Flying Budget Airlines: What You Need to Know

When it comes to flying budget airlines, opinions are often polarized. Some travelers swear by them, especially for shorter trips, while others avoid them entirely. However, recent changes in the airline industry may make naysayers reconsider. This blog post explores what to expect when flying a budget airline, from seating to customer service.

Seating Arrangements

One of the primary differences between budget airlines and full-service carriers is the seating. Budget airlines often use slimline seats with less padding to maximize space and improve fuel efficiency. This might result in harder, tighter seats, and some budget airlines do not offer reclining seats. Additionally, fare classes are usually nonexistent, meaning all seats are of the same type. However, some airlines like Spirit have introduced seating options with more legroom, and Southwest plans to add similar options soon.

In-flight Entertainment and Food

Budget carriers typically do not offer in-flight entertainment. If they do, passengers usually need to stream content on their own devices. Food and drink offerings are also limited and sold separately, often without hot options. This is in contrast to some full-service carriers that may offer more extensive complimentary services.

Cancellation and Change Policies

One significant downside of budget airlines is their limited customer protections. According to reports, carriers like Frontier and Allegiant are not committed to covering all controllable flight disruptions fully. These airlines also lack interline agreements, which means they cannot rebook passengers on other airlines. However, there have been recent positive changes; Frontier and Spirit have removed change and cancellation fees, historically the most restrictive policies of budget airlines.

Baggage and Customer Service

Customer service on budget airlines can be limited. For example, Frontier switched to all-digital communication in November 2022 but reintroduced the option to speak to a human being 24 hours before a flight in May 2024. Carry-on allowances are also limited and often come with hefty fees, though checked baggage mishandling rates are generally favorable with airlines like Allegiant, Spirit, and Frontier frequently ranking well.

Conclusion

While budget airlines come with their own sets of pros and cons, they are an essential part of the air travel ecosystem. They offer competitive pricing that pressures legacy carriers to offer better rates, ultimately benefiting all travelers. So whether or not you opt to fly budget, their presence in the market helps keep prices in check.