Europe Budget Airlines | Everything you need to know

Since we are covering the most around making it feasible for our reader to travel Europe on Budget. In this post, we will be covering the topic Europe Budget Airlines options available for booking.

We will try to cover all the airline companies which are present in Europe which offers the cheapest flights for your commute within Europe. In case you feel like booking the tickets for them you can head out to the travel resources page where you can book these cheap tickets. Or you can use to tool below to find out the cheapest flight deals for Europe.

The advent of the budget airline has revolutionized travel nowhere in the world so much as in Europe. Today, countless airlines selling the cheapest fares are jetting off the runways of airports in the United Kingdom, Germany , France, Turkey and Scandinavia, to name only a few, opening up a whole host of possibilities that once were just the stuff of pipe dreams; family holidays on the sands of the Costa del Sol; low-cost ski trips to the French Alps; spontaneous city breaks to Baku or Bratislava—who would’ve thought it!

But which of these no-frills airlines gives travellers the biggest bang for their buck, and who among the crowd is really flying high? To find out, Chasing Whereabouts looked at the acclaimed 2019 Skytrax airline awards, which give the lowdown as voted for by the passengers themselves on top budget carriers in the European skies.

Let’s start with some of our favorite Europe budget airlines. 

AnadoluJet

AnadoluJet is Certified as a 3-Star Low-Cost Airline for the quality of its airport and onboard product and staff service. Product rating includes cabin comfort, baggage/seat charges, onboard food & beverages, cabin cleanliness, and service rating is for cabin and ground staff.

“Part of Turkish Airlines, AnadoluJet is based out of Ankara and is a mix between a regional and low-cost airline. Low fares include an onboard snack/beverage option. Seats are tight in an all-economy layout. Onboard staff service is reasonable but lacks hospitality or friendliness. Airport service standards are a key weakness for the airline.”

Blue Air

Blue Air is Certified as a 3-Star Low-Cost Airline for the quality of its airport and onboard product and staff service. Product rating includes cabin comfort, baggage / seat charges, buy onboard food & beverages, cabin cleanliness, and service rating covers cabin and ground staff.

“Blue Air delivers a reasonable low-cost experience for short-haul flights. Seat comfort is on par with other LCCs in the region. Cabin cleanliness standards are quite good but this is less consistent for onboard washrooms. Catering standards are fair and customers can pre-book hot meals in addition to buy-on-board items. Staff provide friendly service but this is not always efficient or attentive.“

Europe Budget Airlines -Corendon Airlines

Corendon Airlines is Certified as a 3-Star Low-Cost Airline for the quality of its airport and onboard product and staff service. Product rating includes cabin comfort, baggage / seat charges, buy onboard food & beverages, cabin cleanliness, and service rating covers cabin and ground staff.

“Corendon Airlines offer a hybrid LCC / leisure airline format. Premium fares include free inflight hot meals, and other customers can pre-order these on longer flights. For some charter routes, there is a free snack, tea/coffee. Otherwise, there is a buy-on-board selection. Staff service lacks consistency and language skills are quite variable. Aircraft cleanliness and presentation is noted to be an area for improvement.”

easyJet

easyJet is Certified as a 4-Star Low-Cost Airline for the quality of its airport and onboard product and staff service. Product rating includes cabin comfort, baggage / seat charges, buy onboard food & beverages, cabin cleanliness, and service rating is for cabin and ground staff.

“easyJet is one of Europe’s friendlier low-cost airlines for customer service, and this is particularly good for cabin staff. Airport staff are often strict at enforcing the one-piece baggage rule. Cabin cleanliness and presentation is usually good, and the buy-on-board is of reasonable quality and value.”

Europe Budget Airlines – Eurowings

Eurowings is Certified as a 3-Star Low-Cost Airline for the quality of its airport and onboard product and staff service. Product rating includes cabin comfort, baggage / seat charges, buy onboard food & beverages, cabin cleanliness, and service rating covers cabin and ground staff.

“The product on short-haul flights is similar to many mainline carriers, and BIZclass performs close to a 4-Star level. BIZclass customers have benefits of priority check-in, boarding, and lounge access. Economy Class has a la carte pricing for F&B for which the choice and quality is below average. Customers using the SMART fare receive priority check-in and boarding access. Staff service is efficient but we see a lack of consistency in the service attention.”

French Bee

French Bee is Certified as a 3-Star Low-Cost Airline for the quality of its airport and onboard product and staff service. Product rating includes cabin comfort, baggage / seat charges, buy onboard food & beverages, cabin cleanliness, and service rating covers cabin and ground staff.

“French Bee is an LCC operating modern aircraft on a small long-haul network. Premium Class is a good Premium Economy standard. Economy Class seating is high-density and narrow and this is a negative factor. IFE content is not extensive but adequate. In Economy, all F&B must be purchased. Most hot meals must be pre-ordered, but there is a reasonable buy-on-board selection. Staff conduct basic service quite well but are not overly present at other times.”

Jet2.com

Jet2.com is Certified as a 3-Star Low-Cost Airline for the quality of its airport and onboard product and staff service. Product rating includes cabin comfort, baggage / seat charges, buy onboard food & beverages, cabin cleanliness, and service rating covers cabin and ground staff.

“Jet2 is a low-cost, leisure airline. Seat pitch is average, 28-30 inches depending on aircraft. Cabin cleanliness tends to be weaker at non-UK airports during short turnarounds. F&B is pre-order or buy-on-board, and selection, quality, and pricing are reasonable. Staff service can be good, but this is an inconsistent aspect, and a key factor to improve to meet a 4-Star low-cost rating.”

Europe Budget Airlines – Norwegian

Norwegian is Certified as a 4-Star Low-Cost Airline for the quality of its airport and onboard product and staff service. Product rating includes seats, amenities, food & beverages, IFE, cleanliness etc, and service rating is for both cabin staff and ground staff.

“Norwegian provides a good product and service standard on a modern fleet of aircraft although some flights have been performed by charter carriers, and quality is not as good. The airline has a good WiFi on many aircraft, and IFE on long haul flights is also at a fair standard. Buy-on-board quality and systems are acceptable, but pre-order meals for long-haul flights are quite expensive and less satisfying.”

Onur Air

Onur Air is Certified as a 2-Star Low-Cost Airline for the quality of its airport and onboard product and staff service. Product rating includes cabin comfort, baggage / seat charges, buy onboard food & beverages, cabin cleanliness, and service rating covers cabin and ground staff.

“Operating low-cost and charter flights, standards are quite poor. Onboard seat comfort is average but cabin cleanliness & condition is an issue. On charter flights, customers receive a beverage, on scheduled services, there is a buy-on-board menu and pre-order meals. The quality of pre-order meals can be quite good but is inconsistent. Staff service is weak in the airport and onboard, and lacks any proper hospitality or attention.”

Pegasus Airlines

Next on our list of Europe Budget Airlines is Pegasus Airlines which is Certified as a 3-Star Low-Cost Airline for the quality of its airport and onboard product and staff service. Product rating includes cabin comfort, baggage / seat charges, buy onboard food & beverages, cabin cleanliness, and service rating covers cabin and ground staff.

“Onboard comfort is satisfactory for short flights but less so for 4 to 5-hour routes. IFE streaming is available at a charge and the value is reasonable. F&B is buy-on-board or pre-order, the selection and price are fair but the quality is inconsistent. Service standards vary greatly on a route-by-route basis and staff, in general, are not overly friendly.”

Ryanair

Ryanair is Certified as a 3-Star Low-Cost Airline for the quality of its airport and onboard product and staff service. Product rating includes cabin comfort, baggage / seat charges, buy onboard food & beverages, cabin cleanliness, and service rating covers cabin and ground staff.#

“Ryanair service standards continue to improve and it is now a more customer-friendly airline on the frontline, with better cabin staff service. There is a strict monitoring of baggage size and weight, and customers should be aware of check-in and boarding pass printing charges. F&B choices are acceptable and of reasonable value.”

Transavia

Transavia is Certified as a 3-Star Low-Cost Airline for the quality of its airport and onboard product and staff service. Product rating includes cabin comfort, baggage / seat charges, buy onboard food & beverages, cabin cleanliness, and service rating covers cabin and ground staff.

“A long-established low-cost airline, Transavia predominantly serves leisure destinations. The onboard product is fairly standard, but with quite a limited buy onboard F&B selection, and prices are on the higher side. Seat comfort is LCC style at a 29-inch pitch and the cabins are generally well maintained. Cabin staff service seems to be based more on function and there is little real hospitality shown.”

Europe Budget Airlines – Volotea

Volotea is Certified as a 3-Star Low-Cost Airline for the quality of its airport and onboard product and staff service. Product rating includes cabin comfort, baggage / seat charges, buy onboard food & beverages, cabin cleanliness, and service rating covers cabin and ground staff.

“A low-cost airline and customers need to check baggage and check-in rules, as they are strict and quick to charge extra. Cabin seat comfort is okay for short flights, but cleanliness standards need improving. Buy onboard options are quite limited. Cabin staff service is functional but often lacking in hospitality.”

Vueling Airlines

Vueling Airlines is Certified as a 4-Star Low-Cost Airline for the quality of its airport and onboard product and staff service. Product rating includes cabin comfort, baggage / seat charges, buy onboard food & beverages, cabin cleanliness, and service rating covers cabin and ground staff.

“One of the better low-cost airlines in Europe in terms of service quality, with a modern fleet of A319/320/321 aircraft. They are strict about baggage weights, as to be expected from a low-cost. Cabin seat comfort is fair (29-30″ pitch), and the buy onboard menu offers a reasonable choice and is well priced. Cabin staff efficient, with varying standards of hospitality.”

Wizz Air

Wizz Air is Certified as a 3-Star Low-Cost Airline for the quality of its airport and onboard product and staff service. Product rating includes seats, buy onboard food & beverages, cabin cleanliness etc, and service rating is for both cabin staff and ground staff.

“Wizz Air is an ultra-low-cost airline with a 28-inch seat pitch that is amongst the smallest of European low-cost airlines. Baggage weight and size are strictly enforced, and free carry-on items must fit under the forward seat. Buy-on-board F&B is priced competitively and has some interesting selections. Staff service is efficient, but the Wizz Air service hospitality varies greatly.”  

Condor

Frankfurt-based Condor runs charter and scheduled flights to 90 destinations from 7 base airports throughout Germany on its 41-aircraft fleet of Boeing 757 and 767s and Airbus 320 and 321s. While Condor only maintains code-share agreements with Air Namibia, it has a ton of international interline agreements with carriers like Alaska Airlines, Austrian, Copa Airlines, JetBlue, Lufthansa, Swiss, Volaris, and WestJet, which significantly extends its reach overseas. 

Airbaltic

Passengers looking for simple and inexpensive hops across the countries of Northern Europe, Eastern Europe and even Iberia should try to look beyond the name of this low-coast off Latvia, as the narrow-body Bombardiers and Boeings fleet is by no means confined to the Baltic region and now serves as many as 60 destinations across the continent, including Malta, Milan. With sales growth and new routes planned for Slovakia and Dubrovnik in 2015.

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