Are budget airlines really as bad as media states or do you reckon they are emphasizing it a little too much?
Let say Air Asia for example, is it as bad as the media says?
What are your thoughts on this?
Are Budget Airlines Really as Bad as The Media States?
mkar18 on 15/11/2017 - 17:27
Last edited 15/11/2017 - 17:54 by 1 other user
Last edited 15/11/2017 - 17:54 by 1 other user
Comments
Why Is Everyone Typing Like This?!
To Give Everyone A Brain Aneurysm From Reading Text With The First Letter Of Every Word Capitalized For No Apparent Reason
Or it's the visual representation of speaking like Christopher Walken
Lets say for this article… Most of the planes are made by Boeing and Airbus and standards has to be followed for service and i believe the same thing can happen to other airlines too.. but when it comes to Budget Airlines i believe the things are little exaggerated.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-26/aviation-expert-urges-…
This article for example…
I haven't regularly watched "media" in a while so I've no idea how bad the media says budget airlines are.
But in general, budget airlines:
Have less free inclusions (meals, in-flight entertainment, seat selection, luggage, etc all cost more if even available);
Have less comfortable seats/accessories/planes (less legroom, older planes (sometimes only), etc);
More prone to delays and cancellations - and less options when these happen.
But if you only care about getting from A to B at a rough date/time, usually fine.
Budget airlines should continue to be talked about negatively, so we who fly them can continue for a low price (:
Safety wise, budget airlines based in countries with lax regulations or oversight are of concern.
Otherwise, you get what you pay for.I fly Air Asia quiet a lot, no issues really. Have I had delays with them? Absolutely! But I've also had delayed and cancelled flights with Virgin and Qantas too.
I consulted a couple of Mediums about budget airlines and they said they couldn't foresee any problems in their crystal balls. But then they didn't foresee the GFC either. :P
Tell you what, go look at a safety ranking of airlines instead of using Media. You'll see that the ones you should be worried about are the small obscure airlines.
Did they confirm if you had a lucky face?
You just consulted the wrong people, that's all. If you consult my crystal balls I foresee you'll receive a divine message.
Do all your predicktions cum true?
Depends how enthusiastic the consulting is.
I've flown with Jetstar and Tiger a couple of times.
Never had any issues.
Experience with Qantas/Virgin is probably better but if you're flying a budget airline, you'd expect that.
I think budget airlines get a bad rap because of the bogans that are drawn to them. The ones that throw a fit like a 4 year old child if the flight is delayed a bit or if they're asked to pay for excess baggage (even though everything is perfectly spelled out for them).
Let say Air Asia for example, is it as bad as the media says?
yes and no…… Depends on what your expectations are.
If media writes bad about their customer service, food, comfort etc., I am not worried too much.
Safety Aspects is what makes you think a lot.. Are they really as unsafe as media claims..
If media writes bad about their customer service, food, comfort etc., I am not worried too much.
These are all expectation issues. People paying for a cheap ticket, but wanting top-tier service. You get what you pay for. Fly air asia international and you won't be getting lounge access, free food, booze etc. Plane delayed, yeah no free hotel either.
Safety Aspects is what makes you think a lot.. Are they really as unsafe as media claims..
Yes and No again. Depends on where you're talking.
ALL planes that LAND/TAKE OFF in Australia has to meet OUR requirements regardless of pricing level, and yes some of the cheap asian ones might not meet those levels and as such they don't land here.
As for Safety, how often do you hear of planes falling out of the sky?
But that said, just because say air asia or jetstar land here, doesn't mean ALL these planes meet our requirements. For example, jetstar between aus and asia is one company that ticks all the boxes, but then the planes that fly around asia are a DIFFERENT company with a similar name. ie
Jetstar Asia Airways Pte Ltd (operating as Jetstar Asia) is a low-cost airline based in Singapore. It is one of the Asian offshoots of parent Jetstar Airways (Australia), the low-cost subsidiary airline of Australia's Qantas airline.
So does Jetstar Asia Airways meet out requirements. Good question!
I don’t think that any airline that flies in and out of Australia should cause us any concerns.
The unsafe ones are those that fly in less developed countries.
I make a point of avoiding the ones with outside toilets.No. Its the equivalent of driving a 1990's Camry when you could instead be driving an Aldi A3. Both get you from A to B, but the Aldi is more comfortable, more convenient and generally more enjoyable.
That said, I own a travel blog dedicated to budget travel and it is because of LCC's I have explored the world on a fistful of dollars at times. My latest bargain was flying from Melbourne to Singapore for $100, Singapore to Bali a week later for $20 and Bali to Melbourne for $50. I can't get that lucky on Qantas or Virgin but using little tricks, I was able to with Jetstar.
Because of that, I tend to ignore the BS that media reports on them.
When does Aldi have the A3 on special? :)
Got to get in early, prepare to be stampeded as the doors open and people fighting over the specials.
heh - typed it from my phone and it autocorrected lol
How do u get supercheap fare? I never find that low.
I want to go to Singapore.
@theridge:
Watch OzBargain, be prepared to purchase within 10 minutes of the deal being posted and be prepared to fly on any date/time.
Wins for me have been $280RT to Beijing, $250RT Singapore and a few others.
If you want the cheapest, cheapest fare, you need to skip baggage, meals etc. too.
Except that camry is less likely to break down than the A3.
I think in generally people know they are taking a calculated risk when flying a budget airline; at the end of the day you cannot expect the same service / inclusions etc as a full service and full price ticket.
But people will be people, with something goes wrong, like a flight cancellation, people will always complain and make noise
Depends what you mean.
Do budget airlines cut back on services (checked baggage, carry on baggage, meal/drink service, entertainment options, etc., etc.) in order to deliver a budget service? Of course.
Would you prefer to have those things or get a cheaper fare? That's something only each individual can answer based on their own preferences.
Mainly about the negativity being published about the airline safety… That is the concern..
Here's a great educational video on how they work in Europe. Very similar in Australia but to be honest our budget carriers are pretty crap at being budget as they offer so much..
Have flown regularly withe the European budget airlines (Easyjet and Ryanair), Air Asia, Tiger and Jetstar and honestly can't say I've ever had a problem with them. I'd say the delays have been minimal and I definitely think they are worth using to save $$$. I remember whilst living in London a lot of people complained that the budget airlines were always delayed, but when flights were as cheap as £10, I really couldn't understand why they were complaining!
No, the media makes up garbage to sell ads.
I don't read the news so I can't comment on what they say. But I have travelled Air Asia at least 15 times on international and inter state flights. It's perfectly fine.
They're fine until you need to deal with customer service.
You must believe everything the media says……
Bit late but I'll put my 2c in:
I have flown with Air Asia and Jetstar multiple times. They have always got me from A to B safely, with minimal delays. You just need to be prepared for what you're getting yourself into.
As others have mentioned above, customer service does not really have time to deal with your small problems. Flight delayed by an hour and you're complaining because you've got a connecting flight? They don't care, not their problem. Cabin baggage is 10cm over the limit? Too bad, pay $40 to check it in because there are 300 other people on the flight and overhead locker space is not in abundance. Turn up 10 minutes after check in closes? Sucks to be you, buy a ticket on the next flight because they're already boarding this flight and they won't hold a flight and delay all those passengers because you can't be punctual.
You don't pay hundreds of dollars less for no reason, normally there are more passengers because they can fit an extra 3 rows of seats if they reduce everyones leg room by a few cm's. You have to pay for extras like checked-in baggage, meals and entertainment.
My tips are:
1) Don't think you can get away with small things - running late, bigger cabin baggage etc.
2) You will probably not have a fun time on the flight - reduced leg room means you'll probably be cramped, cheap tickets attract families with kids and crying babies and no entertainment means a boring flight.
3) Don't have close connecting flights or an appointment you need to get back for, cause if it all goes to shit then you won't have a paddle.
4) Normally I will only book these flights for short trips - domestic or sometimes short haul international. The price might seem amazing but by the time you add checked baggage and meals for your 7 hour flight, it can come close to the cost of a full service carrier where all this is included.Those are some negatives, but we are talking about this on OzBargain, so if a flight is $300 cheaper with Jetstar than Qantas then save away! Plus, wouldn't you rather spend that $300 on better hotels than wasting it on a 7 hour flight?
have you ever had a good look at tigerair clientele ?
What Does The Media Say In Particular Which You Feel May Be Conflated?
Are There Any Particular Examples?
Budget Airlines Are Budget For A Reason. Reduced Service For Reduced Cost.