Air fares have been an area of constant debate since the early 1990’s and have risen to become a much talked about aspect of holidaying in the 21st century. The increasing number of low cost airlines like easy jet has had a dramatic increase in the passenger volumes, particularly in Europe.
This competitive pricing between airlines in Europe has spread in more recent years to Transatlantic airlines. Aer Lingus had a price war with Ryanair in 2004 where transatlantic flights were on offer for just over £100. It has been said that with the introduction of the airbus A380 which can hold over 800 passengers, this would be the plane that sparks yet another price war, time will tell.
Often low cost airlines come under criticism by Governments and Regulators. For example, advertising fares but not including taxes which then appear when making a booking has been a topic of hot debate. Other issues surrounding low cost holidays include charging ‘nothing’ for the ticket but then increasing the bill by adding baggage costs such as baggage handling fee’s.
Having said this, the low cost aviation industry is expanding and has opened up much of the world to the customer at a cheap cost which should be seen as a positive thing. It is important when booking with low cost airlines you check for discounts on flights as prices are constantly changing due to the competitive nature of the market. It is no long essential to book many months in advance to make the best savings, many people are doing the exact opposite and opting for last minute deals.