In the early 1990s and later in many countries around the world. Term low-cost is a tracing from English, where it originally referred to all airlines with a lower operating cost structure than their competitors. While the term low-cost often applied to any airline with low prices for tickets and a limited range of services, regardless of their operating models, low-cost airlines not to be confused with regional airlines that operate short flights with no service or full service airlines with limited services.

Business model

A typical low-cost airline model usually (but not always) includes the following provisions:

• one passenger class
• one type of aircraft (usually Airbus A320 or Boeing 737), which reduces the cost of personnel training and maintenance of equipment
• a minimum set of additional equipment in the aircraft, usually there are no modern video and stereo systems, which allows you to reduce costs due to its purchase and maintenance
• simple fare scheme, use of one form for round trips, and more recently no paper tickets per se are common, tickets are sold online.
• typically increasing the price of a ticket as the plane fills up to encourage early bookings
• lack of space in boarding passes(but not always - this is how seats are indicated on Airberlin boarding passes) i.e. encouraging passengers to board and take their seats faster
• using cheap, less crowded secondary airports and departing early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid possible delays due to air traffic congestion, as well as to save money from lower airport taxes
• quick turnover of aircraft (in order to maximize its load)
• simple routes, routes are built on a point-to-point basis (direct flights between airports) instead of bringing passengers to hubs (also in order to maximize the use of the aircraft and avoid delays due to late transit passengers and loss of luggage between flights)
• reduction of the range of services provided to passengers on board the aircraft, exclusion from this range of services that are standard in other airlines (for example, distribution of soft drinks and meals to passengers), transfer of such services to the category of paid services
• receiving additional income from the sale of additional services on board the aircraft and goods
• emphasis on direct ticket sales, especially on the Internet (to avoid paying commissions to agents and reservation systems)
• employees perform several functions at once, for example, flight attendants, in addition to direct duties, also clean the cabin (in order to save the wage fund)
• Aggressive fuel cost hedging programs

Not every low-cost airline carries out the whole set of the above activities (for example, some low-cost airlines indicate boarding pass numbers, while others use more than one type of aircraft).

Story

First successful low-cost carrier were Pacific Southwest Airlines in the US who pioneered the concept low-cost, their first flight took place on May 6 . This lead is often credited to Southwest Airlines, which began operating in 1971 and has declared profits every year since 1973. After the deregulation of air travel in Europe, the most notable success was achieved by the Irish airline easyJet, created in 1995. Low-cost airlines appeared in Asia and Oceania with 2000, Malaysian AirAsia and Australian Virgin Blue became the leading companies. Low-cost model has proved to be applicable worldwide, but for its best application, deregulation of the air transport market is needed. In 2006, new low-cost airlines were announced in Saudi Arabia and Mexico.

Low-cost airlines pose a serious threat to traditional full-service companies, as the high cost of traditional carriers does not allow them to successfully compete on price - the most important factor on which the consumer chooses low-cost carrier. From 2001 to 2003, when the airline industry was hit by terrorism, war and SARS, most traditional airlines suffered significant losses, while many low-cost airlines declared profits.

Many carriers have started to create their own low-cost airlines, such as British Airways - Go, Air India - Air India-Express and United - Ted, but have found that they are picking up passengers from their main flights. The exceptions are bmibaby (owned by bmi, Lufthansa) and Jetstar (owned by Qantas), which are successfully operating in parallel with their full service counterparts.

In tourist destinations low-cost airlines compete with charter airlines.

Canada

India

Finland

Norway

Australia

First low-cost airline Australia became Compass which began operations in 1990 but soon ceased to exist. In 2000 Impulse and Virgin Blue started low-cost transportation between Australian cities, fiercely competing with each other. Virgin Blue became Australia's second largest airline until Qantas bought Impulse and used a wet lease to build its low-cost divisions jetstar. Qantas created two low-cost carrier: JetStar competed with Virgin Blue in the domestic Australian market, and Australian Airlines began operating on Asian destinations. In 2006, Qantas took Australian Airlines' operations under a "wet lease", meaning that Australian Airlines crews and aircraft began to operate under the Qantas brand. In 2006, Qantas terminated the leasing agreement with Australian Airlines and began to develop the international destinations of its low-cost Jetstar brand.

New Zealand

Middle East

Asia

Japan

Criticism

Since the quantity low-cost airlines increases, they have to compete not only with traditional carriers, but also with each other. In the United States, airlines began to offer various types low-cost models. US Airways offers passengers first-class in-flight and airport lounges, while Frontier Airlines and JetBlue Airways offer satellite TV. Skybus Airlines, which sells advertising on the fuselage of its aircraft, began flying in 2007. In Europe, the focus has remained on cost reduction and simplified service. In 2004, Ryanair announced the possible elimination of reclining seats, anti-reflective glass, head restraints and seat pockets on aircraft. Some elements low-cost models are the focus of criticism from governments and aviation regulators, for example in the UK the issue of non-inclusion is widely discussed low-cost airlines(as, indeed, by other airlines) into the advertised ticket price of a number of expenses (airport fees, taxes, etc.), so that the cost of the flight seemed lower than it really is. .

Low-cost model on long-haul routes

The first airline to offer a simplified transatlantic service was Laker Airways, which offered the famous "Skytrain" service between London and New York in the late 1970s. The company exited the market when rivals British Airways and Pan Am were able to cut their ticket prices.

In 2004, the Irish airline Aer Lingus cut prices to compete with Euro-type companies. In late 2004 Canadian airline Zoom Airlines also offered transatlantic flights between Glasgow, Manchester, and Canada for £89. Art.

Expected to appear on the market newest aircraft The A380, which can carry 853 passengers in an economy-only configuration, should drastically reduce costs on long-haul routes. On the other hand, such an aircraft should reduce the cost per passenger seat so much that the difference between a conventional carrier and a low-cost carrier may be negligible. In particular, low-cost carriers usually tend to use aircraft as intensively as possible, planning the first flight early in the morning, and the last flight late in the evening. However, scheduling long haul flights is related to time zones (e.g. departing from the East Coast of the United States in the evening, the aircraft arrives in Europe in the morning of the next day), in addition, longer flights give fewer options to increase the intensity of the use of the fleet, since there are only one or two flights daily.

April 2006 magazine Airline Business conducted an analysis of the potential of long-haul low-cost transportation and came to the conclusion that many Asian low-cost carriers, including AirAsia, are the closest to ideal low-cost airlines. On November 2, AirAsia X, a division of AirAsia and the Virgin Group, made its first flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to the Gold Coast, Australia.

In August 2006, Zoom Airlines announced plans to open a UK subsidiary, likely based in Gatwick, that would offer cheap flights from the US to India.

Long-haul low-cost flights include Australian airline Jetstar Airways flights between Australia and Osaka and Nagoya in Japan.

Low-cost airlines for business passengers

A recent trend is the creation of new low-cost airlines, exclusively operating in the long-haul business passenger market, with an aircraft with a regular class of service, initially on transatlantic routes. Rather, their working principle can be described as less frills(less service) than no frills(no service), early market players including Eos Airlines, Maxjet Airways and Silverjet use Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 medium-sized twin jet aircraft to operate profitable routes between London and East Coast USA.

European low cost airlines for Russians

With the advent of low-cost airlines, Russians got a cheap way to fly around Europe. For 30-35 euros (average ticket price), with a visa, you can move around the entire Schengen area. Tickets are paid by payment from a bank card on the Internet.

Russian regulators and airlines categorically oppose the entry of European budget companies to Russia, which is associated with lobbying, fear of competition and fear of losing monopoly profits.

Currently, Russians (especially residents of the North-West) can take advantage of a flight from:

1. Finland:

Helsinki (Blue1, Air Berlin, Ryanair);

2. Estonia: Tallinn (AirBaltic);

3. Latvia: Riga (AirBaltic);

4. Lithuania:

Vilnius (Ryanair);

5. Sweden: Stockholm/Nyköpping (AirBaltic).

6. Ukraine: Kyiv, Lvov, Odessa (

When planning a trip, one of the most important questions that arises is where and how to buy cheap flights. I will write about how to buy a ticket a little later, in this article I will talk about such a phenomenon as low-cost airlines(low cost). This budget airlines(they are also called discount airlines), whose tickets are several times cheaper than those of regular airlines (unless they have some kind of promotion). There are now more than 150 such low-cost airlines in the world, there are plenty to choose from, so to speak.

• Most often, the level of service of low-cost airlines is no worse, and sometimes even better, than that of regular airlines. The secret rather lies in the fact that these airlines are trying to save money wisely on optional things. For example, they do not have sales offices, there are no intermediary travel agencies, an air ticket is bought via the Internet, and you can fly simply by booking a printout that comes to your e-mail.
• Another important difference between low-cost airlines is that if you cancel a flight, the money for the ticket is most likely not returned and there are no miles for frequent travel.
• You also need to keep in mind that low-cost airlines have strict restrictions on the weight of luggage, sometimes you have to pay for luggage separately, and if this is not done when booking a ticket, then you will have to pay twice as much at the airport.
• Since the price of a ticket in discount airlines is formed based on the occupancy of the aircraft, the closer the departure date, the more expensive the ticket. Therefore, if you want to fly cheaper, try to buy lowster tickets well in advance. The earlier you buy a ticket, the cheaper you will fly.
• For some flights, you need to check in yourself via the Internet, otherwise you will have to pay extra for it at the airport. My advice to you is to read carefully the conditions of the airline on its website and on the ticket.
• Most discount airlines do not provide free meals during the flight, but you can always buy it on board if necessary. And low-cost airlines often use secondary airports that are less busy, which allows passengers to go through all the arrival procedures faster, and the low-cost airline itself to increase the frequency of flights. The only possible inconvenience may be the time of departure, the possible delay of the flight and the remoteness of the secondary airport, but this is not always the case.

The most important low-cost airline in Asia - AirAsia

There are convenient flight ticket search engines by low-cost airlines, which show which low-cost airlines fly to the city you need. These sites only give you the names of the low cost airlines you can use. In order to buy a ticket, you will need to go to the website of the low-cost airline itself and book a cheap air ticket there.

There are also sites that flight search for all airlines(both low-cost and conventional) and destinations:

We mostly use them when searching for tickets. Firstly, you can immediately estimate the order of prices, and secondly, these services are often enough.

Air discounters in Russia

There used to be avianova and skyexpress, but on this moment there are no more low-cost airlines in Russia. That's it. Therefore, it is often cheaper to fly to Europe than somewhere in Russia.

Low-cost airlines flying from Russia to Europe

airberlin.com (from Moscow and St. Petersburg to many German cities with transit to other European cities)
eurowings.com (from Moscow and St. Petersburg to German cities with transit to other European cities)
flyniki.com (departure from Moscow and St. Petersburg to Vienna)
norwegian.no (from St. Petersburg to Oslo with further transit through Northern Europe)
flypgs.com (departure from Krasnodar and Novosibirsk to Turkey)
vueling.com (departure from Moscow to Barcelona)
volawindjet.it (departure from Moscow, Samara, St. Petersburg, Rostov to Italian cities)
flydubai.com (departure from Yekaterinburg and Samara to Dubai)
blue1.com (departure from Moscow and St. Petersburg to Helsinki, and from there to Paris, London, Dusseldorf)

Low-cost airlines flying from Kyiv

wizzair.com (departure from Kyiv to Oslo, Cologne, London, Venice, Dortmund, Krakow, Simferopol)
airarabia.com (departure from Kyiv to Abu Dhabi, Athens, Dubai, Doha, Colombo, Delhi)

Budget airlines in Europe

airbaltic.com Europe
airberlin.com Europe
blue1.com Europe
blueair-web.com Europe
bmibaby.com UK
brusselsairlines.com Europe and the world
clickair.com Europe
condor.com Europe
easyjet.com Europe
flug.idealo.de Germany, Europe, world
flyaeroflight.de Germany - Europe
flybe.com UK - Europe
flyglobespan.com Almost the whole world
flyniki.at Austria - Europe
flynordic.com Europe
flysas.com Europe and the world
germania.aero Germany, Kosovo, Macedonia
eurowings.com Europe
tuifly.com/en/ Europe
icelandexpress.co.uk Reykjavik - Europe
jet2.com UK - Europe
laudaair.com Austria - Europe
meridiana.it Italy – Europe
norwegian.n o Europe and the world
ryanair.com Europe and the world
skyeurope.com Europe
smartwings.net Prague - Europe
spanair.com Europe
transavia.com Amsterdam - Europe
thomsonfly.com Europe
vueling.com Barcelona - Europe

Do airfare prices scare you? And you put the trip on the back burner because they don't fit your bill?
Today, there is an excellent way out of this situation: low-cost airlines, low-cost airlines, discounters - these are all the names of low-cost airlines where you can buy a ticket at a low price.

Low-cost airlines are an ideal option for those who are willing to sacrifice a certain amount of comfort and additional services.

Why cheap?

Let's see how low-cost airlines manage to reduce ticket prices:
1. Online ticket sales
Air tickets are sold via the Internet. This eliminates the cost of staff, cash and rent.
2. Limited services
The main principle of low-cost airlines is that you pay for the flight, but all additional services are at your request and for a fee. Some familiar services, such as food or entertainment, are either not available at all or are provided for a fee.
3. Comfort
In low-cost airlines, the number of passenger seats is often increased. This may make your stay on board an aircraft less comfortable.

What to remember when buying a ticket

- Low-cost airlines rarely deviate from this rule: the higher the occupancy of the aircraft, the more expensive the tickets will cost for passengers. So try buy tickets in advance- the earlier, the cheaper.
- Buy a ticket only if you are fully sure that you will fly. Some low cost airlines do not allow refunds. If for any reason you want to change the date of departure, do not forget that this most often entails additional costs.
- Low-cost airlines have their own baggage policy: you will have to collect all the necessary things in hand luggage. It is usually allowed to take luggage into the cabin with dimensions up to 55 × 40 × 20 cm and weighing up to 8 kg (this information must be clarified, since each company may have its own restrictions). If you feel that the dimensions of your luggage are larger, then it is better to pay for transportation on the website in advance additional baggage.
- If you are offered additional services on the website of a low-cost airline, then remember that by paying for them on the website, and not on board, you will save a decent amount of money.
- Often check-in for a flight at the airport is also a paid service. So try to register online. And pay for additional services

Low-cost airlines flying from Russia:

• Germanwings - flies from: Moscow; Saint Petersburg.
• airberlin
• AirBaltic - flies from: Moscow; Saint Petersburg; Kaliningrad.
• Norwegian Air Shuttle is flying from Saint Petersburg.
• Vueling - flies from: Moscow; Saint Petersburg; Kazan; Kaliningrad.
• Wizz Air - flies from: Moscow.
• EasyJet - flies from: Moscow.
• - flies from: Samara; Ufa; Kazan; Ekaterinburg; Rostov-on-Don; Volgograd.
• Air Arabia - flies from: Kazan; Ekaterinburg; Moscow.
• Pegasus Airlines - flies from: Moscow; Mineral water; Omsk; Sochi.

Foreign low-cost carriers:

• Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline and the largest low-cost airline in Europe.
• Blu-express is an Italian low cost airline. Destinations: France, Greece, Italy, Türkiye.
• Iceland Express is a low cost airline from Iceland. International flights: Alicante, Basel, Berlin, Billund, Gothenburg, Copenhagen, London, Oslo, Paris, Stockholm, Frankfurt am Main, Friedrichshafen, Eindhoven.
• Thomson Airways - airlines between the UK and Europe.
• Cebu Pacific is a Philippine low cost airline. Cebu Pacific serves 34 domestic and 22 international destinations in 14 countries.
• Condor is a German low-cost airline operating flights to the Mediterranean, Asia, Africa, North America and the Caribbean.
• Interjet is a Mexican airline. It flies to 43 airports in Mexico, Cuba, Guatemala, Costa Rica and the USA on 56 routes.
• Gol is a Brazilian low-cost airline headquartered in the city of Sao Paulo, performing scheduled and charter passenger flights to and from airports in the country.
• Mango is a South African low cost airline. Route network: Johannesburg - Cape Town; Cape Town - Durban; Johannesburg - Durban; Cape Town - Bloemfontein; Johannesburg - Bloemfontein.
• Atlasjet- Turkish airline based in Istanbul. It makes regular and charter passenger flights both to European countries, Kazakhstan, Iraq and Iran, and within Turkey.
• Smart Wings is a brand of the Czech airline Travel Service. It operates regular flights throughout Europe and the Middle East, and is the best known Czech low cost airline.
• Sun Country Airlines is a US low-cost airline operating in scheduled and charter passenger service in the US, Mexico, Costa Rica, the United Kingdom and the Caribbean.
• Flybe is a British low cost airline. It is the largest independent regional airline in Europe, operating flights on 150 routes to 55 airports.

More and more people are turning to air travel to cover long and short distances. The convenience of flying lies in the short travel time and the ability to access any corner of the world. However, the problem of high ticket prices often arises. Currently, the concept of low-cost is gaining momentum. What is a low-cost airline in aviation and how it will help to save money, we will consider below.

“Loukoster, what is it?” - often wonder tourists who have not yet encountered such a concept. The answer is simple: a low-cost airline is a carrier whose goal is to reduce the price of a ticket by refusing certain services during the flight.

The United States is considered to be the birthplace of the low-cost airline, where it was first put into practice by Southwest Airlines in the 1970s. Subsequently, this idea was picked up by many airlines, creating serious competition for traditional carriers. Currently, many companies are establishing subsidiaries specializing in low-cost flights. The spread of low-cost aviation has made flights affordable and forced major carriers to introduce combined fares, where you can choose a set of services and thereby reduce the cost of the trip.

When answering the question of what a low-cost is, many confuse it with a charter. The concept of a budget flight is similar in both cases, however, charters are sold with the cost of a tourist package included.

The essence of low-cost flights

The minimization of the cost of the ticket occurs when some services are abolished and costs are reduced. The main tricks on the way to this are the following:

1. Low-cost airlines prefer direct flights, in which one aircraft can make several flights a day without idle time in hubs.
2. Some services, such as changes in the date of the ticket, seat selection, food and drinks on board, the carriage of a certain amount of baggage, are paid.
3. Aircraft personnel often take on the responsibility of cleaning the ship to reduce costs and staff.
4. Companies are introducing an electronic system for registering and purchasing tickets.
5. For flights, one type of aircraft is operated, which reduces the cost of training personnel and servicing ships.
6. Part of the ship's equipment, as well as monitors for passengers, are missing to reduce the weight of the aircraft and, consequently, lower fuel consumption.

Do not think that a budget flight will leave an unpleasant impression in your memory. Passengers may not notice the lack of many services, and a direct flight will reduce travel time. In addition, the staff of low cost airlines is as friendly as any other airlines.

Thus, the question of what a low-cost airline means can be answered briefly: it is an airline that produces low-cost flights by eliminating some services and providing others for a fee. Low-cost airlines are often confused with small regional companies, but the latter provide services due to the lack of capacity and conditions for the full implementation of all services.

Advantages of low-cost airlines

As mentioned above, one of the advantages of a low-cost service is a decent and unobtrusive service. In addition, the main advantage of this type of flight is its cost compared to conventional tickets. Also, low-cost airlines allow you to save time without suffering from long transfers and downtime at the airport.

With a competent advance booking of a ticket, its cost is much lower than the price of a ticket purchased before the flight itself. As the salon fills up, the amount usually increases. Thus, airlines encourage customers to take care of purchasing a travel document in advance. Another advantage of low-cost airlines is their prevalence. Today, flights of numerous budget airlines can be found in many popular destinations.

Disadvantages of low-cost airlines

Most of the shortcomings of low-cost airlines lie in their strategy and ways to reduce the cost of flying. Many companies operate remote, unpopular airports that can be reached by spending extra money on a taxi or car. Departure and arrival times are usually planned late in the evening or early in the morning, which causes inconvenience: to get to the airport and back at this time public transport will not succeed, and you will have to pay for taxi services.

Tickets for a budget flight are non-refundable, that is, you will practically not be able to carry out a refund procedure for an unused ticket. However, there are also return schemes borrowed from traditional carriers. In them, you can get up to 75% of the amount for the ticket if you return it a day or more before check-in and the entire amount with a shorter return period.

The lack of many services can affect the comfort of the flight. Many low-cost airlines offer passengers only water on board, while other drinks and food are paid separately. The baggage allowance is also a small number of kilograms, and you will have to seriously pay extra for the excess. If you choose to change your departure date, change your ticket name or change your seat, this will also incur additional costs.

Thus, unknowingly or in order to improve the conditions of the flight, you risk ending up paying the equivalent of a traditional flight. To prevent this from happening, it is better to familiarize yourself with the rules for the carriage of baggage and the flight of a particular airline in advance and carefully weigh all the pros and cons of a future flight.

It is worth noting that the list of restrictions and paid services is different for each carrier. Some companies are willing to provide drinks and snacks on board. Others have higher baggage and hand luggage allowances. Also, many companies today combine the features of traditional and low-cost flights, creating a line of fares for flights. In each of them, a different ticket price is combined with a different price for additional services or the absence of payment for some of them.

How to use the services of low-cost carriers

Lists of low-cost airlines are available on the Internet upon request. You can buy tickets for the flight you are interested in on intermediary websites, at the addresses of the companies themselves or at online ticket offices. As a rule, the directions of flights directly depend on the founding country of the company. The Pobeda low-cost airline officially operates in Russia, and many foreign low-cost carriers operate flights on its territory.

In contact with

Low-cost airlines, low-cost airlines, discounters are budget airlines with an efficient business organization, thanks to which ticket prices are greatly reduced. Most low-cost carriers:

1. They sell tickets online and do not spend money on the maintenance of air ticket offices.
2. They do not provide free food and entertainment. If you wish, all this can be ordered on board the aircraft or in advance, at the booking stage.
3. They increase the number of passenger seats on the plane and do not allow you to choose the location of the seats for free. If you want to sit next to your loved ones, pay.
4. They hire fewer staff. As a rule, employees on board a low-cost airline perform several tasks at once, for example, they load luggage and clean the aircraft cabin.
5. Use new planes. To avoid repair costs, low-cost airlines use only new aircraft, and after several years of operation they are sold to other airlines.

What you need to know when buying a ticket

• Buy a ticket in advance. The higher the occupancy of the aircraft, the more expensive the cost of tickets.
• Register online. You can do it online for free, but you have to pay at the airport.
• Buy the cheapest tickets only if you are absolutely sure that you will fly. On cheap fares, you won't be able to return your ticket if you cancel your trip. Therefore, if you are not 100% sure, choose a fare where the ticket can be returned.
• Travel light. Cheap fares do not include free baggage. You can only take hand luggage with you, and you will have to pay extra for luggage. If you can’t do without luggage, register it on the website in advance - this will be 50-90% cheaper.
• Buy additional services in advance. If you are going to order food on the plane or other services, do it in advance on the airline's website. This will be much cheaper than on board an airplane.

Below is a list of popular low-cost carriers for budget travel: 8 airlines departing from Russia and 18 without.

Low-cost airlines with flights from Russia

eurowings

Low-cost airline of the major German air carrier Lufthansa with base airports in Cologne-Bonn, Düsseldorf and Hamburg. The company's planes fly almost all over Europe, there are flights to the USA, African and Asian countries.

Russian cities from which Eurowings flies

• Moscow.
• Saint Petersburg.

Baggage

Baggage allowance depends on the fare. The cheapest one is provided with one free piece of hand luggage weighing no more than 8 kg and dimensions not exceeding 55 × 40 × 23 cm. You can also take with you a small bag or briefcase with dimensions not exceeding 40 × 30 × 10 cm;

Airbaltic

Latvian national airline. Performs both cargo and passenger air transportation. The main airport is located in Riga.

AirBaltic is not a low-cost carrier in pure form, however, sells economy class tickets so cheaply that it deserves such a name. You can familiarize yourself with the directions of AirBaltic flights.

Russian cities from which AirBaltic flies

• Moscow;
• Saint Petersburg;
• Kazan;
• Sochi;
• Kaliningrad.

Baggage

The amount of free baggage allowance depends on the fare. In the cheapest one, you can take hand luggage free of charge with dimensions of 55 × 40 × 23 cm and weighing no more than 8 kg + one personal item with dimensions of 30 × 40 × 10 cm.

Vueling

The second largest carrier in Spain, one of the largest low-cost airlines. Vueling serves destinations in Europe, the Western Mediterranean and North Africa.

Russian cities from which Vueling flies

• Moscow.
• Saint Petersburg.

Baggage and hand luggage

Each passenger is entitled to carry one piece of hand luggage, which must not exceed 10 kg in weight and dimensions of 55 × 40 × 20 cm (with the Excellence fare of 14 kg) + personal item with dimensions of 35 × 20 × 20 cm.

Wizz Air

Hungarian low cost airline with airports in Hungary, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Wizz Air planes fly to 44 countries, make flights throughout Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Kazakhstan. It flies directly from Russia to Hungary: to Debrecen and Budapest.

Cities in Russia from which Wizz Air flies

• Moscow.
• Saint Petersburg.

Baggage and hand luggage

Like other low-cost airlines, Wizz Air puts strict restrictions on hand luggage. You can take hand luggage free of charge with dimensions of 55 × 40 × 23 cm and a maximum weight of 10 kg. By purchasing the WIZZ Priority service, you can also take a small bag 40×30×18 cm with you and put it under the seat.

FlyDubai

Airline from the United United Arab Emirates based in International airport Dubai. The low-cost airlines fly across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia.

Russian cities from which Flydubai flies

• Samara.
• Kazan.
• Ekaterinburg.
• Rostov-on-Don.
• Moscow.
• Mineral water.
• Krasnodar.

Baggage

On the "Economy" fare, you can carry hand luggage with dimensions of 55 × 38 × 20 cm and weighing up to 7 kg free of charge. You can also take a small bag with dimensions of 25 × 33 × 20 cm. The total weight of hand luggage is no more than 10 kg.

Air Arabia

The largest low-cost airline in the Middle East with a base airport in Sharjah (UAE). The airline's planes fly to countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

In addition to regular flights, there is the Air Arabia Holidays service: ordering a tour package with a flight and a hotel room at reduced prices.

Russian cities from which Air Arabia flies

Baggage

You can take one piece of hand luggage free of charge with dimensions not exceeding 55 × 40 × 20 cm and weighing not more than 10 kg. It is better to check in your luggage online: you will pay 90% less and you can choose the weight: 20, 30 or 40 kg. Only 20 kg can be checked in at the airport.

Pegasus Airlines

A large low-cost airline, the second largest airline in Turkey. Carries out passenger air transportation across Europe and Turkey.

Russian cities from which Pegasus Airlines flies

• Moscow.
• Mineral water.
• Novosibirsk.
• Krasnodar.

Baggage

You can take hand luggage free of charge with dimensions of 55 × 40 × 20 cm and weighing no more than 8 kg. For more expensive tariffs one piece of luggage up to 20 kg is also provided free of charge.

Smart Wings

Czech low-cost airline with daily flights between Moscow and Prague.

Baggage

At any fare, a passenger is entitled to one free luggage weighing up to 15 kg, one hand luggage measuring 56 × 45 × 25 cm and weighing 8 kg and one small handbag measuring 40 × 30 × 15 cm weighing up to 3 kg.

Low-cost airlines without direct flights from Russia

Norwegian Air Shuttle

Norwegian low-cost airline, one of the largest low-cost airlines with the main airport in Oslo. Norwegian planes fly all over Europe, to countries North Africa, Asia, North and South America.

EasyJet

British low cost airline. It operates domestic and international flights to Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

Ryanair

Irish low-cost airline with a base airport in Dublin, the largest low-cost airline in Europe. Ryanair serves over 1,600 destinations in Europe, flies to Morocco, Israel and Jordan.

Blu-express

Italian low cost airline. Destinations: Greece, Italy, Cape Verde, Mexico, Albania, Cuba, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominican Republic, Kenya, Tanzania.

WOW Air

Low cost airlines from Iceland to Europe, USA, Canada and Israel.

Cebu Pacific

The Philippine low cost airline serves 37 domestic and 27 international destinations in 17 Asian countries.

Condor

The German low-cost airline operates flights to the Mediterranean, Asia, Africa, North America and the Caribbean.

Interjet

Mexican airline. Performs domestic flights and international flights to Latin America, USA and Canada.

gol

The low-cost airline of Brazil performs regular passenger air transportation at the airports of the country and beyond: to the USA, Latin America and Europe.

Mango

South African low cost domestic airline.

Atlasglobal

Turkish airline based in Istanbul.It makes regular and charter passenger flights within the country, as well as to European countries, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Iran, Morocco, Kuwait, Israel, Cyprus.

Sun Country Airlines

Low cost airlineUnited States operating in the field of scheduled and charter passenger transportation in the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and the Caribbean.

flybe

British low cost airlineflights to 85 European airports.

Transavia

Dutch budget airline. Flights from Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven to cities in Austria, Bulgaria, Greece, Egypt, Italy, Spain, Morocco, Portugal, Finland, France, Croatia.

Nok Air

Thailand's low cost carrier with flights domestically, as well as to China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Singapore.

Air India Express

Indian low cost airline headquartered in Mumbai. It operates in the market of passenger transportation from airports in India to the countries of the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Air Asia X

Malaysian low-cost airline, the most popular Asian low-cost airline. Provides passenger transportation throughout Asia, flies to Australia, New Zealand, France and the UK.

Jin Air

Low cost South Korean airline. It operates flights within Korea, to the countries of Northeast and Southeast Asia, to Guam and Hawaii.

Search for cheap flights

With the help of search engines, you can find a suitable flight at a low price.

fly low cost

looking for best price for tickets from low-cost airlines and conventional airlines. In the filters, you can specify the airline, flight duration, number of transfers, luggage. There is a calendar of low prices.

After choosing a ticket, you are redirected to the booking aggregator site.

Low Cost Airlines

Website on English language. There are filters by price, transfers, flight time and airlines.

cheapflights

Search engine with many filters, including payment method, flight duration and provider for booking. Prices are shown next to the options in the filters. For example, if you have chosen a specific airport, you can immediately see how much a flight from others will cost - convenient for those who are primarily interested in price.

When buying a ticket, be sure to check the information about additional services, baggage allowance and allowable dimensions of hand luggage.