The Hidden Costs of Cheap Flights

Low-cost carriers often appear first on flight search engines due to their seemingly low prices. However, many additional fees are introduced after booking and calculating the full cost of travel can significantly reduce the price gap between budget and full-service airlines.

Take these two flights from London to Milan:

With the British Airways fare three times more expensive, you might be tempted to accept the inconvenience and fly with Ryanair. So let's try to estimate the full cost of each flight.

Ancillary services

The cost of extra luggage and seat selection can add up quickly, with some carriers charging over $100 for Economy class seat selection alone. In our example, flying Ryanair will incur an extra $10 to select a window seat and $15 for a carry-on bag. British Airways, on the other hand, offers it for free.

Airport transit

Traveling from the center of London to LCY is easily done for £3 with the DLR line, and a subway from LIN to Milan city center costs €2.40. Comparing with Stansted and Bergamo, the cost of airport transit will be around £20 and €10.

Other indirect expenses

Now that budget airlines also serve long-haul routes, additional expenses for meals and drinks also matters. Not to mention the penalties budget airlines can impose at the airport if your luggage is over the limit, or even if you forgot to print your boarding pass. In some case, the accrued miles can also add-up to $30-50 off your ticket with a full-service airline.

Going back to our example:

Everything factored in, the British Airways flight is only $7 more expensive than Ryanair - with up to 2 hours less spent in transit to and from the airport. And with the added comfort and convenience, it's a no-brainer to choose the full-service airline.

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