Which is the Best Budget Airline?
Which budget airline in Europe has the best services? Which one is most prone to adding things to your basket that you didn't ask for? The airlines here are ranked according to my Budget Airlines Comparison chart.
Though Ryanair comes last on points, mainly due to their awkward evasiveness, Flybe and Jet2 are the worst culprits for sneaking things into your basket without telling you. And despite coming out near the top, easyJet is also one of the worst offenders for adding on extras that you didn't ask for.
Update for 2014: This survey was carried out in 2009. Things have changed hugely since then, particularly Vueling's performance, which has dropped considerably. I will replace this page soon. Read more: Problems Checking In with Vueling?
See also: Airline Hidden Charges | Cheap Flights to Spain
A near faultless booking system with very little to complain about.
Pros: Taxes and fees included in base fare, online check-in even with bags, choose your own seat, email address provided, flexible date option.
Cons: No single page showing all fees and charges.
Pros: Luggage is free, free web check-in (with bags), contact form.
Cons: Prices don't include fees and charges, only 5kg hand luggage, no single page showing all fees and charges.
EasyJet is one of the only budget airline in this list to include taxes and fees in the basic fare), but they do have a tendency to sneak things like baggage and insurance into your basket without asking.
Pros: All taxes and fees included, unlimited hand luggage allowance, free web check-in, carbon offsetting, contact form provided.
Cons: Luggage and insurance automatically added to your bill, cannot check in online if you have luggage for the hold, no single page showing all fees and charges, non-standard hand luggage size.
Monarch slips through in this survey by not doing a huge amount wrong, but they still have a long way to go.
Pros: Free online check-in (including with bags), fees and charges page.
Cons: Taxes and fees not included in basic price, baggage and insurance added to your bill without your consent
Generally good, but they still fall foul of a few 'budget airline classics'.
Pros: Free web check-in with even with baggage, free ski transportation.
Cons: Taxes and fees not included in initial price, no contact form or email address, no single page showing all fees and charges, no free Electron card option
Good check-in policy and not as many 'crimes' as other airlines, but could do a lot better.
Pros: Free online check-in even with bags
Cons: Taxes and fees not included in basic fare, insurance added automatically to your bill, no email address provided, no single page showing all fees and charges.
Flybe does a number of things that you wouldn't expect of a reputable airline and not many things that you would.
Pros: Contact form provided, free web check-in even with a bag (though not at all airports).
Cons: Hand luggage allowance is smaller than most other airlines, taxes and fees not included in initial price, expensive seat charge added to your basket automatically and not explained anywhere on the page that this can be removed, 'pay in your own currency' (which is calculated at an expensive rate) automatically added to your bill without your permission, no single page showing all fees and charges.More »
Not quite as many bad things as some of the other airlines, but not a lot of good to redress the balance either.
Pros: Free web check-in.
Cons: Taxes and fares not included in initial price, airport check-in charge, insurance automatically added to your bill, can't check in online with a hold bag, no email address or contact form provided, no single page showing all fees and charges.
A very basic website which lacks some basic services, but at least the seat charge is clearly described as optional.
Pros: Seat charge is clearly optional.
Cons: Baggage and in-flight meal automatically added to your basket without you asking, no flexible dates search option, no online check-in, no single page showing all fees and charges.
Very basic site, but at least they don't pile on the extras.
Pros: Baggage and insurance not added as standard, page showing all fees and charges.
Cons: No flexible dates, measly baggage allowance (just 15kg), no contact address.
Also generous with their luggage policy, but some serious flaws in other areas. Be very careful not to pay a lot more than necessary with Jet2.
Pros: Generous 22kg checked luggage allowance, free web-check in even with luggage.
Cons: Premium in-flight meal automatically added to your flight (amazingly two meals are added when booking two (connecting) flights), no flexible dates option, expensive checked luggage, insurance automatically added to your bill, no email or contact form provided, no single page showing all fees and charges.
Ryanair's business practices are world famous now. Though many people excuse them with a 'you get what you pay for', often you pay extra (often not until you get to the airport), and still you don't get much. Read all the small print: be aware that you have to check in online and that can't have as much luggage as on other airlines and you hopefully won't have to pay any more extas.
Pros: All fees and charges shown on a single page in the FAQ.
Cons: Fees and charges not included in base fare, airports listed under potentially misleading names, compulsory web check-in fee, lowest checked luggage allowance in Europe, most expensive airport check-in fee in Europe (40€), no email address or contact form, non-standard hand luggage size.More »
Though Ryanair comes last on points, mainly due to their awkward evasiveness, Flybe and Jet2 are the worst culprits for sneaking things into your basket without telling you. And despite coming out near the top, easyJet is also one of the worst offenders for adding on extras that you didn't ask for.
Update for 2014: This survey was carried out in 2009. Things have changed hugely since then, particularly Vueling's performance, which has dropped considerably. I will replace this page soon. Read more: Problems Checking In with Vueling?
See also: Airline Hidden Charges | Cheap Flights to Spain
1. Vueling
A near faultless booking system with very little to complain about.
Pros: Taxes and fees included in base fare, online check-in even with bags, choose your own seat, email address provided, flexible date option.
Cons: No single page showing all fees and charges.
2. Transavia
An excellent website, with almost everything you would expect from an airline. Shame they don't show all-inclusive prices.Pros: Luggage is free, free web check-in (with bags), contact form.
Cons: Prices don't include fees and charges, only 5kg hand luggage, no single page showing all fees and charges.
3. easyJet
EasyJet is one of the only budget airline in this list to include taxes and fees in the basic fare), but they do have a tendency to sneak things like baggage and insurance into your basket without asking.
Pros: All taxes and fees included, unlimited hand luggage allowance, free web check-in, carbon offsetting, contact form provided.
Cons: Luggage and insurance automatically added to your bill, cannot check in online if you have luggage for the hold, no single page showing all fees and charges, non-standard hand luggage size.
4. Monarch
Monarch slips through in this survey by not doing a huge amount wrong, but they still have a long way to go.
Pros: Free online check-in (including with bags), fees and charges page.
Cons: Taxes and fees not included in basic price, baggage and insurance added to your bill without your consent
5. Germanwings
Generally good, but they still fall foul of a few 'budget airline classics'.
Pros: Free web check-in with even with baggage, free ski transportation.
Cons: Taxes and fees not included in initial price, no contact form or email address, no single page showing all fees and charges, no free Electron card option
6. Aer Lingus
Good check-in policy and not as many 'crimes' as other airlines, but could do a lot better.
Pros: Free online check-in even with bags
Cons: Taxes and fees not included in basic fare, insurance added automatically to your bill, no email address provided, no single page showing all fees and charges.
7. Flybe
Flybe does a number of things that you wouldn't expect of a reputable airline and not many things that you would.
Pros: Contact form provided, free web check-in even with a bag (though not at all airports).
Cons: Hand luggage allowance is smaller than most other airlines, taxes and fees not included in initial price, expensive seat charge added to your basket automatically and not explained anywhere on the page that this can be removed, 'pay in your own currency' (which is calculated at an expensive rate) automatically added to your bill without your permission, no single page showing all fees and charges.More »
8. BMI Baby
Not quite as many bad things as some of the other airlines, but not a lot of good to redress the balance either.
Pros: Free web check-in.
Cons: Taxes and fares not included in initial price, airport check-in charge, insurance automatically added to your bill, can't check in online with a hold bag, no email address or contact form provided, no single page showing all fees and charges.
9. Thomsonfly
A very basic website which lacks some basic services, but at least the seat charge is clearly described as optional.
Pros: Seat charge is clearly optional.
Cons: Baggage and in-flight meal automatically added to your basket without you asking, no flexible dates search option, no online check-in, no single page showing all fees and charges.
10. Wizz Air
Very basic site, but at least they don't pile on the extras.
Pros: Baggage and insurance not added as standard, page showing all fees and charges.
Cons: No flexible dates, measly baggage allowance (just 15kg), no contact address.
11. Jet2
Also generous with their luggage policy, but some serious flaws in other areas. Be very careful not to pay a lot more than necessary with Jet2.
Pros: Generous 22kg checked luggage allowance, free web-check in even with luggage.
Cons: Premium in-flight meal automatically added to your flight (amazingly two meals are added when booking two (connecting) flights), no flexible dates option, expensive checked luggage, insurance automatically added to your bill, no email or contact form provided, no single page showing all fees and charges.
12. Ryanair
Ryanair's business practices are world famous now. Though many people excuse them with a 'you get what you pay for', often you pay extra (often not until you get to the airport), and still you don't get much. Read all the small print: be aware that you have to check in online and that can't have as much luggage as on other airlines and you hopefully won't have to pay any more extas.
Pros: All fees and charges shown on a single page in the FAQ.
Cons: Fees and charges not included in base fare, airports listed under potentially misleading names, compulsory web check-in fee, lowest checked luggage allowance in Europe, most expensive airport check-in fee in Europe (40€), no email address or contact form, non-standard hand luggage size.More »
