European low-cost carriers. Current list of low-cost airlines

Lowcosters, lowcosters, low cost airlines- these are all the names of the same class of carriers that fly from point A to point B for a penny. Today I’ll tell you how it became possible at all, about the features of flights by low-cost airlines, as well as what pitfalls exist in this segment, how to avoid hidden fees, and much more.

Low-cost airlines: what is it all about?

The name "low-cost" itself comes from the English "low-cost", which means low price in translation (logically, right? ;-)). Previously, flying was a privilege of the wealthy, but the world is rapidly changing before our eyes: now flights are available to everyone. Flying away at the price of 1 ruble per 1 km is a reality. For example, you can take a flight in Europe for a couple of euros, in Asia for $3-5, in Russia for 999 rubles.

The bottom line is to reduce the cost by giving up some comfort and optional services, optimizing route network and the work of all divisions of the airline.

And here are the lists:

How it works?

In fact, everything is quite simple. What is the cost of an air ticket? Directly payment for transportation (here food), airport, fuel surcharges and much, much more.

How more passengers the cheaper

It is logical that the more passengers, the lower the cost for each of them will eventually be. Therefore, low-cost aircraft have more seats, which means less distance between rows. In addition, they leave a few "normal" places and sell them for an increased fee.

Aircraft fleet

Surprisingly, the planes of low-cost airlines are much younger than traditional carriers. The fact is that after several years of operation of the aircraft, it begins to consume an increased amount of fuel. In addition, new cars do not require expensive repairs in the first couple.

I consider this a big plus, because among other things being equal, flying on a new plane is safer than on an old one.

Asian low-cost carrier Tiger Air

Arrival/departure airports

Low-cost airlines do not fly to the main airports (with rare exceptions), but choose secondary ones, often located very far from the city. Just imagine how many fees airlines have to pay: parking, maintenance, parking, and so on.

Old and remote airports set minimum fees, which is why low-cost airlines use them. Sometimes getting to the city center costs more than the ticket itself! But this is not always the case. For example, Asia's largest low-cost airline Air Asia in Bangkok arrives at Don Muang Airport in the north of the city, and between it and the main Suvarnabhumi Airport There are buses and taxis that are easy and cheap to get to.

Some companies specifically fly to major airports to stand out from the competition, such as the Spanish Vueling.

It happens that passengers have to go to the plane on foot - in this way the airline saves on renting buses or sleeves. We always got the bus.

Where to buy low cost airline tickets?

Airline search engines have long learned to include tickets from budget carriers in their search results. To be sure, check both for and for .

Low-cost airlines are by no means a panacea for expensive flights - weigh the pros and cons for yourself. If you are ready to give up comfort a little, endure a couple of hours without food and fly light, then low-cost airlines will become in a good way significant savings on flights.

Your comments and questions are welcome! Ultra-cheap flights to all of us ;-)

Today we will talk about low cost. The plane has long ceased to be a luxury, but is a familiar means of transportation for millions of people. When traveling long distances - more than 2000 km - he simply has no competition. After all, traveling by train in this case will not only be a few days longer, but also comparable in price or even more expensive. At the same time, we have all the advantages of an aircraft: speed, comfort, meals on the way. However, the tickets themselves are quite expensive and their cost is a significant disadvantage when choosing an aircraft as a means of transportation. In order to find the best price for tickets for conventional airlines, you need to use.

An alternative to conventional air travel has become low cost format, which appeared in America shortly after the war. Then he successfully moved to Europe and the whole world. And now this idea is very popular among tourists. At the same time, many people in our country still do not know how to buy cheap flights.

Low cost or “flying minibus”.

Budget air travel or low cost (low cost) offer us to keep the main advantage of the aircraft - the rapid movement from one point to another - with the maximum low prices ah for the tickets. Thus, we can find plane tickets for 20-30 €, which is hardly imaginable for classic airlines. And there are also quite crazy promotions, like these tickets for 1 €:

Naturally, not all tickets are so cheap, and not in all directions. However, the low cost format provides us with a lot of planning opportunities.

Why are tickets so cheap?

Low-cost airlines save on everything they can. It turns out that there are many options on the plane that you can save on, while maintaining only speed and safety. Namely:

Low-cost airlines usually use small airports, where the cost of rent is lower. Wherein the airport can be quite far from the city, where the plane seems to be flying. This must be taken into account when planning a trip, but more on that later. Check the location of the airport on sleepinginairports.net or anywhere else
IN ALMOST ALL AIRLINES, TICKETS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE! If you bought a ticket in low airline cost, then be prepared for the fact that if you change your plans, you will lose money. Considering that you can catch a good price for a ticket no later than one or two months before the trip, then, of course, low cost is not suitable for everyone.
Baggage is not included in the ticket price, you can take it only for an additional fee, which significantly increases the cost of the flight. However, on board you can take hand luggage. Its dimensions and weight are strictly limited. Usually this 55x40x20 cm and 10 kg. Moreover, the compliance of your hand luggage allowable dimensions may well check at the airport. But this allows us to take a medium backpack or a small suitcase with us into the cabin (a great reason to take fewer things on a trip!) Make sure that there is nothing forbidden in hand luggage (liquids, sharp objects). For Russian airline“Victory” is the opposite - there is no hand luggage, but the price includes luggage up to 10 kg. More on this in .
There is no business class on low-cost airlines. Everyone is flying under the same conditions.
Direct sales of air tickets via the Internet and online check-in. Online check-in is carried out by you independently on the Internet about a week before departure. If you arrived at the airport, forgetting to do it in advance, you will have to pay for it (usually somewhere around 10 €). In low cost airlines You are not assigned a seat on the plane! On the plane, you sit in empty seats, so it's best to make sure that you are not the last in line for boarding. Although, of course, there is enough space for everyone! At the same time, it is possible for separate fee(approx. 5 €) get the right to choose seats ( Priority pass). To be honest, a completely useless feature, however, some people use it. As a result, when landing, two queues are formed: for ordinary passengers and with priority access. The latter are allowed on the plane earlier. The exception, again, is the Russian Pobeda. Online check-in is not required for it, it is registered at the airport before departure. At the same time, they issue a ticket with a specific seat in the cabin - no empty seats.
The maximum load of the aircraft. Planes of low cost airlines do not stand idle for several days at the airport. Usually the plane arrives an hour before the flight, quickly disembarks passengers, accepts new ones and flies away. And several such flights per day. Such a flying minibus.
On an airplane, you will find that the seats are quite narrow and the backs do not recline. Airlines low cost make the most of the aircraft space. However, I will not say that it is too crowded there. A couple of times I even flew in tighter planes, and this was in a classic airline. In any case, having saved 5-10 thousand rubles on tickets, you can endure a couple of hours.
Meals on board are paid separately. During the entire flight, flight attendants will carry carts with food and drinks around the cabin, but they can be purchased only for an additional fee. Of course, no one forbids bringing food with you, which cannot be said about drinks.
Well, besides, non-standard options are possible. For example, there are usually no buses that take people from the terminal directly to the plane's ramp. This path will have to be walked, although usually the plane is very close to the airport, and this does not present any inconvenience. Also, as far as I've heard, Ryanair doesn't hire overweight flight attendants. I don't know if this practice is widespread.

Major low-cost carriers.

We take a list of low-cost airlines in the world from Wikipedia. Major companies in Europe:

ryanair.com is Europe's largest low-cost carrier that flies almost everywhere except Russia. There are flights to Morocco and the Canary Islands. We may be interested in flights from Finland, Estonia (Tallinn), Latvia (Riga) and Lithuania (Vilnius, Kaunas). By the way, talking about safety - since the founding in 1985, ryanair not a single accident with human casualties. Whereas by number of flights, they occupy a leading position among all airlines in Europe.
wizzair.com is the second largest low-cost airline in Europe. You can even fly to Hurghada, Dubai and Tel Aviv. There are flights from Latvia (Riga), Lithuania (Vilnius), Ukraine (Kiev, Lviv), Moldova (Kishinev), Georgia (Kutaisi), Azerbaijan (Baku), and most importantly - from Moscow! So far, you can fly from Moscow only to Budapest for 40 € or more. But from Budapest you can go anywhere, because this is a Hungarian airline.
easyjet.com is another large low-cost airline that also flies to the Canary Islands, Egypt, Tel Aviv, and Iceland. When buying an easyjet ticket, there are some tips that will help you save money.

About airports.

ALWAYS CHECK THE AIRPORT LOCATION! If it says "Paris Beauvais Airport", then this does not mean that the airport is near Paris. In this case, the airport is two hours from Paris in the city of Beauvais. A ticket there costs 14 € and is quite inconvenient to get to. But in Tallinn, for example, the airport is right in the city, even within walking distance from the center. With a large distance between the airport and the city, the total cost of the journey may approach the cost of a ticket in a regular airline.

A good website for checking airports is sleepinginairports.net. Here you can find out the location of the airport, the availability of Wifi in it, the possibility of spending the night. Overnight at the airport is practiced by many tourists who choose low-cost. However, at some airports it is impossible or extremely difficult. Check out the reviews.

Low-cost carriers in Russia.

Basic rules for buying low cost tickets.

It is better to buy tickets in advance, no later than one or two months before the trip. Maybe even earlier. However, pricing on low-cost airlines defies logical reasoning, and a ticket for a flight in three months may be more expensive than a flight in two months. At the same time, the cost of tickets is constantly changing, and they, of course, tend to end. So, if you have already chosen everything, do not delay the purchase!
Check the airport you are traveling through. Paradoxically, but not the fact that he is where you want to fly.
Be sure to check in online a few days before the flight!
Always carefully read the terms and conditions of the ticket!
The low-cost airline does not guarantee flight connections. That is, if you fly Ryanair from Tallinn to Frankfurt, and there you plan to take a Frankfurt-Milan flight, then these two flights are not connected in any way, and if you miss the second plane due to the fact that the first was delayed, no one will give you money will not return. Of course, this is not a common opportunity. But I advise you not to pick up flights with a waiting time of less than two hours between them.

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In the name of fast and budget flights, we are arming you with a complete and up-to-date list of low-cost airlines in Europe. Get familiar with baggage requirements, directions, fares, nearest hubs and little tricks. Look wider! Not the same.

ALL EUROPE

The largest European low-cost airline comes from Ireland, which connects 37 countries and 220 airports. in Europe and North Africa Ryanair has 84 bases and 1800 routes. Of course, there are many departures from Ireland and the UK. If you buy tickets in advance, then traveling on it is cheaper than traveling by bus even within the country (for example, Porto - Faro). Often holds sales - either -20% for all directions, or tariffs for € 9.99. Buy a ticket for a Ryanair flight will help you. All aircraft are Boeing 737-800s (and only one Boeing 737-700). On the site you can see not only the route map, but also pick up tickets from the desired city at a price (the low price map is scheduled for months). The low-cost airline has a blog where you can find guides to all the cities that Ryanair flies to.

The main competitor of Ryanair, which: by mid-2018, the company has 643 routes in 40 European countries. The network is especially well developed in its central part. The planes are usually Airbus A320 family operated by the same office as Lufthansa. An important feature - Wizz Air Discount Club - beneficial for frequent flights. Membership in the club for a year (not a calendar year, but from the moment of registration) provides a minimum € 10 discount on a ticket for yourself and 1 person who flies with you, as well as € 5 on the cost of luggage. The cost of a loyalty card is € 30, for € 60 you can get a family one - for yourself + 5 family members. Wizz Air has a cool in-flight magazine - there will be something to look through, and perfumes on board are sold cheaper than in Duty Free.

A Latvian airline that has sales almost every week. But the prices are not the lowest either. Air Baltic also flies from Minsk, but almost all flights are operated with a transfer in Riga. It flies all over Europe (300 destinations, 3 hubs), except that it does not reach Portugal and Ireland. An interesting feature: tickets can be paid in installments. Or even pay with bitcoins. If you subscribe to the newsletter, you will receive € 10 towards the purchase of the next ticket.

The national Ukrainian carrier is a hybrid airline, because UIA cannot be called a low-cost airline in the full sense of the word. However, since 2017, regular Low-cost fares have appeared among the offers (when purchased from 6 or more months before the flight). At special prices, 500,000 tickets per year are sold for flights within Ukraine, and also to other European countries, the Middle East and Asia. In general, UIA flies to 38 countries.

Russian low-cost airline, which appeared on the market in December 2014. During sales, ticket prices can reach € 1.5, at normal times - from € 6.5 or € 15. Pobeda has 40 destinations, most in Russia, but there are Munich, Milan, Cologne, Bratislava, Larnaca, Barcelona, Baku and other European cities.

A low-cost version of Lufthansa based in Frankfurt. You can fly with these guys exotic countries like states Caribbean, Asia, Africa, South America. Islands of Portugal or - also approx. Interestingly, Condor profitable price and for one ticket (and not just round-trip, like most airlines). Another bonus is that they serve hot food, not just sandwiches. Direction map.

Spanish low cost airline that flies on 148 . From almost all capitals neighboring Minsk, you can fly to Barcelona or make a transfer there. Do you choose a direction by price? Ok, the Vueling website also has this option. On board they sell tolerable food at a normal price (like in an airport cafe).

A lot of flights in Greece. At all Aegean Airlines links 44 countries with proud 122 destinations. But, we repeat, there are a lot of flights in Greece. Tickets cost from €20 (but if you're lucky, you can fly from Kyiv to Athens for €34 one way). For hunting, open the low price calendar.

A Czech low-cost airline that flies from Prague all over Europe (especially south from Croatia to Italy) with the capture of the islands. Ticket prices start at €73 one way and discounts are rare.

Hand luggage: 8 kg in the cabin and 15 kg in luggage - free of charge.

Closest departure airports- Kyiv, Warsaw, Moscow.

Airlingus.com

An unknown Irish low-cost airline that flies to 190 cities, including Canary Islands, US cities, Canada, Dominican Republic and Australia - all on the map. For a fee, you can connect to wi-fi, movies, games and music are available to everyone.

Best low-cost airline recent years: four times in the world and six times in Europe () received this status not only for brand new planes with wi-fi on board and punctuality. Norwegian flies out Northern Europe throughout the rest. There are often cheap flights to the States: New York, Oakland, Los Angeles, Orlando. From Vilnius, the cheapest way to get to Oslo and Stockholm, from Warsaw - to Barcelona (but still more expensive than Ryanair), from Riga - to Oslo and Copenhagen. you can check the route map and prices. Sales are very frequent, and prices for early booking- sightseeing.

Another daughter of Lufthansa, which is based in Düsseldorf. Almost all flights connect there or in Hamburg. By purchasing a EuroWings ticket, you can fly to 130 cities, which are mainly concentrated in Central Europe. An interesting feature - for € 33 you can order "blind booking": you choose the category "culture", "LGBT-friendly" or something else, and the site itself issues a ticket for you (you will find out where after the purchase).

An ideal option when you are already rummaging around somewhere in Europe and decided to move on. 32 countries, 134 cities and 23 bases across the EU. EasyJet's main base is in London's Gatwick, its biggest hubs are in Milan and Barcelona, and it flies to a record number of cities in Spain, Italy and France. If you don't know how and when you want to fly, the guys have a cool Inspire me card.

Hand luggage: 55x40x23 cm up to 8 kg of weight.

Amsterdam calling! From the capital of Holland to Spain, Greece, Portugal - in a word, see the destination map, of which there are only 110. Perhaps the oldest carrier from our list (founded in 1965). Also flies to Morocco and Tunisia. You can check in online. Tickets start at €19.

Spanish low-cost airline based in Barcelona. A wide network of destinations with a focus on France, Italy, Spain and Greece. There is a Megarvolotea loyalty program (€49.99 per year), with which you can buy tickets cheaper, as well as a referral program - send promo links to your friends and get €10 to your account for each. Volotea often has sales (tickets for € 10), and therefore it will not be superfluous to subscribe to the newsletter.

You know that a low-cost airline is an opportunity to fly for pennies, you have heard about Ryanair and Vizer. Maybe Izijet also met. Do you want to know about all 24 low-cost airlines in Europe? Websites, routes, travel ideas: you can buy a ticket right now. Need internet and 30-40 euros for bank card.

Major European low-cost airlines

They are distinguished by a price of 5 euros in almost all directions, regardless of the home country of the low-cost airline and routes throughout Europe.

The cheapest and largest low-cost airline in the world. If you hear about prices of 5-10 euros for a ticket, this is about him. flies throughout Europe. You can carry 10 kilograms on board for free in two bags: a large one 55x40x20 cm and a small one 35x20x20 cm. The prices for food and drinks on board are quite high, but you can take food with you and you can ask for boiling water for tea, coffee or cereal.

Many flights with cheap tickets from Krakow and Warsaw to Spain, Norway, Ireland, England, France. From Bratislava to Italy.

Hungarian low-cost airline with flights throughout Europe. The vizair has many flights with prices starting from 20 euros. Departures from Moscow, Kyiv. A huge number of cheap routes from Budapest and Polish Katowice. Flights to Germany, Israel, Spain, Italy, Holland, Greece, Georgia, Cyprus, Portugal, UAE, Egypt.

Only one size 42x32x25cm is allowed free of charge. Meals on board are expensive.

Low-cost airline that flies throughout Europe and the USA. One of the best in the world. Allowed to be transported free of charge. Food on board is paid, but prices start from 5 euros. Main countries: Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, England, Germany, Spain, Italy, Holland, France. There are flights from Warsaw and Krakow. Prices from 20 euros.

Widely known English low-cost airline. It flies to Manchester and London from Moscow, a large network of flights across Europe. There are flights from Krakow to Germany, France and England. Prices from 20 euros.

From the Baltic countries

A company that does not claim to be a low-cost airline, but de facto is. Flies around the world, but the most best deals from Riga and Vilnius. A lot of flights in the central and Eastern Europe. Flies from Ukraine and Russia. Very often there are promotions and special offers that are valid for several days with prices of 20-30 euros.

From England

Cheap flights from England around the world. There are flights from Krakow to England, but prices are not lower than 50 euros one way.

Good prices for flights to England. There are flights from Budapest and Warsaw. The main routes connect England with France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Holland.

All Europe from England for 30-40 pounds.

Cheap flights from England to Europe and to the USA. Prices from 20 pounds.

flights from England to Europe. Prices from 33 euros.

From Greece

The Greek low-cost airline offers very good flights to Athens, including from Ukraine and Russia. Flies around the world, but the most attractive prices from Greece.

From Spain

Spanish low-cost airline. Flies throughout Europe from Spain. There are flights from Kyiv, Moscow, Minsk, Kazan, Kaliningrad, Samara. Site in Russian. Cheap flights only from Spain to Europe.

Cheap flights from Madrid in Europe. Prices from 30 euros.

Another Spanish low-cost airline with many flights in Spain, Italy, France, Greece. Prices from 20 euros. There is a flight from Moldova to Italy.

From Italy

Italian low-cost airline that flies from Munich to Italy and across Italy. Prices from 30 euros.

From Belgium

Amazing prices around the world from Belgium. I was especially impressed with the flight to Miami for 199 euros.

Use only if you need to go to brussels. The best prices start from 69 euros. Flights worldwide from Brussels.

From Ireland

Pay attention to this company if you need to fly to Ireland or USA. There are very good prices from Poland, Germany.

From Holland

Dutch low-cost airline with many destinations from Holland and France: all of Europe plus a few cities in Turkey. Tickets 30-70 euros.

From Iceland

Flights all over Europe from Iceland: Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Ireland, England, France, Italy, Sweden and even Canada and the USA. There is a flight from Warsaw to Reykjavik. But prices start at 50 euros.