Budget Airlines: The Pros and the Cons

Budget Airlines: The Pros and the Cons

As a traveler in this decade, you have a large number of airlines in which to choose from. 
While most air travelers are very familiar with the big carriers like United, American, and Delta, it wasn't until airfare skyrocketed that passengers started to really examine their other airfare options. Lets look at discount or budget airlines, and discuss the pros and cons to flying with them.

The Pros

With Budget Airlines, you usually get the best rates. Since budget airlines limit perks to travelers, they pass that savings on to the passenger in the form of cheaper airfare.

If your goal is to from “Point A” to “Point B” as cheaply as possible, then you will get exactly what you are looking for from a budget airline.

How much money can you save? It really depends on a number of factors including your airline choice, travel dates, and destination. On average, most travelers will save at least $100 on their airfare by flying on a budget airline.

Who are the major budget airlines? In the United States, you’re looking at Southwest, JetBlue, Spirit, Horizon, and Virgin American. With this many budget airlines to choose from, you have a very nice chance of saving money.

The Cons
The most obvious thing is that there are almost no “perks” to speak of (in-flight movies, free drinks and snacks ) on the discount airlines. While this sounds like a bummer, the simple solution is to bring your own snacks and source of entertainment.

Another slight bummer is that you usually don't get to choose your seat until you arrive at the airport. For many travelers this is no big deal, but it can be stressful if you are traveling as a family. Also, since budget airlines are geared toward cheap travel, many of them don’t have a first class or executive class section.
Be careful, because some of the budget airlines will load you down with fees. The exception is Southwest Airlines which is well-known for being a good budget airline with no surprises. Their website and commercials in fact proclaim this by saying "what you see is what you get." Not all airlines are like this however. as many of them have hidden fees and taxes which you don’t learn about until you arrive at the airport.

Summary
It’s easy to see that flying on the budget airlines has its pros and its cons. If you decide to give one of these airlines a try, make sure you compare prices to ensure that you are getting the best deal.

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