avoid unpleasant surprises - our author and experienced traveler, Alena Galushko, shares with us.
Let's take a look at the main differences, after which you can easily decide when a low-cost airline is better than a full-service airline. First of all, when buying tickets at any airline, it is important to know how you are tied to the date of departure. It often happens that on flights on neighboring days prices are several times lower than on the originally chosen date. Be sure to check the price of the nearest flight to avoid waste.
A good opportunity to learn about discounts or promotions on tickets is to subscribe to the pages of the companies you need in advance and make a purchase immediately upon receiving the newsletter, while all other recipients are just thinking about choosing a destination.
Another important condition for choosing an airline class is the availability of baggage. If for a regular air ticket the possibility of free transportation of a suitcase up to 23 kg is available, then for a low-cost airline any luggage, except for very small hand luggage, paid! This is not always a problem. Personally, I repeatedly managed to fly out for several days to a new country with a tiny backpack, in which at least a minimum of hygiene products and a couple of sets of changeable underwear fit perfectly.
Be very careful about the size of your luggage. What may seem like hand luggage at home, in fact, may be far beyond the permissible dimensions. Ideal if you have the opportunity to consult in advance at the airline check-in counter. Another option is to arrive at the airport earlier than 3 hours before departure, because this is exactly the extra time when there is a chance to check in your baggage at a low rate.
The biggest fine that I have ever paid for a suitcase, which is only 2 centimeters larger than the size of hand luggage, is 45 euros on the Budapest-Brussels flight of the famous low-cost airline. If I hadn't risked, but paid for it in advance, the cost would have been about 15 euros. It was possible, of course, to throw out the suitcase, and the baggage in the package would definitely have passed the size check, but it was rented from friends and required a mandatory return to the owners.
The next important point when choosing an airline is the presence or absence of connections on your route. If the flight is direct, no questions arise. Difficulties begin when your route involves a transit airport. Most low-cost airlines do not link their flights, and then it turns out that your planned flight is split into 2 separate, independent parts. It is better to play it safe yourself and choose flights with a margin of time for a transfer of at least 3-4 hours. It steals your vacation time, but you will not worry that the first flight will be delayed, and you will not be in time for the second. My favorite option in such cases is to stay for a day or two in the city of transfer, this also smoothes the wait for the next flight, and makes it possible to see more new cities.
Another important point to study in advance is the location of the airport where your plane will land. Low-cost airlines' airports are often located at a considerable distance from the city to which they belong. Sometimes you even have to use trains or commuter trains to get to your destination. But in some cases it can be central air hubs. Find out all the information before buying a ticket so as not to get into an unpleasant situation.
Well, the last nuance that we will consider when choosing a carrier is meals on board. Count on a full-fledged snack while flying by budget companies is not necessary. Only water will be offered free of charge, and for an additional fee it will be possible to purchase hot drinks and baking.
If you fly light, are not limited by exact dates of connection, the airport you need is conveniently located, and the lack of food during the flight does not scare you - then you can fly around half of Europe for almost the cost of a monthly metro pass.
Now the choice is yours!
