Cheap flights in and around Europe
by Su-Ann Mae Phillips
Traditionally, European airlines have competed not only among themselves, but also with train operators and self-drivers for passenger traffic in and around Europe. The good news for the air traveler is that the stiff competition among transport service providers has brought about drops in airfares over the past 15 years or so in Europe. This is so much so that traveling by air is almost comparable to traveling by train.
The main contributor to the drastic drop in airfares in and around Europe can be attributed to the advent of budget airlines. The good news for the air traveler is that there is a range of budget airlines to choose from. To date, there are more than 60 budget airlines operating out of Europe. Budget airlines have significantly pushed airfares downwards, making air travel a very convenient and affordable option for many travelers. The two main operators in Europe are Ryan Air and easyJet.
One way to secure a wider range of cheaper flights in and around Europe is to fly into one of the low-cost European airport hubs. Many smaller airports that serve the European market more than the international market have a number of budget airlines operating out of them. The Brussels Airport in Belgium, the Munich Airport in Germany and the Budapest Airport are examples of such airports.
The main issue to consider is how much you will spend overall in order to get to your final destination – this should include land transfers as well as flight connections. Budget airlines in Europe can operate out of secondary airports that are typically located further away from the city center. Hence, travelers would want to factor in additional time and set aside a budget for land transfers to the city center.
Depending on your choice of land transfer, the time taken and budget can vary significantly. For example, London Stansted is the hub for budget airlines Ryan Air, easyJet, Air Berlin and many others. The Stansted airport is 40 miles from Central London, and cost around GBP18 (one-way) via the Stansted Express Train to the London Liverpool Station or GBP100 (one-way) via taxi to get to Central London. In Paris, several budget airlines operate out of the Beauvais Airport. The Beauvais airport is 55 miles from downtown Paris itself, and cost around 13 Euros (one-way) via Bus and 150 Euros via taxi to get to downtown Paris.
In theory, budget carriers work best for travelers needing a one-way air ticket. This is because most budget carriers work on a single-trip basis. To get the lowest deal out of your return-trip on a budget carrier, there will be some compromise. Even if a flight from Brussels to London is GBP1 one way, your return fare might be GBP60. Flight times may also be unfavorable times – in the wee hours of the morning, or late at night, making land transfers (and the corresponding charges) a challenge. You also need to be careful about requests – extra baggage (both weight and number of bags), changes in schedule, etc entail additional charges.
In some cases, some travelers argue that when factoring in all the costs, budget air carriers do not necessarily offer the best value to get from one destination to another. They argue that train services can offer better value as their stations are usually located within the city center.
In a bid to capture back some of its passengers, some national European airlines, such as Lufthansa or British Airways also offer reduced airfares, especially around public holidays. When there are such offers, it is worthwhile to consider these carriers, as most of them operate out of the major airports and thus do not require additional land transfers. If you are looking for cheap airfares for a short holiday, some national carriers link up with tourist-class hotels to offer attractive weekend getaways with hotel accommodation. These deals can work out to be better overall value.