Best Cheap Airlines For 2024 To Book Flights Now

Best Cheap Airlines 2024 for booking
Best Cheap Airlines To Fly With and Save Some Bucks

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A low-cost carrier (also known as a no-frills, discount or budget airline) is an airline that offers generally low fares in exchange for eliminating many traditional passenger services.

Not surprisingly, many travelers are skeptical about some of these budget airlines. Associating rock bottom prices to poor service or safety issues.

However, most of these airline offer a decent product and adhere to the strictest standards. In most cases, they are able to offer lower prices by operating a single aircraft type which minimizes staff training and maintenance costs.

To make up for revenue lost in decreased ticket prices, these airlines may charge extra fees for “extras” like baggage, assigned seats, and meals.

Related Post: Why Avoid Public Phone Charging Stations At Airport

In the last decades, budget airlines have grown vastly across the world. Often becoming larger than the legacy carriers that once dwarfed them in size.

Budget carriers are often part of my travel plans, particularly on short-haul flights. Here’s my breakdown of the ten best budget international airlines. The Best Cheap Airlines To Fly With in 2024.

Have you ever flown with a low-cost carrier? If so, what was your experience? Leave a comment.



Related Posts:

The World’s Top 10 Low-Cost Airlines: Best Cheap Airlines 2024


1. JetBlue:

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JetBlue is the 6th largest airline in the USA, with its main base at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. The Best Cheap Airlines To Fly With.

The company was founded in 1999 by Brazilian-American entrepreneur David Neeleman and based on the success formula of Southwest Airlines.

Although Jetblue tried to distinguish itself by offering a superior inflight entertainment system and more leg room in couch.

Jetblue is now a leading carrier in:

  • Boston,
  • Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood,
  • Los Angeles (Long Beach), Orlando, and
  • San Juan, and

Carries more than 38 million customers a year to over 100 cities in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America with a fleet of Airbus A320 and A321 and Embaer E190 planes.

Much more than a low-cost carrier, JetBlue offers seatback screens at every seat, free brand-name snacks and drinks, free onboard WiFi, live TV and an excellent Business Class product (called ‘Mint’).

Jet Blue can be considered by travelers the best mixture between both worlds (low cost and full-legacy).

They offer affordable prices, while at the same time offering a modern in-flight entertainment system with:

  • Seatback screens in every Seat,
  • Free on-onboard Wi-Fi,
  • Free snacks and drinks under the brand name and
  • For those looking for a more luxurious experience the, re are also the possibility to fly on business class.

Another vital aspect mentioned by many travelers is the legroom in economy class. The airline also focused on smaller aircraft to reach destinations where the competitors such as Southwest and Frontier didn’t have any presence. The airline has not ceased its expansion plans during the pandemic, and it has opened 62 new routes.



2. AirAsia: Best Cheap Airlines 2024


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The airline offers around 160 destinations across Asia, Australia, Middle East, and the US. The Best Cheap Airlines To Fly With.

The airline has won for 11 consecutive years the Skytrax best low-cost airline and for eight years in a row the World Travel Awards as World’s Leading Low-Cost Airline.

One of the most mentioned characteristics is the readable in-flight food.

As AirAsia provides these services at reasonable costs, as-cost carriers charge for drinks, snacks, and meals, Aie modern fleet also provides a sense of safety and comfort to travelers.

The main objective of the airline is to allow those who once believed impossible to fly to reach their dream under their concept #EveryoneCanFlyNow.

AirAsia started as a low-cost carrier with operations in:

  • Malaysia,
  • Indonesia,
  • Thailand,
  • The Philippines and
  • India, and

Has carried more than 600 million guests to over 160 destinations in its network across:

  • Asia,
  • Australia,
  • The Middle East and the US.

The carrier offers simple, cheap air travel at its absolute finest. If you prefer to travel in a bit more comfort, there is an option for premium economy as well.

Recognized for its excellent service, the airline has been named Skytrax World’s Best Low-Cost Airline 11 years in a row from 2009 to 2019 and World Travel Awards World’s Leading Low-Cost Airline for eight consecutive years from 2013 to 2020.

Since 2018, AirAsia has embarked on a transformation journey to become more than just an airline, with the inclusion of hotels, holidays, activities, online shopping and more.



3. Norwegian: Best Cheap Airlines 2024


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The Norwegian story began in 1993 although the airline only started operating as a low-cost carrier with bigger Boeing 737 aircraft in 2002. The Best Cheap Airlines To Fly With.

Norwegian is now the fourth largest low-cost carrier in Europe behind:

  • Wizz Air,
  • EasyJet and
  • Ryanair.

The airline is known for its distinctive livery of white with a red nose, with portraits of high achievers on the tail fins of its aircraft.

Norwegian has also become part of the fabric of Nordic culture and takes great pride in exporting our Nordic values across the world.

It was also the first airline in the world to join the UN Climate Secretariat’s climate action-initiative in 2019, pledging to work systematically to become carbon neutral by 2050.

In the last decade, Norwegian entered the long-haul sector with a fleet of B787 planes serving the:

  • USA,
  • Asia and
  • South America; unfortunately, the carrier had to end these flights due to the pandemic.

The first airline to join the UN Climate Secretariat’s climate action initiative in 2019, with the expectation of becoming carbon neutral in the long run.

The airline is working on its new strategy for the post-pandemic time, focusing on the Nordic market operating to main cities within:

  • Denmark,
  • Finland,
  • Sweden, and
  • Norway.

Before the pandemic, the airline had an excellent reputation within the European market for friendly staff, free Wi-Fi, flexible hand luggage rules, and very creative marketing campaigns.



4. JetStar Airways: Best Cheap Airlines 2024


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This Airways is a low cost carrier and a wholly owned subsidiary of Qantas. The Best Cheap Airlines To Fly With.

Jetstar Airways launched Australian operations in 2004, New Zealand trans-Tasman operations in 2005, and New Zealand domestic operations in 2009.

The carrier also serves short and long-haul overseas destinations. The brand also operates in a Singapore JV (as Jetstar Asia) and a Japanese JV (Jetstar Japan).

Whilst retaining its user-pays model where passengers may purchase food and beverages on board from the Jetstar Café, Jetstar Airways has also introduced products and services that are normally only associated with full-service carriers such as code-sharing, frequent flyer programs and a Business Class offering.

The carrier offers short and long-haul destinations. Offering a hybrid business model such as Eurowings and WestJet by offering a Business Class and Frequent Flyer Program.

During the pandemic, the airline has implemented the concept of flying with all the flex you need to support passengers. Whose travel plans have been affected due to border restrictions by providing multiple options not to lose the booking.

In addition, to inform the passengers about the safety conditions and constantly informing passengers about travel restrictions.

They have set a JetStar COVID-19 Help Hub with a virtual assistant to answer all travelers’ questions regarding their trip and the pandemic.



5. WestJet: Best Cheap Airlines 2024


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Offers the lowest airfare in Canada. The Best Cheap Airlines To Fly With.

It has become the second biggest Canadian airline with an increasing international presence introducing Boeing Dreamliner’s to their fleet, competing directly with the Full Legacy carrier Air Canada.

The airline’s friendly staff is one of its main assets. In addition, they offer complimentary beverages and snacks for flights longer than 4 hours (meals are available for purchase).

And in Long-haul flights, the passengers receive a two-meal service.

In 1996, Clive Beddoe and a team of like-minded partners started the Canadian airline WestJet with three aircraft, five destinations and 220 employees.

22 years later, WestJet has three different aircraft types and fly to more than 100 destinations in:

  • North America,
  • Central America,
  • The Caribbean and
  • Europe.

Over 14,000 WestJet employees are dedicated to flying more than 22 million guests a year, on over 700 flights per day, with a fleet of over 150 aircraft.

Over the past decades, the carrier has established a reputation for flair, humor and community engagement.

WestJet is currently going through a transition phase to becoming a full premium carrier as it has introduced an excellent Business Class hard product on its Boeing 787 routes to London, Dublin and Paris.



6. EasyJet: Best Cheap Airlines 2024


EasyJet: Best Cheap Airlines for booking low cost flights

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Founded in 1995, easyJet is a successful example of a European no frills airline. The Best Cheap Airlines To Fly With.

Headquartered at London Luton Airport, the carrier flies over 1,000 routes in more than 30 countries.

EasyJet focuses on developing strong positions in Europe’s leading airports – flying between airports people want to travel to with optimized frequency.

Its principal competitors at these leading airports are the legacy airlines and charter carriers. EasyJet’s structural cost advantage relative to these airlines allows it to offer passengers more affordable fares.

This cost advantage is created through a combination of factors including aircraft configuration enabling a higher number of seats per aircraft.

Higher load factor and aircraft utilization driven by its point-to-point model; and a younger fleet with lower maintenance costs.

One of the main advantages of EasyJet is its presence in main airports.

Travelers usually fear that they will arrive at a remote airport far away from their actual destination by booking a low-cost airline ticket.

However, this is not the case with EasyJet. Additionally, airlines are becoming more restrictive with baggage policies even on board.

However, in EasyJet, there’s no weight limit even though there are size restrictions.



7. Azul Brazilian Airlines: Best Cheap Airlines 2024


Azul Brazilian Airlines: Best Cheap Airlines

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Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras is a Brazilian carrier based in Sao Paulo, providing affordable air service to markets in South America, Portugal and the USA. The Best Cheap Airlines To Fly With.

The company was named Azul (“Blue” in Portuguese) after a naming contest in 2008, where “Samba” was the other popular name.

Founded in 2008 by Brazilian-born David Neeleman (founder of American low-cost airline JetBlue).

The airline is now the largest low-cost operator in Latin America with a fleet of 123 aircraft and more than 11,000 crew members.

 Onboard service includes:

  • Individual entertainment screens incorporating free live TV at every seat on virtually all Embraer 195 jets,
  • Extensive legroom with a pitch of 30 inches (76 cm) or more,
  • Complimentary beverage and snacks, and
  • Free bus service to key airports.

Latin America has been one of the most impacted regions by the pandemic, including the financial aspect.

Especially Brazil with the new COVID-19 mutation.

However, to incentivize travelers to continue with travel plans and not worry about their finances, they offer a unique business paying model under Uplift’s concept: Travel Now.

Pay Over Time, where travelers can pay for their flights at monthly rates. Of course, these benefits are subject to certain conditions.

However, these payment methods open the window of opportunity for more travelers to retake their plans sooner than expected.

Additionally, the airline is known for its free in-flight entertainment system, ample legroom, complimentary beverages and snacks, and a free bus service to key airports.



8. Southwest Airlines: Best Cheap Airlines 2024


Southwest Airlines: Best Cheap Airlines

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Considered the US’s largest domestic airline and the world’s largest low-cost carrier, it offers a point-to-point, non-stop route network for leisure and business travelers. The Best Cheap Airlines To Fly With.

Like IndiGo and Eurowings, Southwest doesn’t charge fees for flight rebooking, a critical aspect for passengers during COVID-19 times.

Another advantage of Southwest, especially in comparison to all other low-cost airlines, is that the first two checked bags are free of charge. One final characteristic of this airline is punctuality.

Founded more than 50 years ago, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines is the USA’s largest domestic airline and the world’s largest low-cost carrier.

With nearly 60,000 employees, Southwest Airlines offers a robust point-to-point, non-stop route network, with a strong presence in top leisure and business markets.

In the peak travel seasons of 2019, the carrier operated more than 4,000 weekday departures among a network of 101 destinations in the USA and 10 additional countries.

Southwest operates an exclusive fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft. Making it the largest operator of the Boeing 737 worldwide, with over 700 in service, each averaging six flights per day.

Its highly successful business plan was what inspired Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary to grow his airline to what it is today.



9. Eurowings: Best Cheap Airlines


Eurowings: Best Cheap Airlines

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It’s  the low-cost airline of Lufthansa and, as such, part of one of the world’s largest aviation groups. The Best Cheap Airlines To Fly With.

Eurowings (previously known as Germanwings) has a current fleet of 139 aircraft and specializes in low-cost direct flights within Europe.

The German airline currently offers more than 210 destinations in over 60 countries, making it the third-largest European point-to-point carrier.

Prior to the pandemic, the airline flew more than 40 million passengers per year and its workforce grew to around 9,000 employees.

The low-cost airline has 13 locations in Germany as well as in other European countries and is the market leader at six airports.

Eurowings offers:

  • Basic,
  • Smart,
  • Best and business class booking fares,
  • Catering to both business and leisure travelers.

The large number of destinations covered by Eurowings allows the passengers to have a vast network in more than 210 destinations around more than 60 different countries.

The airline has a hybrid model where they can offer from the essential services of a low-cost carrier to the business class services from a full-legacy adjusting the fares to every passenger target need.

Currently, IndiGo focuses on showing reliability to their customers by allowing flight changes free of charge and constantly providing information about their flight schedule in case cancellations occur.



10. IndiGo: Best Cheap Airlines for 2024


IndiGo: Best Cheap Airlines

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IndiGo is India’s largest passenger airline with a market share of 53% as of December, 2020. The Best Cheap Airlines To Fly With.

The carrier primarily operates in India’s domestic air travel market as a low-cost carrier but is also expanding its international destinations (e.g. Bangkok, Dubai, Istanbul, etc …).

The airline has a focus on three pillars: offering low fares, delivering a courteous and hassle-free experience, and being on-time.

Since its launch in August 2006, Indigo has grown from a carrier with one plane to a major airline with a fleet of 284 aircraft.

Indigo is so popular that it placed an mammoth order for 300 Airbus A320neo family jets (one of the biggest ever orders from a single carrier).

This will take IndiGo’s total A320neo family aircraft orders to 730, making it the world’s biggest customer for these planes.

Despite the current situation in India regarding COVID-19, the airline had a market share in India of 53% as of December 2020.

The market focus is domestic, although it covers some international destinations such as:

  • Amsterdam,
  • Paris,
  • Singapore,
  • Dubai,
  • Kuala Lumpur, etc.

The airline offers three main aspects: low fares, hassle-free experience, and punctuality.

We can link the last two pillars to three of the KPIs we mentioned in our previous post, reliability, regularity, and punctuality.

They offer the possibility to do unlimited changes free of charge to their travelers due to the current situation.

Furthermore, the ‘Plan B’ policy allows the passenger to cancel or reschedule without additional cost if the airline modifies the flight.

On the other hand, punctuality remains a crucial aspect for this airline. Which with the appropriate tools, could be tracked by passengers in real-time or through ex-post behavior.




Tigerair: Best Cheap Airlines

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Tigerair Australia is quite popular and offers cheap air tickets to fly within Australia. It does not fly internationally and is best suited for domestic travels.

Tigerair provides value for money and is great for any or all short-haul flights since it only flies domestic in Australia.


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As a sister concern of AirAsia, AirAsia X is quite famous for being one of the top low-cost carriers in the world.

Most of the flight routes taken by AirAsia X are around London, Honolulu and more. However, over the years, the airline has managed to expand and make its presence known in the Indian airline market as well.

Plenty of aircraft under AirAsia X do have one stop in India. Needless to say, the comforts that it carries despite being a low-cost carrier are excellent.




SpiceJet
SpiceJet

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Headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana, SpiceJet is touted to be one of the most famous and sought-after low-cost airlines in India.

In fact, it is regarded as the second-largest airline in India in terms of domestic passengers carried. The brand does have an appeal as many people do resort to it for their travel indulgences.

Not just domestic though, with SpiceJet expanding its wings to accommodate international destinations.

14. RyanAir


Ryanair
A Ryanair Boeing 737-800 aircraft lands at Barcelona’s ‘El Prat’ airport on September 28, 2018.

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Ryanair is actually a low-cost Irish airline that was founded back in 1984. The Best Cheap Airlines To Fly With.

With its headquarters in Dublin, primary flight operations for the airline is shuttling between its operational bases such as Dublin and London.

Ryanair also has a few sister concerns such as Ryanair UK, Malta Air and Buzz which provide cheap airfare with great services.



15. United Airlines: Best Cheap Airlines


United Airlines

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United Airlines is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and is another old airline on this list, being founded in 1926 as well.

It offers a wide variety of domestic flights and provides flights to 48 countries.

This airline came in at 45.1 cents per mile in the study, which means it costs approximately 45 cents per mile.

16. American Airlines


American Air
This June 2, 2021, photo shows an American Airlines aircraft at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane) The Best Cheap Airlines To Fly With.

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With its headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, American Airlines is considered the world’s biggest airline in several categories, including:

  • Fleet size,
  • Passengers, and
  • How many destinations they serve.

It has almost 350 destinations in a coverage area that includes over 50 countries. It’s also one of the oldest airlines, founded in 1926.

With American Airlines you’ll usually pay lower baggage fees than you would with some of the dedicated budget airlines. But the tickets themselves may be a little more expensive.

American Airlines measured in at 41.8 cents per mile in the study.



17. Spirit Airlines: Best Cheap Airlines


Spirit Air
Spirit Airlines

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Spirit Airlines has its headquarters in Florida. Because it is a budget airline, be prepared to pay for any extras, such as food or drinks and even your carry-on luggage. The Best Cheap Airlines To Fly With.

The study showed the cost per mile is only 20.9 cents with this airline.

18. Frontier Airlines


Frontier Air
Frontier Airlines

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With its headquarters in Denver, Colorado, Frontier travels to more than 80 destinations domestically and internationally.

It has had its share of bad press, however, being named in 2015 as one of the top five worst airlines in the U.S.

The study showed this company averaged 22.5 cents per mile using their methodology.



19. Hawaiian Airlines


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Hawaiian Airlines – One Of The Best Cheap Airlines to Book Flights

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Hawaiian Airlines is the biggest airline in Hawaii, providing service to the U.S. mainland, as well as international destinations.

It has partnered with Mastercard to offer the Hawaiian Airlines Bank of Hawaii World Elite Mastercard, a credit card that offers bonus miles and three times the miles on Hawaiian Airlines purchases.

Hawaiian Airlines was only slightly higher than Frontier and Spirit Airlines in the study at 25.7 cents per mile.

20. Allegiant Air: Best Cheap Airlines


Allegiant Air
Allegiant Air

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Allegiant Air is based out of Las Vegas and has recently finished upgrading its fleet. It retired the oldest aircraft it was operating, MD-80 jets, and now uses Airbus A319 and A320 jets.

In the study, this low-cost carrier came in at 32.2 cents per mile.



21. Sun Country Airlines


Sun Country Airlines
Sun Country Airlines

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Sun Country Airlines provides destinations throughout the:

  • United States, as well as spots in
  • Mexico,
  • The Caribbean, and
  • Costa Rica.

It is headquartered in Minnesota and has approximately 70 routes.

At 32.2 cents per mile, Sun Country Airlines rounds out the top five most affordable airlines in the U.S.

22. Alaska Airlines: Best Cheap Airlines


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Based out of Seattle, Alaska Airlines is known for conducting some great limited time sales. It recently had a two-day airfare sale where some tickets could be purchased for only $39.

This airline came in at 33.8 cents per mile in the study. The Best Cheap Airlines To Fly With.




How To Save On Airfare: Best Cheap Airlines


1. Book in Advance

You’ll also want look as far in advance as you possibly can because flights generally get higher in price as the date of the flight approaches. The Best Cheap Airlines To Fly With.

That’s hard to do if you have to book an emergency flight to see your family. But it’s easy to do if you’re taking a vacation.

Talk to your boss, block off your vacation time, decide on a destination, and book that flight as soon as possible.

2. Use a Comparison Website

The first step you’ll want to take to find a cheap, round-trip flight is to stop looking at each airline’s individual website.

You’ll be overlooking some airlines you’ve forgotten about or have possibly never heard of if you look up each one separately.

Instead, you should go to a website that lets you compare multiple airlines at once. That will give you the best indication about which airline routinely offers cheap flights.

3. Fly Out of a Large Airport

If possible, try to fly out of larger cities and airport hubs as well. You’re likely to save if you’re able to fly out of:

  • Boston,
  • New York,
  • San Francisco or
  • any big city as opposed to leaving from a smaller regional airport.

4. Leave on a Weekday

If you can leave during the middle of the week instead of on the weekend. You’ll save money since weekday flights are cheaper than flights on a weekend because they aren’t in demand as much.

You can also look for any discounts, including last-minute price breaks from undersold flights.

But be aware, holding out for a last-minute price break can be risky because you may end up paying a lot more than if you had booked the flight at a much earlier date.

5. Watch Out for Additional Costs

If you are flying with a budget carrier or no-frills airline. Be cautious of additional costs for checked bags and even carry-on bags. These fees are usually separate from the base ticket price and can add up quickly.