A low-cost airline or low-cost Travel/Carrier is safe, cheap flight with low airfares in exchange for reducing many of the traditional passenger services. Low cost airline concept originated in the United States before spreading to Europe in the early 1990s and subsequently to much of the rest of the world. The first successful low-cost carrier was Pacific Southwest Airlines in the United States, which pioneered the concept when their first flight took place on 1949.
General characteristics of Low cost Airlines are:
- Low cost airlines reduce training and servicing costs
- It is meant exclusively for single passenger class
- A simple fare scheme, such as charging one-way tickets half that of round-trips
- Seating arrangement unreserved (encouraging passengers to board early and quickly)
- Flying to cheaper, less congested secondary airport
- Fast turnaround times (allowing maximum utilization of aircraft)
- Early flights to avoid air traffic delays
- No ‘free’ in-flight catering and other ‘complimentary’ services and replaced by optional paid-for in-flight food and drink
- Direct sales of tickets, over the internet avoiding fees and commissions paid to travel agents
- Employees working in multiple roles, for instance flight attendants also cleaning the aircraft or working as gate agents
- A minimum set of optional equipment on the airplane, which excluding modern conveniences such as ACARS, further reducing costs of acquisition and maintenance
- Aggressive fuel hedging programs
A low-cost airline/travel implements all of the above services for your basic needs or affords.
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