Money Saving Tips 101: The REAL PRICE of flying with budget airlines

Hi. Everyone! Mr. Minion here.

Since we will be starting on our Japan series of travel reviews soon, I thought it would be relevant to write something that is travel related.

Therefore, today’s topic centers around budget carriers. We all know what budget carriers are – those no-frill airlines that simply aims to provide a way for travelers to move from one place to another at a low price, with little to no focus on comfort and experience.

I will not be giving examples of these budget carriers as it is common knowledge.

As we all know, the main selling point of a budget carrier is its price. However, are budget carriers REALLY cheaper than full-service carriers? Even if they are cheaper, is the price different substantial enough to justify a trade in comfort for savings?

These are some of the questions that you should be asking yourself before booking a flight with a budget carrier.

Based on my experience, flying budget is not always cheaper. It may seem cheap to you at first, but after you take in all the extra costs and consider the REAL PRICE of the ticket, it really isn’t that cheap.

So how do you calculate the real price of a budget flight ticket?

Firstly, you need to remember that price of budget ticket normally DOES NOT include check-in luggage. You will need to pay extra for them. That is easily another $30-$50 spent.

Secondly, there are credit card charges should you choose to pay by credit cards. These charges can easily add another $30-40 (per pax) on your ticket price.

Thirdly, meals are not included when you fly budget. This may not seem like a problem when you are flying for a short distance, maybe to KL or to Bangkok. However, imagine flying to Tokyo from Singapore without food. That will not be fun. Some may argue that one can always eat during the transit. That is true, but it also depends on how long your transit time is. Even if you do have time to eat, remember, you still need to pay for the food and the food at the airport is not cheap.

These are three aspects you need to consider when trying to calculate the real price of a budget flight ticket.

Even after considering all these aspects and you find out that the budget flight ticket is cheaper than a full-service flight ticket, then the next question you need to ask is “how much cheaper?” Is it $20 or $200? If it’s $20 cheaper then what’s the point of taking a budget flight? Just pay that $20 and get a better travel experience!

As a rule of thumb, Mrs. Minion and I only choose to take budget airlines if the real price of the ticket is at least 30% or $50 (whichever is higher) cheaper than that of a full-service airline.

That’s all we have for today.

Till next time then!