With cheeky names like Play and Breeze, at least eight new low-cost airlines have entered the market since 2020. Here’s what to consider (potential headaches included) before buying a ticket.
After two years of coronavirus lockdowns and flight bargains, the almost insatiable demand for air travel — as well as high fuel prices — have fares soaring past prepandemic levels.
International airfares this summer from the United States to European cities including London and Barcelona are expected to average more than $1,600 for a round-trip economy ticket, according to the travel management website TripActions. That’s a 23-percent increase compared to around $1,300 during the same period in 2019.
But travelers looking for affordable airfare may notice something intriguing: cheap deals on airlines they’ve likely never heard of. With colorful planes and cheeky single-syllable names like Play and Breeze, at least eight new low-cost airlines have entered the market since 2020. Advertising domestic and international one-way flights for under $200, these carriers are joining more than a dozen low-cost airlines, like easyJet, Frontier Airlines and Southwest Airlines, already operating.
Travelers can save significantly: Summer routes to Reykjavík, Iceland, on full-service airlines, such as United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, have an average price of around $1,140 for a round-trip ticket, according to TripActions data. On ultra-low-cost carrier Icelandair, flights average just $640 round-trip, a saving of 56 percent.
And there’s some flexibility because of the low-cost carriers’ emphasis on selling one-way tickets.
“If you buy a ticket on United, American or Delta overseas, usually you still have to buy a round-trip ticket to get the best deal,” said Brian Sumers, the editor-at-large at Skift, a travel news website. “If one airline is cheaper to Europe, maybe one airline is cheaper on the way back, so don’t think you have to buy a round-trip ticket.”
These low-cost flights, however, can come with a host of complications, such as limited flight availability, sparse customer support and surcharges. The total price to travel may double or even triple if travelers choose to check a bag, select specific seats or purchase food in-flight.
Here are details about some of the new low-budget airlines — and potential headaches — to consider before purchasing a ticket.
Most new airlines focus on U.S. and European routes
The new international routes
Norse Atlantic Airways, headquartered in Norway, is expected to start operations this June. Its limited route network will fly between Oslo and New York, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Los Angeles. One-way tickets from Oslo to Fort Lauderdale start at $149, with six tiers of seat choices and amenities that may or may not include seat fees and in-flight meals.
This spring, the Icelandic airline Play began flying between the United States and Iceland. Service has already started between Baltimore and Boston to Reykjavík, with continued flights to Dublin, Prague and nearly two dozen European cities. Flights to and from New York Stewart International Airport, an hour’s drive from Manhattan in New Windsor, N.Y., are expected to start this month. If you want to check out how much baggage fees or seat assignments might cost — or even pay for your ticket — you’ll need to register for an account with an email address.
Other new international carriers include Zipair, a Tokyo-based airline offering daily nonstop flights to Tokyo from Los Angeles and Honolulu (once daily after July 16). But unlike many other low-cost carriers, Zipair has a separate business class cabin on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet with lie-flat seats. These seats can start as low as $900 one-way, compared to the business-class tickets on established carriers that can easily top $3,000 each way.
And Arajet, a low-cost carrier in the Dominican Republic, plans to begin operations in July with a fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets. With a base in Santo Domingo, the airline expects to serve destinations in the United States, Brazil and Colombia, but a route map has not yet been announced.
New domestic options throughout the country
Avelo Airlines began service last April, with nonstop flights to more than 30 U.S. destinations from hubs in Burbank, Calif., New Haven, Conn., and Orlando. As with many other low-cost carriers, Avelo’s flights are not scheduled daily. Tickets on its newest routes, including Baltimore to Orlando and Burbank to Denver, start at $29 each way.
Breeze Airways, founded by the former chief executive of JetBlue, David Neeleman, began operations in May 2021. The Utah-based airline serves more than 30 U.S. destinations, including airports in Westchester County in New York, Louisville, Ky., and Charleston, S.C., and stresses its “point-to-point” single-route system — instead of the traditional hub-and-spoke model — as a traveler benefit.
In May, the airline also announced that it would begin nonstop service between Jacksonville, Fla., and eight cities, including New Orleans and Las Vegas. Fares start at $49 each way. If you’re accustomed to calling customer service to purchase, change or cancel flights, you’re out of luck; the airline only responds to requests by email, text or through Facebook.
Aha! — which stands for air, hotel and adventure — is a brand operated by the regional airline ExpressJet Airlines. It offers nonstop flights from its Reno, Nev., hub to 10 West Coast destinations, including Palm Springs, Calif., and Spokane, Wash.
‘You’re not going to be as well taken care of’ and other headaches
Cheap flights might be enticing, but before you hit the checkout button, know they do have quirks that might lead to significant financial and logistical headaches.
Limited flights per week
One of the biggest risks of flying a budget carrier, said Mr. Sumers of Skift, is that low-cost airlines typically fly fewer routes, on fewer days, than full-service carriers. And that can become dicey if you miss your flight, must fly specific dates or need to push your travel dates back.
Take Play, which operates a route from Baltimore to Madrid, with service primarily twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays. While the cost of the flight might be cheaper, other carriers like United offer near-daily service between Washington’s Dulles Airport and Madrid throughout the summer months.
The limited offerings can be more than disconcerting if your flight is canceled and confusing, as consumer-protection laws may or may not cover your specific route. First, under U.S. law, airlines have a legal obligation to refund travelers if the airline cancels or significantly changes a flight to, from and within the United States, if the traveler chooses not to fly. According to the Department of Transportation, ultra-low-cost airlines, including foreign carriers flying to and from the United States, are required to follow the rule.
But while some E.U.-based airlines, including low-cost carriers, have policies where they’ll rebook you on another airline if your flight is significantly delayed or canceled, airlines are not required to rebook passengers on the next available flight. Additionally, airlines are not required to put you up in a hotel for a night or offer a meal voucher, though some may.
However, passengers who experience lengthy delays or cancellations on any flight departing from the European Union, or on flights to the E.U. on European carriers from any point of origin, are entitled to compensation that can range between $265 and $639.
Airlines expect travelers to be unfamiliar with their rights and typically won’t inform travelers if their delay is covered under the rule. But some, like Play, do allow travelers to file a complaint for compensation through the airline’s website.
“You have to be flexible when you fly these airlines,” Mr. Sumers said, “because when things go wrong, you’re not going to be as well taken care of.”
Remember, even water may cost you
If you’re used to free perks, even basic things like water or snacks, you could be in for a rude awakening. Travelers should factor in surcharges for certain perks they can’t do without, like seat assignments if they want to sit with family or friends, said Julia Menez, the founder of Geobreeze Travel, a travel website.
Many low-cost airlines — and the new entrants are no exception — unbundle virtually everything to bring costs down, including seat selection and baggage fees. Take Norse Atlantic: The carrier offers four fee tiers for baggage: Carry-on bags might cost $25, and suitcases weighing more than 70 lbs. cost $170 to check.
“Be sure to read the terms and conditions regarding if your flight is cancelable or refundable, in case of any last-minute changes to your plans,” Ms. Menez said in an email. “Even though it may cost a little extra, I prefer to pay for the flexible rate, making getting a refund easier just in case plans change at the last moment.”
But keep in mind that the most flexible rates — tickets where you can change and refund your fare without a fee — may cost substantially more. The cheapest flight on a Norse Atlantic flight from New York to London-Gatwick in August is $120 each way — but it doesn’t include much, just a single bag that fits under your seat and the ability to change your travel dates for $200 plus the difference in fare. In comparison, the most flexible ticket costs $519 each way but includes an onboard bag, carry-on and checked bag — and the ability to change and cancel your ticket without charge.
Even if you’re flying business class on a low-cost carrier, like Zipair, you’ll pay an extra charge for amenity kits with slippers and eye masks (starting at $20) and onboard meals (from $6 for the cheapest option on flights from Honolulu), something you’ll have to carefully consider whether you want to do without on a trans-Pacific flight.
Paying in advance will help: For instance, you’ll pay $40 for a carry-on bag on Avelo flights if you purchase during booking. That price increases to $50 if you’re forced to check your carry-on at the gate. Flying Spirit Airlines and want to print a boarding pass at the check-in counter? That’ll cost you $10 — but you can save money by printing your boarding pass at home, using the mobile app or using a self-serve kiosk.
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