Fly Cheap In Europe
Finding Discount Airlines
By D.W.

The end of the Cold War brought about many dramatic changes in European culture. Among one of those changes was the great reduction of military forces (the peace dividend) throughout the continent. This demilitarization left plenty of abandoned air force bases littered all over Western Europe.

Fortunately, some smart guys figured out that these air bases could be transformed into airports for discount airlines for servicing transcontinental flights. These airports can be a bit out of the way for a traveler because after all, they are former military installations but they do offer the opportunity for extremely cheap seats.

There are a number of these discount airlines operating throughout Europe with varying choices of destinations and quality of service. I personally flew on Ryan Air, an Irish outfit that operates throughout the continent. I haven’t traveled on any other airlines but I have seen their planes and know of people who did. They all offer about the same type of service and are worth checking out if you want to fly in Europe without paying too much money.

The reason I used Ryan Air was because they flew out of the Frankfurt Hahn Airport, which is actually nowhere near Frankfurt but it was the closest airport to me and the flights were very cheap. The airport is an old U.S. fighter base and the Germans haven’t made much of an effort to renovate it. Air Force veterans stationed in Europe would probably have flashbacks perusing through the drab brown buildings with military markings still on them.

Now how cheap are these discount airlines you ask?

Well, I flew from Hahn to London Stanstead for $5 one time and for $15 another time. I did have to pay $20 for the train to London, but all in all it is still the cheapest method of travel. I also flew to the South of France for about $30 and to Dublin for about $40.

In contrast, I paid $150 to fly to London on Lufthansa the first time I went there and that was at a discount price.

Although the spike in oil prices changed all of that, it is still pretty economical.

The way these discount airlines generally work is that tickets are purchased online with a credit card or at the service desk in the airport. I never bought one through a travel agent and I don’t recall them being sold through travel agents although there are probably ways to get them through such intermediaries. Overall, it is pretty similar to the way Southwest Airlines works and it may even be modeled around it.

The airlines generally sell point to point tickets between certain pre-established routes with no stops or layovers at hubs.

When I flew to Dublin, I had to buy a one way ticket from Frankfurt Hahn to London Stanstead and then another ticket from London to Dublin. It was still a lot less expensive than a direct flight to Dublin even though I spent the night in the airport.

If time and comfort are your priorities, then you’ll have to fork over the cash for a direct flight on regular carrier. Some discount airlines may offer connecting flights and you’ll just have to explore this online.

The price of a particular flight depends on how full it is and how early you purchase it. Generally, when a particular flight becomes open for reservation the price will be ridiculously cheap, like the $5 flights. To get these flights you have to buy it a month in advance or sooner especially if it is a holiday season. Not surprisingly, the closer a flight gets to its departure date and more it full is, thus the more expensive it gets.

I have seen a Ryan Air flight jump in price $30 within ten days because of demand. Incidentally, last minute flights can be about the same cost as a regular carrier. In cases of last minute travel, you might get a better deal for a regular airline through a travel agent. The flight times also have an impact on price along with every other airline in the world, so fly the red eye if you want really cheap rates.

These airlines also have open seating, just like Southwest Airlines and it is generally first come first serve. The seats are all the same and they are not very comfortable but saving money makes the inconvenience worth it. They also do not offer any free snacks except water and peanuts but you can purchase snacks at a ridiculous price if you want them.

Some of the other discount European airlines are Easyjet and BMI which are British companies, but fly to the same places as Ryan Air for about the same prices. The advantage with these companies is that their air crews are generally British or Irish so they all speak English. Another company is 2 Sky Europe. There are a number of other airlines with regional specialties but be wary of the Eastern European and Balkan companies.

And whatever you decide, don’t fly on any Russian owned aircraft for any reason.

If you are planning to use any of these discount airlines, make sure to have your whole transportation plan in place. And remember that most of these airports are in obscure places thus you will require connecting transportation to your final destination. Luckily, this is not generally very hard to arrange as Europe has good public transportation in areas with high population densities. Taxi cabs are also an option but keep in mind that they can easily rip off unsuspecting tourists.

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