What are the real costs of cheap flights?

Hello friends,

Coming from a country as widespread as Canada, I find that travelling between countries at a time is much easier here in Europe, and if you’re lucky, a lot cheaper too. I personally prefer taking the train, because you get on the train, you get off the train, and you’re in your designated city. No other hurdles to jump over. Additionally, the scenery one sees on the way can be quite beautiful.

On the other hand, if on a tight budget, nothing can beat cheap flights to another country especially if the rate is 0.01 € per flight.

While this is a wonderful sale, I sometimes wonder where the funds are coming from to cover the prices of an individual’s inexpensive flight. Are the cheap airlines skimping on one aspect (e.g. maintenance) to be able to afford the flight sales they offer? They are, for the most part, inheriting older planes and remaking them to fit their own theme. How trusted is the safety of these planes then?

I don’t know the exact details, but I do think that the no-frills flights are terrible for the environment in terms of their carbon emission per flight, per day.

A friend of mine who flew with a cheap airline once told me he felt a tinge of discomfort using a no-frills airline because, he said, “I felt as cheap as the flight.”

Now, I understand that to be a sense of status concern, but I imagine many others share the same sentiment, and I can see where he (they) are coming from.

However, one can’t ignore that these no-frills airlines are successful in their own right. Do you think that this might spell out the end of major airlines?

Personally, I think it depends on what the customer values: Simply getting from Point A to Point B, or a peace of mind when flying thousands of feet above ground. I think that both kinds of flights can strive, as there is a market for both.

What do you think, my international friends? What are the real costs of flying with no-frills? Would you do it, have you done it, and what was the experience like?

Like I mentioned before, I still prefer taking the train.