Your favourite budget airline

[Gazwag]

What about Thomson? Is it alright or another RyanAir type?

I'm going on a Thomson flight later in the year, but have never been on a budget airline before

Thomson isn't a budget airline.

You will be allocated the same seats there and back and have the option (at a cost) to choose you own seats and to purchase a meal (both if booked before hand) .

 

[scooter1]

I used Easyjet and Monarch all the time when i lived in Spain, but most recently(and not on the list) I used Aer Lingus to Malaga out of Gatwick and they were by far the best of the 3. I've never used and would never use Ryan Air, everything about the way they seem to do business bothers me

 

[Goring Gull]

I was going to go for Jet 2 but plumped for Easy jet due to the amount of destinations and the fact that the price you see on the website is the price you pay including taxes.

 

[fork me]

I fly from Cyprus to the UK quite often, and of the budget airlines I've used EasyJet and Thomson.

Thomson - never again, just because of the size of the seats. I'm glad I didn't order the bloody expensive meal, because the seat in front of me was so close I couldn't get the tray down and wouldn;lt have had room to eat it. Not even a bit. Now I know I'm a fat bastard, but I've never had that on any other airline.

EasyJet, you get what you pay for. They're cheap but they get you there, normally. The big problem is that as soon as there's snow in the UK, EasyJet ground more flights than anyone else. I just won't risk them in the winter any more.

Oddly from here, Cyprus Airways and BA are often not much more expensive and sometimes even cheaper than the budgets. By choice I'd always use one of them.

Having said that, I did a bit of a round trip this Christmas.

Paphos->Gatwick with Thomson
Heathrow->Rome (via Milan) with Alitalia
Rome->Prague and back with Smart Wings (A Czech budget airline)
Rome->Larnaca via Athens (Staying two days in Athens) with Aegean

All the flights combined cost less then the cheapest straiight return I could find! Bizarre.

OK Thomson - shit.
Alitalia - Comfortable, but supposed to be a national flag carrier, but more like a budget. The "meal" was one bit of dry bread - I kid you not! Having said that, they flew me to Rome for less than £100, and no extra costs like the budgets add on.
Smart Wings - surprisingly good. The plane was old, very old, and not even painted in their colours yet (it was painted as their parent company "Travel Service"). But comfortable, plenty of legroom and they did provide food (a ham and mustard sandwich wrapped in clingfilm, just like your mother used to do it!).
Aegean - £120 total for seperate flight Rome to Athens, then Athens to Larnaca two days later. Awesome, second best airline I've been on (after Etihad). Loads of room, good food, very nice mousaka on the way to Athens, with bread and dessert. Also as much as you want to drink, all included in the price. I couldn't believe they were so cheap and so good at the same time. My luggage went missing on the way to Athens (the fault of Rome Airport, not Aegean). The airline couldn't be more helpful. Phoned me as soon as they found it and delivered it to my hotel. Also gave me a tracking number so I could keep tabs on the progress online.

 

[fork me]

Thomson isn't a budget airline.

You will be allocated the same seats there and back and have the option (at a cost) to choose you own seats and to purchase a meal (both if booked before hand) .

Thomson are WORSE than budget airlines. Never been so uncomfortable on a flight. And charging extra for a pre-booked meal is a budget thing. On non-budget airlines the meal's included in the ticket price.

 

[philsussex]

Don't know if First Choice still have their airline but that would be my winner.

Between the big schedule type budgets, Easyjet every time. I'd pay extra to avoid Ryanair which is utter gash.

 

[philsussex]

Wizzair has its own anti-fanclub website!

Wizzair Sucks == exposing the nightmare of flying “the Wizzair way”

 

[Beach Hut]

Easyjet, you get what you pay for and have used them leisure and business.

 

[Scotty Mac]

ryanair play fantastic music and of course, the jingle when you land that celebrates another on-time ryanair flight - even when its not on time

 

[ILIKECANDLES]

Easyjet by a mile. I hate ryanair and their attention seeking, tea caddy, 'passengers should be weighed before they fly', tacky slag chairman.

 

[Scotty Mac]

I suppose paying extra for one of their flights saves you £30 in the long run through not having to venture to Thorpe Park or Alton Towers for your next ADRENALINE SURGE. I'm not sure I've been through anything as traumatic as our 'landing' in Edinburgh in my life!

unfortunately i cant comment on that as i slept the whole way through it. easyjet went down a little bit in my estimation with that landing from croatia, although we soon realised why that was after spotting the pilot so i suppose that can be forgiven

im looking forward to experiencing norweigan air in the next few weeks

 

[The Spanish]

unfortunately i cant comment on that as i slept the whole way through it. easyjet went down a little bit in my estimation with that landing from croatia, although we soon realised why that was after spotting the pilot so i suppose that can be forgiven

im looking forward to experiencing norweigan air in the next few weeks

norwegian are good. like a budget airline would be if it was run by erm scandinavians. no hard sell or manic music. you can also pre allocate seats or bag exit rows at a reasonable rate.

the tagging your own luggage thing is a bit mad though and takes a bit of getting used to if you are not that quick on the uptake like myself. i will look on checkin staff with greater respect after my inept and confused fumblings.

 

[philsussex]

Easyjet's onboard drinks prices are much more realistic than Ryanair's too.

I'm surprised Ryanair get repeat business.

 

[Austrian Gull]

Having experienced both, I can't really see why so many people are bigging up Easyjet while slagging off Ryanair. They both have a pay extra to get on first policy which leads to the unseemly race for seats.

Flybe were always good - you could choose your seat at no additional cost.

 

[Dr Q]

Use Jet2 out of Leeds regularly, never had a problem with them.
Then again never had a problem with East Jet or Ryanair either. All pretty much the same.