Traveling Low-Cost Air Carriers
They are the darlings of the aviation industry. At a time when most major air-carriers are beset with problems ranging from declining business travel to labor problems and impending bankruptcy, most low-cost carriers are still flying high. They have been steadily gaining market share over the past several years. There is one problem however that none of them are immune to, and that’s the rising cost of fuel. However, experts say low-cost carriers are in a better position to weather higher fuel prices because they are, for the most part, in a better financial position to begin with, despite the fact that many of them own a fleet of older aircraft with higher maintenance costs. Some low-cost carriers have raised fare prices in response to fuel costs, something they’re in a better position to do than the major airlines because they’re starting with a lower fare to begin with. The leader when it comes to low-cost carriers are Southwest, an airline that’s been around so long, we sometimes forget it is a low-cost carrier. Like many of the larger low-cost airlines, Southwest serves quite a few cities nationwide, but not necessarily every city, so you may have to look at other airports near your final destination. For example, if you were traveling to Charlotte, North Carolina. That’s an airport Southwest doesn’t serve. In fact, your only option in North Carolina is to fly into Raleigh, then either find a commuter flight to Charlotte, or make the drive by car. Some of the smaller low-cost carriers offer only limited service to a few destinations. Many of them also require a minimum 14-day advance booking in order to take advantage of some of their best deals. One of the biggest areas currently seeing growth in low-cost air carriers is for travel to and within Europe. In fact, according to a report from the BBC, the rise in low-cost airlines is causing a downswing in traffic through the Channel Tunnel. Latest estimates are there are nearly 60 no-frills