11 Reasons To Reconsider Booking Your Next Flight on a Budget Airline

It’s time to start thinking about your summer travel plans, and that means hotel reservations, rental cars, and plane tickets.

To save money on travel, you may be considering a flight on a budget airline like Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, or Spirit Airlines.

But before you book that budget flight on that budget airline, here are some drawbacks that could make you rethink that ticket.

Sure, your plane ticket costs money no matter which airline you use, but a ticket on a budget airline may come with extra monetary baggage — and these hidden fees can add up if you're already feeling some financial stress.

Reserving a seat, checking a bag, and even beverages or snacks on the flight could cost you extra money. And those additional costs could be the difference between sticking close to or busting your budget.

One of the reasons budget airlines can keep costs low is that they may not be paying fees required to fly into a major airport like O’Hare in Chicago or LAX in Los Angeles.

Instead, budget airlines fly into smaller, regional airports that may be less convenient. As a result, you may end up further from your destination and be responsible for extra costs to get to where you want to go, such as a longer cab ride or higher fees for rental cars.

You may think you’ll save some cash by skipping the checked baggage fee and carrying on everything you need for your trip.

But you’re not the only one with this idea, and the airlines know it — and charge fees in kind. 

Make sure you understand each airline's restrictions regarding how big your carry-on can be and how many carry-on bags you can bring with you.

Slots for the most popular times to leave an airport are limited, and bigger airlines with more money usually get the priority slots.

So if you’re using a budget airline, you’ll have to be flexible with when you want to leave and understand that the best time for you may not be the times they have available.

It can be helpful if you’re flying into a major city that might have more than one airport to accommodate the smaller airlines. But getting a seat on a budget flight to a smaller destination can be challenging.

Budget airlines may fly to fewer destinations than bigger airlines or require you to change flights somewhere. By comparison, major airlines offer more direct routes from your home to your destination.

Airlines may give you flexibility once you buy your ticket to make changes. For example, you may have to move your reservation to a different time or date.

Budget airlines often don’t allow passengers much flexibility once their ticket is booked, which means any changes won’t be allowed or will cost you to make them work.

You may have noticed your legroom shrinking on airlines, or you have to pay extra for a separate seat with a little more space. But at least on major airlines, you have some comfort as you fly.

Budget airlines go for the minimum when it comes to the plane's interior to get you from one place to another on a budget. So you may want to consider a different airline if you’re tall and need more room.

Bigger airlines have been bumping up the perks you may have in your seat.

For example, there may be screens on every seat back to watch live television, or you can use in-flight Wi-Fi to avoid roaming charges while flying.

However, don’t expect perks like those on a budget airline.

Seat reservations are great if you want to sit with a group of people or if you prefer a window or aisle seat.

But don’t expect to lock in a seat reservation if you’re on a budget airline, which could be a major issue if you’re traveling with some children. 

If you still decide to go the budget airline route, get to the airport early so you can get on the plane as soon as possible.

You expect a certain level of customer service that you might not be able to get if you take a budget airline instead of a major carrier.

Budget airlines might have a different number of staff members at your check-in gate or may employ fewer workers to track down your luggage if it gets lost somewhere in the system.

Sometimes flights get canceled and you have to rebook your tickets to get home due to weather or mechanical issues.

Getting rebooked on another flight is much easier if you’re on a major carrier with plenty of other routes to get you back home. Unfortunately, it’s difficult with a budget airline, and rebooking a canceled flight may cost you more.

It’s a good idea to create a budget for your next vacation to decide what you need and what you can cut to save money.

Also, remember to use a travel credit card to earn travel rewards for flying. Bonuses and points can add up and save you a lot of cash, boosting your budget.