Are budget airlines worth it?

We as a society love deals. We love getting a service or good at a discounted rate. If you’re like me, your always looking for sale items that can stretch your dollar whether it be clothing, food, or any other service. Airlines do not stray from this same concept. If you look often, you will find airlines having sales or special rates for various times of the year or even promotions to get you to fly. These promotions usually sell out very quickly but if you are quick, you can catch a couple deals.

Then there are the budget airlines. These airlines are your ‘get me where I need to go, no amenities’ type airlines. The tickets almost always cheaper than the ‘normal’ airlines and you will get what you pay for on these services. I have been fortunate enough to fly on United First Class for 16 hours to a Spirit ‘Flash Sale’ and everywhere in between. Below is what I’ve learned comparing the differences between budget airlines and their competitors :

• You get what you pay for : If you go on any budget airline right now - Frontier, Spirit, Allegiant, you will find very cheap fares. Many times, you won’t even believe how cheap they are. The difference in these flights vs a regular competitor is the amenities. You will have a very basic fare that includes you getting from gate to gate. Anything else, you will pay for.

• Don’t be fooled by the price : Here is where these airlines make their money. They will get you in with the base price but then all of the amenities that they offer, you pay for. Here is a good example of how these airlines make up for the cheap fare: A couple weeks ago, we bought tickets round trip on Frontier. We got round trip tickets for $77 from Chicago to Tampa. Awesome, right?! After confirming our flight, they started asking for our amenity list : One carry-on bag - $60/each way, One check bag - $55/each way, seat selection - $25/each way (economy), Customer service rep - $10/each way, snacks/drink not included in your price but can be bought on-board, etc. Compared to our base price, you would nearly triple it just picking a few amenities. Keep this in mind as most flights are similar prices as you book.

• Aircraft is uncomfortable compared to others : Again, you are getting your base flights. These are built for transporting people and not comfort. You will see less seats, seats that do not recline, and no entertainment/Wifi. While these airlines are perfectly safe and get you to where you need to go, you will notice a difference in the competition.

• Make your luggage allowance go further : Traveling with two adults and two children, we are able to condense some of our baggage to fit the carry-on requirements. This specific flight, we are allowed one backpack that will fit under our seat. Now that we are purchasing (4) flights (our youngest just turned two), we get (4) bags total included in our rate. Knowing the boys can share a backpack of clothes, this gives us (mainly my wife) an extra bag to pack. We combine bags knowing we only have a two hour flight until we land. Once we get there, we will go to a local Walgreens or similar and pick up diapers, toiletries, or anything else that we did not want to pack that would take up space. I would recommend the same if you were to purchase a carry-on or checked back. If you can, share one bag to save a little money.

• Overall, I would recommend : I am estimating that over the past (20) flights, I have probably flown half of them on budget airlines. They are just as safe as they have to abide by FAA guidelines, they are just a little more hassle getting all of your amenities correct when booking your trip. Set your expectations that this is not a full service fare you are paying for, you are looking to get from one place to another while not breaking the bank. Saving some money on your most expensive part of the trip will allow you to do more while traveling at your destination!