The budget flights that cost more than ‘pricier’ carriers – how to avoid paying over the odds

BUDGET airlines like Ryanair, Wizz Air and easyJet could end up being more expensive than the likes of British Airways and Jet2.

Consumer watchdog Which? compared the cost of flying with all five airlines on three different routes in April.

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The price analysis compared return fares from airports across London to Malaga, Athens and Naples.

Factors like headline fares and the cost of a cabin bag and a seat reservation were included in the research.

According to the consumer watchdog, budget airlines like Ryanair and Wizz Air often had the cheapest headline fares.

However, both airlines failed to return the best price on any of the routes when the cost of a cabin bag and a seat reservation were added.

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Which? found that adding a cabin bag and a seat reservation accounted for 49 per cent of the total ticket price with Wizz Air, 27 per cent with easyJet and 20 per cent with Ryanair, when averaged across the three routes.

Extra fees with Wizz Air were among the highest in the research, with a cabin bag and a seat reservation costing an additional £89 for a return flight.

On two of the three routes, flying with British Airways proved to be more cost-effective.

For example, on the London to Naples route, British Airways offered the most competitive price, once a cabin bag and seat were included in the overall cost.

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Flights between London and Naples cost £120 with British Airways, which was £65 cheaper than Wizz Air and £12 cheaper than Ryanair.

It was also £72 cheaper than Jet2, which was the most expensive airline on the route.

Basic return flights between London and Malaga with Ryanair cost £232.19, which on the surface was £36 cheaper than British Airways until cabin bags and seat reservations were added.

When these extra costs were added onto the Ryanair route, the price rose to £292, making British Airways cheaper by £25.

On the same route, WizzAir’s basic price was £252, but the price shot up to £364 when a cabin bag and seat reservation were added.

EasyJet had the best price on the London to Malaga route at £257, a saving of more than £100 compared to both Wizz Air and Jet2.

On return flights between London and Athens, Jet2 had the best price.

While Ryanair was initially cheaper, with a headline fare of £158, additional extras saw the cost of a ticket climb to £217, which was £29 more expensive than Jet2.

It was a similar situation for Wizz Air too.

While the airline was initially cheaper than Jet2, with a headline fare of £117, this price rose to £230 when a cabin bag and a seat reservation were added, making Wizz Air's flight £42 more expensive than Jet2.

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: "It’s easy to assume that budget airlines like Ryanair and Wizz Air are always the cheapest option - but if you want to sit next to your kids or take more than a few items of clothes with you then you’ll increasingly find better prices elsewhere. 

"Next time you’re booking a flight, look beyond the headline fare and factor in the cost of extras you need, before you book."

A Wizz Air spokesperson told Sun Online Travel that passengers would be charged £90 was for a return flight to add bags, as it is £45 per cabin bag, per flight, which includes priority boarding.

They added: "As an ultra-low-cost carrier, we allow passengers to choose which services they wish to purchase so that we can offer the most affordable travel opportunities.

"Optional add-ons are not required to fly, and we believe that customers should be offered the choice and flexibility to choose the right products for them."

Sun Online Travel has contacted Ryanair for comment.

Last week, the consumer watchdog also revealed the cheapest destination for a holiday in Europe - with a stunning Greek island swooping in to take the top spot.

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The Sun's travel expert Lisa Minot will be taking part in a Live Q&A with readers at midday on Tuesday (April 23) to answer your holiday dilemmas - ask her anything.

Whatever the travel question - big or small - make sure to send over all your questions to Lisa in the form here, and she'll answer them in the live Q&A.

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