Over the past few decades, several “low cost” airlines have emerged. Attracting travelers with cheap fares to vacation destinations. Unlike legacy carriers, low costs do not focus their travel on the “business” traveler. You’ll never see first class on a low cost because the market for first class just doesn’t exist within these companies. The low-cost carriers in within the United States are Spirit, JetBlue, Frontier, Allegiant, Sun Country, Avelo, Breeze, and Southwest.
One thing to be cautious of when traveling on low cost carriers is extra fees. Many low cost carriers charge low fares, and all you get is a ticket on the plane. Things as simple as booking a seat is often an extra fee on these carriers. Southwest takes it further by not assigning seats at all, rather places in line to get onto an open seating airplane. Southwest makes up for it by being the only low cost carrier that offers two checked bags to all travelers, regardless of fair class booked.
To compare experiences, I have priced out a trip from New York (JFK) to Orlando (MCO) on June 12, 2024. Since time of day affects fare price, we are going to assume first flight of the day. Delta charges $159 for the basic fare, and $194 for the standard fare departing at 7:05am. The difference between Delta’s basic economy and main cabin fares is basically change fees, advanced seat selection, and boarding group position. JetBlue for the flight departing at 6:30am is $104 for Blue Basic and $134 for Blue. It’s important to remember that with Blue Basic, while including the same restrictions as Delta Basic Economy, also does not permit carry-on bags. This means that the only bag you bring onboard has to fit under your seat. Under Blue Basic, JetBlue does not allow carry-on bags at all. If you show up to the gate with a roller bag they will charge you $65 to check your bag. This essentially rules out any benefit of saving with Blue Basic if you intend to bring a roller bag onboard. Even in Basic Economy, Delta still allows a carry-on and personal item to be brought onboard.
Checked baggage fees can also make or break the benefit of a low cost carrier. Unless you have the benefit of flying on Southwest with two free bags per person, baggage fees can ruin the benefit of the fare. JetBlue charges $35-50 for the first bag, Spirit charges $36-91 per bag, Frontier charges $30-50 per bag. Compared to the legacy carriers that charge $35-40 for a checked bag, baggage fees can ruin the cost benefit of saving money on the base fare.
Low cost carriers also modify the onboard experience to save money. Companies like Spirit and Allegiant have reduced legroom (which can be uncomfortable for many adults) and do not recline. This allows more passengers to fit on a plane while keeping cost of outfitting/maintaining the plane low. Inflight service is also limited on many of these airlines. Southwest and JetBlue have maintained a client base because they still offer complimentary inflight service, however this is not common on most other carriers. The image of flying being a comfortable experience is a sacrifice I’ve often made to travel on low cost carriers.
So, is it worth it? My short answer is: it depends. If you are eager to travel somewhere, especially during peak seasons, then these carriers can keep the trip from breaking the wallet. A lot of the time that means packing light and eating before getting to the airport, but they can benefit during peak travel seasons. A lot of the time, traveling with an airline like United or Delta ultimately makes it easier when I can afford it because there isn’t an uncharge for everything. As far as flight availability, legacy carriers tend to be easier to book with because they offer multiple flights per day to most destinations. Many times a low cost carrier will only fly to a destination once a day, if even that. Many low cost flights only operate a few days a week with one flight either early in the morning or late at night, which can be frustrating to book if you’re on any kind of a schedule. The thing to ultimately remember about a low cost carrier is: you get the experience you pay for.