Financial realities dictate their own terms: most often, it is the price factor that determines our choice of airline ticket. Budget airlines (low-cost carriers) have come in handy for travelers. Today, low-cost carriers are not only the choice of students and young people. In economy class seats, we can see both pensioners going on vacation and respectable businesspeople.
But what if the desire to save money is accompanied by concerns about safety and punctuality? Can you trust low-cost airlines with your plans, luggage, health, and even your life? We have compiled a list of the 10 most reliable budget carriers in Europe that answer these questions in the affirmative. TravelHub will help you find tickets for them.
Which companies are low-cost airlines?
First, let's define which companies can be classified as budget airlines (low-cost carriers). To make it into our top list today and earn a reputation as accessible to millions of tourists, airlines must meet several criteria:
- seats in the cabin of one passenger class — economy;
- operation of a single type of aircraft (or similar models), which simplifies their maintenance;
- a young fleet of aircraft, as you spend less on maintaining them;
- the principle of "we only provide the opportunity to fly, you pay for the rest yourself," i.e., a large number of paid services—meals, seat selection, baggage;
- flights to secondary airports (not always);
- tight timing — a short interval between flights of the same aircraft, a focus on strict adherence to the schedule (since airlines pay fines for delays);
- flights at the "cheapest times," often late at night or early in the morning;
- direct ticket sales through their websites.
This list of criteria is usually met by low-cost airlines. However, it sometimes changes depending on the chosen business model.
What low-cost airlines are there in Europe? The list is quite extensive, with more than 30 names: from the world-famous Ryanair and Wizz Air to the exotic Play from Iceland, Malta Air, and Albania's Albawings. In our selection, we will name only the best of the best.
Which low-cost airlines fly from Minsk?
Unfortunately, there is only one — the Russian airline Pobeda. Three times a week (on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays), this budget Russian carrier flies from Minsk to St. Petersburg or Moscow. One-way tickets usually cost less than $100.
Several major low-cost airlines fly from Minsk-3 Airport, as Belarusians jokingly refer to Vilnius. You can fly to various destinations in Europe from the Lithuanian capital with Ryanair and Wizz Air. When departing from Warsaw, the choice expands to include Sky Airline, Eurowings, EasyJet, and several other carriers.
The best low-cost airlines in Europe
Norwegian
Let's start with a Scandinavian low-cost airline that is not so well known among Belarusians, but is certainly respected .. It operates flights from Norway and Sweden not only to neighboring countries, but also across the ocean to the US (although this route is currently suspended). This carrier is worth considering if you want to get to the main cities of Norway, Sweden, or Denmark quickly and inexpensively. And if you value safety, Norwegian is one of the top five safest low-cost airlines in the world.
Norwegian is Scandinavia's second largest airline after SAS. It is also Europe's third largest low-cost airline in terms of passenger traffic and fleet size. In 2011, Norwegian launched free Wi-Fi on board, becoming the first airline to offer such a service. By the way, we have compiled some interesting and unusual facts about airplanes in a separate publication. Wi-Fi is no longer a novelty, but the carrier still stands out among its budget counterparts in terms of quality: cleanliness, attentive staff, and punctuality. In short, Scandinavian quality as it is.
Wizz Air
Frequent flyers are familiar with the Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air . It is a thread that connects the airports of Lithuania and Poland, which are close to us, with the wider world for just a few dozen euros. The carrier is expanding its route network, and today you can even fly to unusual destinations such as Morocco, Saudi Arabia, the Maldives, and Kuwait.
What attracts tourists to Wizz Air? The Hungarian company has a young fleet of reliable Airbus aircraft. The planes are clean and well maintained, and the crew is attentive to passengers. The company has firmly secured fourth place in the the safety rating budget airlines.
But most people appreciate low-cost airlines for their really low ticket prices. In addition, you can sign up for the WIZZ Discount Club loyalty program for €39.99 and receive a €10 discount on each ticket and €5 on baggage. Read more about useful loyalty programs for travelers here.
Eurowings
What do you associate Germany with? Apart from Oktoberfest and Bavarian sausages? Punctuality, of course! German precision is a long-lost myth, but some representatives of the country still maintain a solid reputation. These include the German low-cost airline Eurowings.
For business travelers, arriving on time is extremely important. And Eurowings is a reliable partner in this regard. It ranks first in the latest punctuality rating of low-cost airlines: over 95% of flights arrived on time! By comparison, EasyJet only achieved 67.5%.
Another appealing factor is that Eurowings is a subsidiary of Lufthansa, with all the accompanying quality, service, and standards. That's why we fly to Germany with this particular carrier. Here are some some tipson what to do there upon arrival.
Ryanair
No matter how much criticism the world's largest low-cost airline receives, no matter how much it is joked about, it is simply impossible to ignore it in the list. Its extensive route network, low prices, and loyalty to passengers rarely leave anyone indifferent.
Ryanair is not the most punctual airline. But it is reliable in terms of safety: third place in the global shortlist of low-cost airlines. It has had no fatal accidents (in 38 years!), and accidents are rare overall. This is helped by its very young fleet of Boeing aircraft.
It is worth remembering one nuance: Irish shareholders keep their staff under tight control. And they periodically rebel because of working conditions. This could lead to flight cancellations.
Pegasus Airlines
Third place after Eurowings and Norwegian in the ranking of the most punctual airlines in Europe was taken by the Turkish airline .. In 75% of cases, it arrives on time.
Pegasus is Turkey's largest private carrier. A fleet of 100 "birds" will take passengers to numerous resorts in Turkey and the Middle East. Flights are also operated from Russia.
Pegasus is known for a feature that is rare among low-cost airlines: highly valuing the professionalism of its crew and the comfort of its passengers, it has its own training center for pilots.
EasyJet
900 destinations, 34 countries, 321 aircraft, and the status of the world's second-largest low-cost airline — all this is British EasyJet.
The British carrier has several unusual features. First, since 2015, it has been using an artificial intelligence system in flight planning to reduce the number of delays en route. So far, the results have not been very good: only 67.5% of flights arrive on time.
The second feature is the option to use a business class equivalent, which is rare for low-cost airlines but very attractive to business travelers. When you purchase a Flexi Fare ticket, you receive a £7.50 meal voucher, the ability to change your departure dates and destinations, and checked baggage allowance. By the way, we recommend entrusting your employees' business trips to the Travel Code portal.
Unlike most budget airlines, EasyJet has a program for frequent flyers called Flight Club. Earn miles and enjoy free trips on the "flying Brit."
But the most important thing is, of course, safety. And EasyJet excels in this area. The company ranks second in the global ranking safest low-cost carriers. We have posted the full list of the world's safest airlines here.
Smartwings
"What is this little guy doing in our top list?" you may ask. After all, this Czech low-cost airline has only 30 aircraft, which is a drop in the ocean compared to the giants of the aviation industry. But in our ranking, reliability is more important than scale. And Smartwings is here for a very good reason.
In almost 30 years of operation, Smartwings has had only one aviation incident, which proves the carrier's commitment to safety. The company is an excellent choice for those who want to travel from Central Europe to resort destinations without overpaying for a ticket.
Vueling
The next low-cost airline is based in resorts. At one time, the Spanish Vueling only carried passengers between Barcelona and Ibiza. But decades later, the little one has grown into a solid airline with 125 aircraft flying to 122 destinations not only in Europe, but also in Asia and Africa. It makes perfect sense to use this carrier when planning a trip to tourist destinations in the Pyrenees.
Unlike other budget airlines, Vueling flies to major airports and is the only budget airline to fly to London's main airport, Heathrow. Unusually for a low-cost airline, Vueling has its own loyalty program, Vueling Club, offering business class service on Excellence tickets and even special access to VIP lounges with the Vueling Pass.
Transavia
Dutch low-cost airline Transavia , like Eurowings, is under the reliable wing of a large parent company, in this case Air France-KLM. This provides it with a base for crew training and aircraft maintenance. They will take you not only to various destinations in Europe, but also to the Middle East, North Africa, and even Cape Verde.
Transavia ranks sixth on the list of the most punctual European low-cost airlines. The company provides a standard set of services for a budget carrier: baggage transport, seat selection, and in-flight meals for an additional fee.
AirBaltic
The most controversial representative of our rating is the Latvian national airline airBaltic. However, it is not the quality that is controversial, but its status as a low-cost airline. The airline still offers business class tickets, flies mainly to major airports, and has its own loyalty program. However, every year it simplifies its service package more and more and gravitates toward a budget business model.
AirBaltic attracts customers with its wide selection of destinations for flights from the Baltic states, weekly promotions, and affordable base fares. The company has the youngest fleet in Europe (the average age of its aircraft is less than three years!). And the icing on the cake for its image is that airBaltic has been recognized as the most punctual airline in Europe and the world. What more reasons do you need to trust it?
