Low cost airlines more expensive than full service

[Pete]

According to this article in the Independent on Saturday (good old Simon Calder), BA works out the cheapest way to get to Barcelona next Summer once you consider all the essential extras.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/new ... 75045.html

Interestingly only EasyJet has a lower basic fare, but that saving is wiped out by bag charges and debit card fees.

Can these airlines really claim to be 'low cost' anymore?

I'm not really sure who actually calls them 'low-cost' anymore, a 20 pounds fare is usually a 140 pound fare nowadays, and the likes of Jet2 (I use from Manchester to Budapest) will show the lowest price of 150 quid and often be up to 300 pounds.

To be fair, they used to. I remember going from East Midlands to Budapest with Ryanair, with Luggage and priority boarding (for what it was worth), for a total of 51 pounds including taxes about 5 years ago.

However, the rise of airport taxes in general, and at specific airports, means they are more 'regional airport to less well served foreign airport' (cheap to cheap). Which means the likes of BA won't do a Manchester or Birmingham to Budapest anymore, leaving the others to be more of a monopoly route...

Ryanair themselves seem to do a completely different set of airports nowadays (do they fly from Stanstead or East Midlands anymore?), due to pulling out because of fees, and seem to only serve lesser spanish or lots of baltic airports now.

We flew Ryanair from Luton to Tallin in October Half Term. Flight was c.£60 each return including one checked bag. All the 'full service' options were at least 3 times the price.

Likewise with EasyJet to AMS and Berlin. We've never paid more than £60 each rtn which is unbeatable compared to BA. Plus these were all from Luton (25 minute drive and nice small terminal) rather than LHR/LGW.

And Ryanair is increasing it's charges even more next year, see here :0 !

I've never flown Ryanair, but have on EasyJet lots of times, often the early EasyJet flight to AMS from LGW beats the BA options for example. But in my experience, I've never found them to offer substantially cheaper options. Kudos to those who managed twenty five pound returns to fun locations, those days are probably gone.

I wonder what the advertising watchdogs really classify as a LCC moniker nowadys ?| .

My inlaws go twice a year to Naples and book easyjet because they are so used to booking with them, every time they book I point out that it would have been cheaper to book BA to there disappointment, but its always too late by then.

I wonder how many people make the assumption that because they are so called LLC that they must be the cheapest out there.

cheers

alex

[honey lamb]

According to this article in the Independent on Saturday (good old Simon Calder), BA works out the cheapest way to get to Barcelona next Summer once you consider all the essential extras.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/new ... 75045.html

Interestingly only EasyJet has a lower basic fare, but that saving is wiped out by bag charges and debit card fees.

Can these airlines really claim to be 'low cost' anymore?

Typical Simon Calder. He comes up with things he considers news which many of us have known for ages. I've been arguing this point for a couple of years or more that LCCs are not necessarily cheaper and it's not only the essential extras that add to the cost. Quite often with the likes of Ryanair and others the cost of getting to/from the airports given that they often fly into obscure airports long distances from the cities they purport to fly into adds significantly to the cost.

The only time Ryanair can be really called low-cost is when they have special offers such as Cork-LGW for €8 recently.

Ryanair themselves seem to do a completely different set of airports nowadays (do they fly from Stanstead or East Midlands anymore?), due to pulling out because of fees, and seem to only serve lesser spanish or lots of baltic airports now.

Yes, indeed they do.

If you look at Ryanair prices to a place like PSA, a heavy holiday destination, STN is crazy, often more expensive than BA LHR-PSA (and certainly more expensive than BA's flights running out of LGW), whereas LPL-PSA can usually be had for a song. That is hardly surprising, clearly demand will drive pricing and Ryanair will not sell seats for .01+fees on routes where it doesn't have to (and STN-BCN or PSA figure to be some of the absolutely most popular holiday routes out there). This is usually not so obvious on more "business" routes like LON-MIL, when in any event the last thing you'd want to do is find yourself in Bergamo if you have a business meeting in Milan. LHR-LIN is always a pricey flight.

What is interesting is that you would figure the LCC marketplace on these sorts of flights would have encouraged more permanent shift away from the sort of "stickiness" or "loyalty" that stops us from moving away from our airline of choice, yet it seems that people have gotten just as stuck on Ryanair or Easyjet as they used to get on BA or other flag carriers. I'm somewhat surprised this is not more of a competitive pricing environment, although fees clearly obfuscate the issue so much that you can get away with things a great deal more.

What is interesting is that you would figure the LCC marketplace on these sorts of flights would have encouraged more permanent shift away from the sort of "stickiness" or "loyalty" that stops us from moving away from our airline of choice, yet it seems that people have gotten just as stuck on Ryanair or Easyjet as they used to get on BA or other flag carriers

I have my theories ): . OK here goes:

- Stupidity
- Ignorance
- Lack of inquisitiveness
- And all other thesaural words for the same

I don't mean to be unduly rude, but surely anyone with an inquiring mind, and the tools at their disposal, would realise that LCCs are not price competitive point to point.

Ah, but then BA does not fly from East Midlands or Leeds Bradford, so that might make a difference, the cost of getting to a BA airport surely makes a difference where it applies? That being the only rebuttal I can think of?

I have my theories ): . OK here goes:

- Stupidity
- Ignorance
- Lack of inquisitiveness
- And all other thesaural words for the same

I don't mean to be unduly rude, but surely anyone with an inquiring mind, and the tools at their disposal, would realise that LCCs are not price competitive point to point.

Ah, but then BA does not fly from East Midlands or Leeds Bradford, so that might make a difference, the cost of getting to a BA airport surely makes a difference where it applies? That being the only rebuttal I can think of?

I shall pass your comments on to MrsPJH who manages several excellent value weekend trips a year using Ryanair and Easyjet :w If you're in the CH on Sunday I'll make sure there are no sharp implements to hand

Admittedly, this is largely down to your latter observation. STN is a reliable 40 minutes down the road and I have a discount arrangement with valet parking there. Compare that to a 2 hour schlep to LHR or LGW on the M25 on a Friday night then having to park in a different county.

I've had some amazing bargains on LSC's (I call them Low Service Carriers) and I have to thank them for encouraging the industry to get rid of that stupid Saturday night stay rule, and for keen pricing of one way tickets. I remember if you wanted to make a one way journey on BA, you'd book a return and throw away the second half.

But I have had had several occasions where the FSC (Full Service Carriers) have had better fares, or where the difference is such that I'd rather just go for them.

I don't mind Ryanair charging up to £35 for a flight, but after that I'd definitely start shopping around.

Ah, but then BA does not fly from East Midlands or Leeds Bradford, so that might make a difference, the cost of getting to a BA airport surely makes a difference where it applies? That being the only rebuttal I can think of?

I shall pass your comments on to MrsPJH who manages several excellent value weekend trips a year using Ryanair and Easyjet :w If you're in the CH on Sunday I'll make sure there are no sharp implements to hand

Admittedly, this is largely down to your latter observation. STN is a reliable 40 minutes down the road and I have a discount arrangement with valet parking there. Compare that to a 2 hour schlep to LHR or LGW on the M25 on a Friday night then having to park in a different county.

Indeed this applies to my relatives, for instance, who flew STN-PSA for my brother's wedding early Sept at a shocking fare. But if you're in Cambridgeshire or "outer" Essex I can see how it makes sense. Having driven from their place to LHR, it is indeed a schlep.

With all that said, it's just as much the case that SJC fares are typically different from SFO ones, so I guess we shouldn't treat STN as if it is LHR - it is not. I guess the whole thing just highlights how Ryanair prices its flights like everyone else does - with high demand come high fares, and viceversa. They just play smoke and mirrors with you around what the fare really is, and rely on either location, or folks' less than rational approach to arbitrage to appear like they are still the cheap airline.

Interesting article relating to Ryanair, and they are putting their luggage charges up again:

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/new ... 75045.html

"Ryanair claims the lowest average air fares in Europe: last year a typical flight cost £35. But in a snapshot of fares between London and Barcelona's main airport, departing on the first Saturday in August, Ryanair turned out more expensive than both its nearest rival, easyJet, and British Airways – even before baggage and other fees were added."