How low cost really are low-cost airlines?

There’s definitely no denying that low-cost airlines have made travel more accessible worldwide and have certainly a huge impact on tourism, but at I Love Meet and Greet we want to know just how cheap these low-cost carriers still are…

In recent years, it appears that no-frills airlines have been unable to make a substantial profit from their original deals and therefore have started to increase their prices by introducing additional ‘optional charges’ to their services. Unfortunately the extras that customers are invited to add to their basket at the end of their booking, include not so optional services such as ‘selecting a seat’ and ‘adding a bag.’ As a result, more and more frequently the overall price of these ‘low-cost’ fares ends up costing just as much as flying with a traditional airline and in some cases even more!

At I Love Meet and Greet we have put together a list of the top 3 things that you should look out for to avoid paying high-cost prices for low-cost airlines.

The first thing you should always check before booking a flight is whether or not the original price includes your baggage. With some of these airlines passengers are allowed to take one piece of hand luggage free of charge, but in these cases make sure you always check the size restrictions. The last thing you want to do is force all of your essentials into what has always been your hand luggage, only to get to the airport to discover there has been changes to the airline’s baggage restrictions and your bag is now 5cm too big!

Secondly, try to avoid the companies which charge you an additional amount for paying with a card that isn’t their first preference (for example a credit card!). Remember if you’re already paying a substantial amount for the flight, you definitely shouldn’t have to fork out even more money just to pay!

And finally, another way to avoid being lulled into the ‘low-cost’ illusion is to make sure you always check that the price which has caught your eye includes tax. There’s nothing worse than getting all the way to the checkout to find the price of your flight has suddenly increased noticeably due to tax!

At I Love Meet and Greet we have faith that low-cost airlines still exist, but we just think you’ve got to make sure you find the right ones and always read the fine print first! On the bright side, at least you can all be reassured to know that low-cost valet parking continues to exists in the form of us!

By Sarah Anglim at 2 Jun 2014