The Hidden Costs of Budget Airlines (and How to Avoid Them)

---

title: "The Hidden Costs of Budget Airlines (and How to Avoid Them)"

author: Alex

published: false

tags:

- travel

- airlines

- guide

---

Budget airlines advertise fares that seem impossibly cheap. Often, they are. The business model depends on passengers paying substantially more than the headline price through optional extras that are effectively mandatory. Understanding this structure allows you to pay genuinely low fares without nasty surprises at the airport.

The Seat Selection Trap

Budget carriers charge for seat selection, typically £5 to £25 per flight. The threat is that unallocated passengers receive the worst seats. In practice, couples and groups checking in together usually receive adjacent seats automatically. Solo travellers face higher randomisation risk. For short flights, the middle seat is tolerable. For longer journeys, factor seat selection into your price comparison.

Cabin Bag Limits

The free personal item allowance is increasingly restrictive. Some carriers measure bags in rigid frames at the gate. Bags exceeding dimensions by even a centimetre incur gate fees exceeding £50. Measure your bag carefully when packed. Soft bags compress. Hard cases do not.

Checked Luggage Timing

Adding hold luggage at booking is cheaper than adding it later. Airport check-in desk additions cost significantly more than online additions. If you suspect you might need checked luggage, purchase it initially. You cannot typically downgrade later, but the peace of mind has value.

Payment Processing Fees

Some carriers add fees for credit card payments. Debit cards may fare better, or the carrier's own prepaid card might waive charges entirely. These fees are disclosed late in the booking process. The cumulative effect can add £10 to £20 to the total.

Airport Selection

Budget airlines often use secondary airports distant from advertised cities. "Paris Beauvais" is eighty-five kilometres from central Paris. "London Stansted" is forty kilometres from central London. The transfer costs, in time and money, must be included in your comparison.

Food and Drink

Inflight catering is expensive and limited. Airport purchases are slightly cheaper but still inflated. The practical traveller brings an empty water bottle through security and fills it at airside fountains. Solid snacks from home avoid both cost and questionable airline sandwiches.

The True Price Test

Before celebrating a £9 fare, build the complete itinerary. Add seat selection if required, luggage as needed, transport to the distant airport, and inflight sustenance. Compare this total against legacy carriers from convenient airports. Sometimes the budget option remains cheaper. Sometimes it does not.