Here are a few things to consider before hitting book on those bargain plane tickets

Ryanair plane with passengers boarding — Patryk Kosmider / Shutterstock

Is there any better feeling than saving hundreds or even thousands by scouring the flight comparison sites and pouncing when you see the very best deal?

Services like Jack’s Flight Club turn finding the cheapest possible flight tickets almost into a sport and you’ll find a ‘thermometer’ on Google Flights search results indicating if flights are at their cheapest or expensive for the time of booking.

With the emphasis on flight booking often on rock bottom prices, it can be easy to forget exactly why those flights are so cheap in the first place. And with super-cheap flights come a few watch-outs that could negatively impact your trip.

Hidden or Extra Costs

Often, low-cost airlines will entice you in with a great ticket price, before hitting you with a bunch of things that you’d think may be included, but end up being an additional costs. The classic is checked baggage, with airlines like Ryanair in Europe and Jetblue in the US sometimes not offering any checked luggage as standard. Even then if there is an allowance, it can be meagre and with hidden gate charges that are eye-watering even if you’re only slightly over.

The other classic hidden cost is a charge to choose your seat, with the seats by the exits obviously charged at a higher rate thanks to the ‘extra legroom’. On top of that, you’ll be bombarded with the additional sales options, with noisy tannoy announcements offering ‘great deals’ (read: more expensive than on the ground) for perfumes etc. Oh, and our favourite is the ‘priority boarding’ option, where you can pay extra to get on the aircraft first. Let’s all have a good think about that one…

No Complimentary In-Flight Food or Refreshments

A member of cabin crew lifts a bottle of water — Ivan Dudka / Shutterstock

An easy way to keep flights cheap is to cut back on all the little added extras that can make a tough flight slightly more bearable. Say goodbye to that bottle of water and small bag of snacks that can distract untruly kids or help you take your mind off bumpy weather.

Naturally, there will be food available on your cheap flight, but you’ll get utterly scalped and end up bringing the overall price of your journey ever-closer to the price of the slightly more expensive ticket that was also on offer.

Secondary Airports

The exterior of Frankfurt Hahn airport — Markus Mainka / Shutterstock

There’s a running joke that many airlines like to exploit. Munich Memmingen, Frankfurt Hahn, Paris-Orly, Milan-Malpensa, Stockholm Stavska and London Luton all sound like the places in their names, but the reality is you’re facing a bus, train or taxi ride to the actual city you want to visit. These airports, known as ‘secondary airports’, use the name of a popular city, despite being nowhere near the city, to attract passengers.

One of the worst culprits, in our eyes, Frankfurt Hahn, is actually a staggering 120km and two-hour bus journey away from the centre of Frankfurt. This makes those dirt cheap flights not so dirt cheap when you have to factor in the cost of the shuttle too – and that’s before you realise you’ve lost four hours of your weekend break to a boring return bus journey or super-expensive taxi.

The Dreaded Airport Bus

Although not usually a major issue for solo travellers and couples, the hot, slow and always never to be seen transfer bus from the tarmac to terminal can be a nightmare for bad-and-buggy laden families or travellers with reduced mobility.

The thing that connects to the aircraft to the airport building allowing you to avoid the weather and the packed bus is called a jet bridge and they come at a premium. It’s highly likely that your budget airline won’t be willing to pay that premium, resulting in a stand that adds half an hour to your overall journey time and potentially an extra level of stress and discomfort.

Layovers

People wait in a crowded airport during a flight layover — Wittawat Pawpraseart / Shutterstock

The cheapest long haul flights often include at least one stop at a connecting airport. That stop can range from a few hours, to anything that can turn a long flight into a multi-day ordeal.

Although many travellers are fine with spending half a day scrambling to a city centre between flights or spending the time time reading, shopping or trying to sleep on those dreadful airport lounge seats, those with shorter layovers could be accused of optimism.

It’s all too easy to think of a four hour stopover as an opportunity to freshen up and grab a bite, but its rare you’ll remember two things: that planes are often delayed, and airports can be huge with cumbersome transfer processes. All of sudden, your ‘ample’ amount of time becomes a scramble, or even worse, a missed onward flight and more expense.

Basic Customer Service and No Flex

We’re not necessarily talking about your in-flight experience here. Airlines have to adhere to the highest safety standard, so your cheap airline won’t scrimp on cabin crew, pilots etc. The personal service you receive will likely be on par with the next price bracket up. We’re referring to the things like refunds, cancellations and flexibility.

By sticking firmly to a set of rules that usually results in rebooking, budget airlines can ensure their profit margin remains tight, and therefore the ticket price remains attractive. But if your plans change, you’ll either pay again, or spend forever chasing your tail through poor processes and cumbersome communications designed to make you give up!

Conclusion

Now you’re armed with a few extra pieces of information, it may make sense to review the overall package, rather than just the ticket price. By the time you’ve factored in things like baggage costs, food onboard or even charges to print your boarding pass if you haven’t been organised, the difference between the mid- or even premium-tier flight on the same day may not actually be too far off.

Include the extra time spent on a transfer bus from the plane or even a long transfer from a secondary airport, and the decision to spend a little extra could give you several hours of trip time back. That, in our opinion, is enough to justify the extra spend sometimes…