People who travel a lot are, for sure, already familiar with these terms. But what about first-time travelers and those who fly very seldomly? At some point, they are going to come across these, so it’s good to know what they are all about. You may sometimes wonder, is airplane food always free during flights? How much carry-on luggage can people bring with them inside the plane? Well, that depends on what kind of airline you’re flying with. In this case, there are two kinds: full-service or traditional airlines, and low-cost or budget airlines.
So how exactly do these airlines differ from each other?
Based on their names, the most obvious would be their prices and for that, you’d want to fly on a budget airline because who likes expensive flights? But there are factors that you might want to consider other than the price. And here are some to help you decide which to fly with on your future travels.
First up is, of course, the very obvious one – the price. Low-cost airlines can have incredibly cheap prices, which is what appeals to the people. But the main point of having budget airlines is that it has fewer inclusions and benefits compared to traditional airlines. For instance, full-service airlines are a bit pricey because it includes food, luggage allowance, and other amenities like pillows and blankets.
Next is, as mentioned, food. For budget airlines, food is not free. However, passengers may include food as an add-on while booking the flight. But note that those will not be hot meals as it is pre-ordered by the airline. If a passenger does not reserve their food before the flight, all they can buy during the flight are snacks and drinks. While on full-service airlines, food is already included in the package of the flight. For long flights, these airlines provide at least two meals, depending on the duration of the flight. On shorter flights, they usually serve snacks or a meal.
Next is the luggage allowance. For most low-cost airlines, passengers are only allowed to have one carry-on luggage. Check-in luggage is/are considered as an add-on and therefore, would be charged to the overall price of the flight. In traditional airlines, one full-sized carry-on and check-in luggage are allowed.
Another difference would be on the amenities and other extras. Budget airlines do not include blankets, pillows, amenity kits, and airport lounges. Whereas most full-service airlines include amenities and extras.
An amenity kit is given mostly during long flights. It includes eye masks, a pair of socks, earplugs, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and other essential stuff for long flights.
