Why budget airlines aren't for everyone

[Flashback]

Why budget airlines aren't for everyone | RAC WA » About » RAC eNews » February 09 » Why budget airlines aren't for everyone

Travellers considering budget airlines should carefully check the conditions of travel before booking, the Western Australian Department of Commerce has warned.

The warning comes after a number of complaints against budget carriers were lodged with consumer authorities across Australia

 

[Flashback]

No surprises there really....

 

[oz_mark]

Many low-cost carriers also use less convenient fringe airports such as Avalon in Victoria and Stanstead in London.

Not too many flights from PER-AVV in existance (i.e. none). Connecting to a flight from AVV is a bit of a problem though,

 

[Nigelinoz]

Considering the page has a banner proclaiming "This page bought to you by RAC Travel",it's a wonder they didn't say 'You should pay as pay as much as you can and book through us so we get commission'
And as for saying "If your ticket is cheap it’s cheap for a reason. The best approach is to pay for as much as possible before leaving for your holiday. and "“If your full-service airfare includes things you won’t have to pay for along the way then your holiday spending money will go a lot further."
well I thought most people did pay for their holiday before they left.
I guess they mean meals on the plane etc but that's exactly why budget travellers choose LCC's and buy sandwiches etc to take onboard.
Budget carriers offer a service for which there is clearly a demand-end of story.

 

[Bundy Bear]

Budget airlines don't have F lounges.

 

[Nigelinoz]

Budget airlines don't have F lounges.

True,unless you're being paid a squillion a year and used to private jets etc,then even Qantas F may seem budget !:mrgreen:

 

[oz_mark]

I guess they mean meals on the plane etc but that's exactly why budget travellers choose LCC's and buy sandwiches etc to take onboard.
Budget carriers offer a service for which there is clearly a demand-end of story.

I think you are missing the point of thee story. Many people are buying LCC tickets then complaining when things don't go to plan. The issue is a whole collection of things - meals, baggage allowance, protection in case of delayed flights, usage of secondary airports and so on.

If people expect all this stuff, then fly full service.

If you fly LCC, then make sure you know what you are getting (or not getting!)

 

[dajop]

Yes a bit of PR about being careful about expectations is probably a good thing .... although it's not always easy, like an unsuspecting colleague who thought he was flying Qantas all the way from LHR-SIN-CNS ....... a Qantas flight number sure but ....

 

[chrisb]

Tourists stranded in Africa after flight cancelled | Travel News | News.com.au

The travellers were due to fly home on January 3 after a two-week holiday in the resort of Essaouira, Morocco, but their return flight was unable to land because of the fog.
After a 160-kilometre taxi ride to Marrakech-Menara Airport the pair were told it would be a week until the next Ryanair flight to Bristol.

 

[JohnK]

I try to avoid LCCs as much as possible especially ones that only have scheduled flights once a day or every few days. Sometimes the money one tries to save on flights with LCCs isn't worth the trouble....

 

[anat0l]

Ever since travel has become a lot cheaper (at least a lot cheaper compared to when my sister and I were munchkins), we get a whole new much wider demographic flying on planes.

Unfortunately this has brought along a much more incessantly demanding breed.

Then came the LCCs. And people severely misunderstand them. Read the conditions and the website before you buy so you know exactly what you are getting. But people are dumb - they pay peanuts and expect right-royal service. Paying an LCC for travel really only buys you the right to get you from AAA to BBB and, if you're lucky, it will be done so with a bit of dignity. You do not get a meal, and if it so happens that circumstances (notwithstanding those the fault of the airline) fall out which cause you to miss your flight, that is a risk you undertook and lost. So get **************** over it!

It seems odd as to why the RAC is publishing such an article, but at least the title hits the nail on the head: LCCs aren't for everyone. Caveat emptor.

 

[anat0l]

Tourists stranded in Africa after flight cancelled | Travel News | News.com.au

Interesting dilemma.

Certainly airlines can't control the weather. The issue then is really that the airline still has to fulfil its side of the bargain by getting the passenger from AAA to BBB as they paid for. But as the article shows the fulfilment of the deal doesn't necessarily have to be satisfactory on the part of the customer.

This is more a moral argument than a legal argument, and certainly LCCs - especially Ryanair which operates one of the most aggressive LCC businesses in the world - would want to take the easy way out.

Travel insurance to the rescue?

 

[JohnK]

Then came the LCCs. And people severely misunderstand them. Read the conditions and the website before you buy so you know exactly what you are getting. But people are dumb - they pay peanuts and expect right-royal service. Paying an LCC for travel really only buys you the right to get you from AAA to BBB and, if you're lucky, it will be done so with a bit of dignity.

Our expectation of booking to travel on a LCC should be to get from AAA to BBB at the specified time at a cheaper airfare without all the frills of a full service carrier. Seems like a very simple expectation. All we want is the LCC to provide the service which we have paid them to provide.

In reality our expectations can be severely dented. Are we still dumb when we book to travel on LCCs and they cancel flights, can't get you from AAA to BBB until the next available flight which might not be for another week, cancel routes without offering suitable alternatives at the original airfare, etc etc?

 

[NM]

Travel insurance to the rescue?

I wonder if in the future we will see travel insurance policies that include exclusions for issues arising from LCCs .

 

[Alanslegal]

Ahhh its not online budget airlines that are affected.

Some travellers have an expectation ranging from reasonable to unreasonable, and from the moment they travel and their expectation aren't met - whether reasonable or unreasonable - they may whinge and whine.

Some examples (not my own) are ; "I flew Jetstar and was expecting complimentary food but it never came, aren't they a rebadged Qantas plane?" or how about "I flew Singapore Airlines and was expecting the red carpert treatment as everyone else tells me - but nope, received nothing like that in Economy" or how about "They told me of greater legroom in economy but I didn't realise they meant that its when my leg is not outstretched" :shock:

 

[easygeld]

Budget airlines I feel can in fact cost you more than a normal airline to fly in the long run.
1/ I do not know how many overly priced drinks on a 8 hr flight I might want 12 mths prior. Or what food I fancy..or might want?
2/ Nor can I plan or consider what baggage allowance in particular I might need, maybe 15kg, or 20kg?

Also whether or not I might want to watch a movie or sleep or ? Really some things when flying more than 2hrs surely should just be standard expectations, or is it that the next thing we will be charged $5 each time we use the toilet on board the flight, because if consumers do not speak up now and stop airlines from forgetting who their serving and why they exist then airlines will continue to use us the consumer as a cash cow and continue to find ways of getting more cash out of us for themselves. Quite simply consumers need to speak up and get wise, open your eyes to what the corporate airline world is doing.
All consumers are VIP's and should be treated so, not that we are pawns in the process and have no rights, which appears where things are now. Without consumers the airlines do not have a business, it's that simple. We the consumer should be able to say "jump" to the airlines and the answer should be "How high", not the other way round, where by we do the jumping.

Do not place extra seats on planes and make seats smaller. Do not lower customer service standards, and then 1000's of other things like this. Quite simply find a fair balance to making profits and providing the service/product, one that is equally balanced.

 

[gilby08]

Geez... Any other thread you are going to post in?
Once again they are a business not a charity, so why wouldn't they charge? You obviously paid for all the extras knowingly?

 

[easygeld]

Geez... Any other thread you are going to post in?
Once again they are a business not a charity, so why wouldn't they charge? You obviously paid for all the extras knowingly?

No they do not saying during the booking process or in their advertising, "Book your cheap flight here, but once your on board your going to be over charged for food & drinks".

I wouldn't mind if we had a choice and could bring on our own food or drinks, but we can't, so just because of the security issues, which I suppose are logical it should not be allowed that the airlines can take advantage of us. The government make the laws based on safety & security, but should have a clause that no commercial airline can abuse or profit from this. Such prices to be charged on board will be clearly provided to the consumer prior to a booking being made and that no more than 100% markup on a purchased price be charged. So if they buy wholesale a can of drink for 50 cents then they can only sell it for $1.00 max, seems fair and balanced. Not the say $3.00 Air Asia charge for a 325ml can of drink.

This is based on the factors we the consumers do not have freedom of choice while flying 30,000 feet in the air and I feel that as we the people living in a democracy and a free country (well we are made to think we do) should be protected by all laws by government against the corporate fat cats from taking advantage of us small people.

 

[kamchatsky]

Actually I find the food and drinks on board on LCCs no more expensive than at restaurants/food courts in airports, or even convenience stores.

This is based on previous flights on TT, JQ, DJ, Air Asia Thailand and Nok Air.

 

[k_sheep]

In fact, on AK the on board food is generally quite a lot cheaper than at the airport.