Low cost airlines - Fly to Spain and save your money

Thanks to airplanes and airports, most locations in Spain are nowadays fast and easily accessible from all over Europe. And with the growing popularity of no-frills airlines, your trip to Spain could really turn into a bargain.

It was about ten years ago, when the big airlines recognized that some small competitors with a new concept and stunning low prices brought a new and fresh drive in the market of aviation. A decade later this market has changed drastically, especially in Europe. Average prices for inner European flights have dropped, low cost airlines are carrying more and more passengers and even some of the renowned companies have started to found low cost subsidiaries or are selling tickets to special prices.

As a result of that, city hopping and weekend breaks to other cities and countries have become affordable for everyone and therefore very popular. But also your flight to your holiday in Spain could be really cheap. If you do it right you can buy flights for the whole family for what some years ago you would have got only one ticket for yourself.

But you have to regard some important rules, if you plan to go to Spain with a no-frills airline:

Buy early, pay less
The strategy of these airlines is to sell seats really cheap some months before the flight and then raise the prices continuously when takeoff comes nearer. If you for example in February would have booked a Ryanair return-flight from London Stanstead to Valencia in Spain for July (high-season) you would have paid 101,84 Euro (69,56). But a seat for just the following week (low-season) would have cost you nearly 170 Euro (116,10 GBP). So if you want to fly low cost, remember to book early, at least two to three months before takeoff.

Be flexible on traveling dates
Many times a flight just one day before or after your desired takeoff to Spain can be significantly cheaper. So be prepared to alternate your travel plans a little bit. If it doesn't hurt you, try to get a flight during the week. They normally are much cheaper than weekend-flights.

Look for additional costs
No-frills airlines often offer seats for just 1 Euro or even less. But when you have to pay they charge you like 15 Euro or more. That's because you also have to pay airport taxes, fees and charges. Other airlines have these costs already included in the ticket price. Low cost airlines don't. So be sure to check for these additional costs before booking your flight to Spain.

Be sure of your flight
While booking a low cost flight saves you money, changing it definitely don't. In many cases the fees for changing the name of the passenger are higher than the ticket prices themselves. So be sure to book the right flight for the right person right away.

Watch your luggage
No, you don't have to fear robbing and statistically, no-frills airlines lose fewer luggages than other ones. But what really can make you pay is overweight. While most scheduled airlines normally don't bother if you carry 5 kilos more or less, the low cost ones are rather strict with that. They often allow fewer kilos in your luggage and you easily pay up to 10 Euro for every kilo that is too much. On the other hand you normally are allowed to take more hand-luggage into the cabin.

Arrive early at the airport
Contrary scheduled airlines, no-frills airlines don't wait for their passengers. Their planes take off as soon as possible. Often the check in counter closes like 30-40 minutes before departure. So try to be early if you don't want to see your plane leaving to Spain without you.

If you regard these rules, you surely will enjoy a great flight into the sun and save some money to spend on your marvelous time in Spain.