Air travel is the fastest way to travel. But, is it the cheapest medium to travel? Certainly not! Finding cheap air flights is a big job. While traditionally air travel has been a hallmark of pedigree and affluence, over the years it has become a necessity of sorts. The ticket prices have reduced down with the advent of low-cost airlines. Today an air traveller has so many options to choose from. Business travellers cannot really count on cheap flights, but if you are a leisure traveller and you are quite flexible on the dates, then you can easily find cheap flight tickets for yourself. Getting cheap air tickets is all about planning and patience. First, you got to plan your travel well in advance and then you have to have the patience to wait until your travel date. If you are a leisure traveller, then all you need to do is to log on to the internet to find cheap flights. With little patience and luck, you would be able to find your cheap airline flights. There are dedicated websites for procuring cheap tickets flights but not all of them are reliable, and so the travellers must do some research before purchasing their tickets, especially when it comes to cheap international flights.
We earlier talked about the different needs of the business and leisure travellers. Most airlines today endeavour to establish a balance between the business and leisure travellers, and throughout the year they keep coming up with different packages to woo these two types of travellers.
If you are a first-time traveller, then you should be aware of the formalities that you need to complete before boarding the flight. It is about three hours prior to the flight departure that the check-in facility usually becomes available to a passenger. Ideally, a passenger should arrive at the airport about 2-3 hours before the departure so that there is sufficient time to complete the check-in formalities. Another important thing to keep in mind is to carry all the necessary travel documents with you such as photo id card, tickets, passport and various other documentations that may be needed. Once you arrive at the terminal, you should always check for the flight information and schedule displayed on the screen so that you are aware of any last minutes changes, delays, etc. Always make sure that that you have the ticket and passport ready while you are waiting at the check-in counter. At the time of the check-in, you may also request the attendant to assign you a window or an aisle seat based on your preference. If available, the attendant would be happy to oblige you. Many airlines today also provide the option of web check-in which becomes available 72 hours before departure. Using this option you can easily check-in from the comfort of your office or home.
Usually, most international flights offer three classes: First Class, Business Class, and Economy Class. Both the First and the Business Classes more or less offer the same facilities such as lounge access, spacious and comfortable seating, delicious meals as well as cocktails/drinks. They, however, might differ in terms of space, beds, personalised service, etc. The Economy Class, on the other hand, only offers the basic services and usually, the ticket fare doesn't include food and must be purchased separately. There are a few airlines which offer Premium Economy class which offer better seating space to the passengers but the fair ticket costs more than the Economy Class.
The advent of low-cost airlines has revolutionised the aviation industry. It has made air travel accessible. Today, we will have a look at some of the best low-cost airlines in the world.
1. Allegiant Air
This American low-cost airline has its corporate headquarters in are in Summerlin, Nevada and is owned by Allegiant Travel Co. It operates both charter and scheduled flights. The airline aims to serve leisure travellers primarily. It was founded in the year 1997.
2. Jetstar
This Australian low-cost airline is headquartered in Melbourne. It is a subsidiary of Qantas and was established in response to counter the threat of Virgin Blue. It was established in the year 2003.
3. Wizz Air
This Hungarian low-cost airline is headquartered in Budapest. It is the largest Hungarian airline in terms of fleet and serves many cities across Europe, UAE, and Israel. It was established in the year 2003.
4. IndiGo Air
This low-cost airline is headquartered in Gurgaon, India. It is the largest airline in Indian in terms of passengers carried. It operates to as many as 41 destinations and happens to be the second largest low-cost carrier in India. The airline was founded in the year 2006.
5. Pegasus Airlines
This low-cost Turkish airline is headquartered in Istanbul. As oppose to most low-cost carriers, the airline runs its own training centre as well as maintenance organization. It was established in the year 1989.
6. FastJet
This low-cost airline operates under the Fastjet brand in Tanzania that was founded in 2011 as Fly540. The airline is headquartered in Dar es Salaam.
7. AtlasGlobal
This Turkish airline was previously known as Atlasjet. It operates scheduled as well as charter flights. The airline was established in the year 2011.
8. SpiceJet
This low-cost airline is headquartered in Gurgaon, India. It is the country's fourth-largest airline by a number of passengers carried. It operates to as many as 41 destinations (35 Indian and 6 international) from its hubs situated at Delhi, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. It was established in the year 1994.
9. AirAsia
This Malaysian low-cost airline is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur. It is the largest airline in the country in terms of fleet size as well as Asia's largest low-cost airline in terms of passengers carried. It was established in the year 1983.
10. VivaAerobus
This Mexican low-cost airline is headquartered in Mexico City and is partly owned by the founders of Ryanair Ltd. The airline was established in the year 2006.
