Talk to me about Budget Airlines

[Jam]

Like RyanAir, EasyJet, etc...

What's your experience been like with them?

I know the flights won't be the most comfortable but I figure that for $80 RT for two adults between Rome and Paris that I can suck it up for 2.5 hours.

What tips can you provide, if any? TIA ;D

[travelingjen]

I have flown several of the budget airlines within Europe and have had nothing but good experiences.

Be aware of the fees for checked luggage; it is usually very expensive so try your best to fit everything into your carry-on luggage. I believe that with most of the budget airlines I was only allowed to bring one carry on item and no personal item (i.e. my purse) so I always had to stuff everything inside my carry-on suitcase which was never easy.

Also, be aware of the airports that the budget airlines are using. Larger cities (like Paris and London) have multiple airports and some of the budget airlines use only the smaller airports which don't often have as many public transportation options as the larger ones do. Additionally, many of these smaller airports are often much further away from the city center than the main airport is.

[Jam]

Thank you! I did know about the checked baggage fees so I'm taking a backpack with me. The plan is to bring a bigger bag but I'm going to drop that off before I begin traveling. Have you flown out of Frankfurt Hanh? I'm not sure how far it is from the main airport. Guess I could figure it out

[travelingturtle]

Hahn is pretty far from Frankfurt. Not sure why it's even called Frankfurt. It's 2 hours driving time away.

[Waffles]

Yeah, the biggest downside of Ryanair & co is that they don't quite take you where you wanted to go in 99% of the time... I'd check that out first as it might end up taking you hours/more money than the flight to get to your destination.

[babygirlpriest]

We flew Ryan and had an awful experience but it was entirely OUR FAULT.

We assumed it would be like flying Delta/AA/United in the states. They weighted our suitcases (carry on) and wanted to charge very high weight fees. Make sure your carry ons meet ALL the size/weight restrictions. And like pp said, they are often out of the dinky tiny airports. We flew out of London (not Heathrow but still easy to get to) and Glasgow.

[Jam]

May 15, 2012 5:34:52 GMT -5 travelingturtle said:

Hahn is pretty far from Frankfurt. Not sure why it's even called Frankfurt. It's 2 hours driving time away.

Oh my god! WHAAAAT??

[monpetitchou]

We flew EasyJet and like PP metioned, you can only have 1 carryon - not a carryon plus personal item. Also, each of our flights was an hour late, but of course we could've just been that lucky. It's not a very fun airline to fly but the price is right so I'd do it again.

[emilyinchile]

If you can really travel with a carry-on that fits the weight limits, comply with requirements like printing your boarding pass ahead of time (H lost a flight for not doing this and being told at the airport that there was no way for him and his friends to print it there) and spend the time and money needed to get to airports in the boonies, they're a good deal. But you need to weigh all those factors, which people often don't do, to figure out your true savings.

[basilosaurus]

Be careful about your carryon. The size has to be smaller than in the states, and they're very strict. There's actually a plastic overlay on the scanner to make sure it fits. Also, it has to be less than 10 kg IIRC.

[GilliC]

I actually like the budget airlines, because I'm willing to put up with quite a bit of inconvenience for really cheap international flights! I'm also very detail oriented, so I knew exactly what I was getting into. I've even gotten RyanAir to issue me a refund (I'm very proud of this feat)!

PPs have covered most of the basics. I'll reiterate that you should check your carry-on weight and size, and if you have your purse out they often ask you to put it into the carry-on to prove that it will fit. I've always had this happen prior to joining the boarding queue, but that's just my experience.

Speaking of the boarding queue, get to the gate area early, because people start lining up way in advance.

One more tip - Some of the airports got pissed off with the "no personal item" rule because it meant no one was shopping in the airport. In these airports, you're allowed to carry an airport shopping bag along with your carry-on. Look around the airport for signs that say you're allowed to do this, since it varies by airport.

Don't expect a great in-flight experience, because they tend to announce a lot of advertising, and (on RyanAir at least) the seats don't recline and don't even have seatback pockets. However, I've found that the prices for snacks and drinks aren't actually that bad compared to some of the mainstream airlines that charge for them.

OH! One thing that I don't remember seeing mentioned but that's very important: If you're traveling with a US (or any non-European) passport, check the details carefully. Flying RyanAir, you need to take your self-printed boarding pass to the check-in counter and get it stamped by the check-in agent to show that you've had your passport inspected. Otherwise you won't be able to get on the flight. I think there's a note about this when you go to print your boarding pass, but there aren't any reminders at the airport.

[Jam]

Well thank you guys very much for the feedback. Some of this stuff I knew but it was good to get more info. Very much appreciated.

I'll be making a stop in Germany to drop off my main bag and will only have a backpack when I travel throughout
It'll be hard for me to pack light but I'm so frugal that I'll suck it up and do it.

[basilosaurus]

Jam, I'm a really light packer. I've gone for weeks with just a small backpack. It was still too big for easy jet, and it wasn't even fully packed. I'd just suck it up and pay the baggage fees ahead of time to avoid the hassle, and I'm not one to willingly check bags.

I forgot if this was mentioned, but they also charge to print your boarding pass at checkin, so make sure you do that ahead of time.

Oh, and if it's an option to purchase a seat assignment ahead of time, so it. It's so worth the 4e. Gilli isn't lying about the insanity of lines. Well, line is a stronger word than reality. It's more like a pushing shoving crowd.

[wise_rita]

May 15, 2012 17:47:25 GMT -5 GilliC said:

OH! One thing that I don't remember seeing mentioned but that's very important: If you're traveling with a US (or any non-European) passport, check the details carefully. Flying RyanAir, you need to take your self-printed boarding pass to the check-in counter and get it stamped by the check-in agent to show that you've had your passport inspected. Otherwise you won't be able to get on the flight. I think there's a note about this when you go to print your boarding pass, but there aren't any reminders at the airport.

This is very important! I'm so scared for people who don't catch this because by the time you realize it, it's too late.

I will just reiterate checking the airport that you're flying into. You might spend so much on transport to the city that it isn't even worth it.

See what other options there are besides RyanAir. There are other budget airlines in Europe and any competition against RyanAir gets 2 thumbs up from me.

[lifewithpants]

We did 3 flights w/in Europe on Easy Jet last summer & I have nothing but good things to say! Most (if not all) of the bad reviews that I read about the airline were on flights originating in the UK, which none of ours did. The flights were always on time, and the crews were impeccable. We definitely didn't mind paying for our luggage because it was cheaper to prepay it online (their website is really easy too!) than upon arrival at the airport. They were also really accommodating of us with our toddler.