December 2002--Safer than you think and cheaper than the majors, budget carriers help even passengers who don't fly on them -- because the entry of a budget airline into an airport lowers fares even on bigger carriers there.
(For the purposes of this section, Southwest counts as a budget airline, though it's the biggest of them all. When Southwest enters a city, as it did in Albany, New York, in 2001, fares drop like stones. The average one-way fare from Albany to Baltimore plummeted from $241 in 2000 to $63 in 2001, thanks to Southwest.)
The reaction of the major airlines to competition introduced by budget carriers has been, in the words of one federal judge, "brutal." When a budget carrier comes to an airport, the majors typically flood the airport with even cheaper, unprofitable service -- just long enough to drive the little guy out of business. Then the big airline jacks fares right back up.
Unfortunately for air travelers, that same federal judge gave large airlines a green light to continue this predatory practice by throwing out a case against American Airlines in May 2001. American had managed to drive Vanguard, Sun Jet, and Western Pacific airlines out of its Dallas/Fort Worth hub, and the Clinton Justice Department brought a suit in 1999 to stop the flood-and-smother practice American Airlines had used. The current Justice Department administration is appealing the case.
An appeal can't come too soon for JetBlue, which is now facing similar predatory tactics from American on two New York-California routes. The most successful low-fare airline (other than Southwest) in recent years, JetBlue arrived on the scene with two big aces up its sleeve. The 1999 start-up found a powerful supporter in Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), who helped the airline obtain an entire terminal at New York's JFK Airport. Secondly, its service (with seat-back TVs in coach and flight attendants wearing Hugo Boss designer duds) has won accolades from travelers who are frustrated by the continual comfort cutbacks of major airlines.
What the Budgets Can Do for You
Budget airlines are good for the last-minute traveler who missed a 14- or 21-day cheap fare deadline or who can't afford to stay over a Saturday night. Many are no-frills, but some offer service exceeding the majors U.S. airlines in quality. And the majors -- by cramming in more seats (all except American, that is) and cutting back on food service in recent years -- have made these little upstarts look better.
Smaller airlines also may be your only choice if you're trying to fly one-way. Nearly all offer one-way fares for half the round-trip price -- unlike major airlines, who may charge more for a single leg than for a round-trip. And budget airlines are more accommodating of long or short stays than their more established competition.
At press time, a nonstop flight from New York to the San Francisco area on JetBlue cost a mere $300 with no advance notice. The next-cheapest nonstop cost more than $2,000 (on Continental), and the next-cheapest flight of any variety on a major airline cost $422 (on America West, with a stop in Las Vegas).
What you'll get on a budget carrier varies widely. The basic budget airline offers no food, one class of service (coach only), no frequent-flier program, and somewhat cramped seating. But many airlines are breaking out of this formula. Budget airlines' frequent-flier programs often deliver free round-trips at much lower mileage than large airlines', and Midwest Express and JetBlue have gotten raves for their comfort and service. In the list below, we've noted which carriers give you more than you might expect.
One problem most budget airlines can't overcome is their lack of extra planes and pilots in case something goes wrong. If a United plane has a mechanical problem, the mega-airline can usually whisk in another jet from a nearby city (or even just a nearby gate). The smaller-scale budget airlines don't have that luxury.
A smaller airline may mean a longer delay if problems occur, but in most cases you won't be completely stuck. All domestic airlines listed below except Pan Am and Spirit have interlining agreements that can send you home on another carrier's plane. For the two non-interline carriers, if your plane breaks down you may have to wait for a jet to zip in from another destination -- which could take hours -- or be bused to another airport the carrier serves.
A closer look
Airtran (tel. 800/AIRTRAN) www.airtran.com
Base: Atlanta.
Bonus: Affordable business class service.
Destinations: Akron/Canton, OH; Baltimore; Bloomington, IL; Boston; Buffalo, NY; Chicago (Midway); Dallas/Fort Worth; Dayton, OH; Flint, MI; Fort Lauderdale; Fort Myers, FL; Grand Bahama; Greensboro, NC; Gulfport/Biloxi, MS; Houston (Hobby); Jacksonville, FL; Memphis, TN; Miami; Minneapolis; Moline, IL; Myrtle Beach, SC; New Orleans; New York (La Guardia); Newark, NJ; Newport News, VA; Orlando; Pensacola, FL; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Raleigh/Durham, NC; Savannah, GA; Tallahassee, FL; Tampa, FL; Toledo; Washington, DC (Dulles).
Sample fares: Boston to Atlanta $187; Buffalo to Atlanta $120.
American Trans Air (tel. 800/I-FLY-ATA) www.ata.com
Bases: Chicago, Indianapolis.
Facts: The oldest and one of the most basic of today's smaller carriers, founded in 1981.
Destinations: Aruba; Boston; Cancún; Dallas; Dayton, OH; Denver; Des Moines; Fort Lauderdale; Fort Meyers, FL; Grand Cayman; Grand Rapids, MI; Honolulu; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Madison, WI; Maui; Miami; Milwaukee, WI; Minneapolis; New York City (LaGuardia); Newark, NJ; Orlando; Philadelphia; Phoenix; San Francisco; San Juan, PR; Sarasota, FL; Seattle; South Bend, IN; Springfield, IL; St. Petersburg, FL; Washington, DC (Dulles).
Sample fares: New York to Seattle $283.50; Chicago to Miami $233.
Frontier Airlines (tel. 800/432-1FLY) www.flyfrontier.com
Base: Denver.
Facts: Offers frequent-flier program; Continental and Virgin Atlantic are partners.
Destinations: Albuquerque; Atlanta; Austin, TX; Baltimore; Boston; Chicago (Midway); Dallas/Fort Worth; El Paso, TX; Fort Lauderdale; Houston; Kansas City; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Minneapolis/St. Paul; New Orleans; New York City (LaGuardia); Omaha; Orlando; Phoenix; Portland, OR; Reno, NV; Sacramento, CA; Salt Lake City; San Diego; San Francisco; San Jose; Seattle; Washington, DC (National); also many very small Western cities via partnerships.
Sample fares: Omaha to Denver $272; Kansas City to Albuquerque $115.
Great Plains Airlines (tel. 866-929-8646) www.gpair.com
Base: Tulsa, OK
Facts: All-jet service with leather seats and business-class legroom; frequent flyer program; Krispy Kreme donuts and Subway sandwiches served onboard.
Destinations: Albuquerque, NM; Austin, TX; Colorado Springs, CO; Durango, CO (via codeshare); Nashville, TN; New Orleans, LA: Oklahoma City, OK; Taos, NM (via codeshare)
Sample fares: Nashville to Oklahoma City, $218; Albuquerque to Tulsa, $220.
Jetblue (tel. 800/JET-BLUE) www.jetblue.com
Base: New York (JFK).
Facts: Seat-back satellite TVs, all-leather seats, and new planes.
Destinations: Buffalo, NY; Burlington, VT; Denver; Fort Myers, FL; Fort Lauderdale; Las Vegas, NV; Long Beach, CA; New Orleans; Oakland, CA; Ontario, CA; Orlando; Rochester, NY; Salt Lake City; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Seattle; Syracuse, NY; Tampa; Washington, DC (Dulles); West Palm Beach, FL.
Sample fares: Buffalo to New York City $100; New York City to Oakland $300.
Midway Airlines (tel. 800/44-MIDWAY) www.midwayair.com
Base: Raleigh-Durham, NC.
Facts: Offers frequent-flier program; went bankrupt in 2001 and restarted service after receiving a $10 million federal handout.
Destinations: Boston; Fort Lauderdale; Newark, NJ; New York City (LaGuardia); Orlando; Tampa, FL; Washington (National).
Sample fares: Boston to Raleigh-Durham $107; Orlando to Raleigh-Durham $107.
Midwest Express (tel. 800/452-2022) www.midwestexpress.com
Bases: Milwaukee, WI; Kansas City, MO.
Facts: Award-winning cabin and food service; regularly wins Zagat awards for in-cabin food; frequent-flier program.
Destinations: Appleton, WI; Atlanta; Boston; Dallas/Fort Worth; Denver; Des Moines; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Fort Myers, FL; Hartford, CT; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Madison, WI; New Orleans; New York City (LaGuardia); Newark, NJ; Omaha; Orlando; Philadelphia; Phoenix; San Antonio, TX; San Francisco; Tampa, FL; Washington, DC (Dulles and National); many other locations via partnerships.
Sample fares: Philadelphia to Milwaukee $203; Dallas to Milwaukee $203.
Pan American Airways (tel. 800/FLY-PANAM) www.flypanam.com
Base: Not a hub system.
Facts: No relation to historic, now-defunct Pan Am airline.
Destinations: Allentown, PA; Atlantic City, NJ; Baltimore; Bangor, ME; Gary, IN (Chicago); Portsmouth, NH; San Juan, PR; Sanford, FL; St. Petersburg, FL; White Plains, NY; Worcester, MA; expanding throughout 2002.
Sample fares: Gary to St. Petersburg $249.50; Bangor to Baltimore $198.
Spirit Airlines (tel. 800/772-7117) www.spiritair.com
Base: Detroit, but not really a hub system; mostly flights between the north and Florida.
Destinations: Atlantic City, NJ; Chicago (O'Hare); Denver, CO; Detroit, MI; Fort Lauderdale; Fort Myers, FL; Los Angeles; Myrtle Beach, SC; New York (LaGuardia); Oakland, CA; Orlando; San Juan, PR; Tampa, FL; West Palm Beach, FL.
Sample fares: Detroit to Los Angeles $251.50; Atlantic City to Fort Lauderdale $194.
International Budget Carriers
Budget carriers have exploded across Europe and Canada in recent years, as well. Here's a sample of the foreign airlines most useful to American travelers:
In addition to the carriers listed below, other reliable European budget carriers include EasyJet (www.easyjet.com), Go (www.go-fly.com), and Buzz (www.buzzaway.com), all based in London; and Virgin Express (www.virgin-express.com), a division of Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic, based in Belgium.
Icelandair (tel. 800/223-5500) www.icelandair.com
Facts: Business class service with excellent food; frequent-flier program; free stopovers up to 3 days in Reykjavik.
Routes: Boston, New York (JFK), Baltimore, Minneapolis, and Orlando to Europe via Reykjavik, Iceland.
Sample fares: Boston to London $258; Minneapolis to Paris $444.
LTU (tel. 866/266-5588) www.ltu-airways.com
Facts: First class and food service offered.
Routes: Miami, Fort Myers, Orlando, and Los Angeles to Germany and Switzerland.
Sample fares: Miami to Dusseldorf $399; Los Angeles to Dusseldorf $768 (spring/fall only).
Ryanair (No phone in North America) www.ryanair.com
Facts: Ryanair usually runs some form of absurd sale where many of their flights are $10 or less.
Routes: Many European destinations from hubs at Dublin, London (Stansted), Glasgow, Brussels, and Frankfurt (Hahn).
Sample fares: London to Pisa £69 (US$114); Dublin to London 36€ (US$41).
Westjet (tel. 877/952-4638) www.westjet.ca
Routes: Serves major cities in Canada from Ontario on west, plus Moncton, N.B.; no international routes.
Sample fares: Hamilton to Calgary C$385; Vancouver to Winnipeg C$314.
Safe Little Airlines -- Of the airlines listed here, the following have had no fatal crashes since 1970: ATA, Frontier, JetBlue, Midway, Pan Am, WestJet, Icelandair, LTU, and Ryanair. (Source: airsafe.com)