Essential Tips for Stress-Free Travel on Budget Airlines
Budget airlines totally disrupted the travel industry. And unless you lived under a rock, this can be noticed at every corner of the globe.
From Ryanair to Wizzair to Spirit airlines. This has been a consistent global trend.
But exactly what does that mean for you?
Well people are traveling now more than ever before.
And the best thing is that travel has become so much more affordable than it has ever been.
That said, this new freedom isn’t without its own fair of challenges.
Because the fare has been so greatly reduced, what this means is that comfort is often the price we end up paying.
I often hear so many people complain about said budget airlines. Many believe that it is bait and switch. Except that it doesn’t have to be such a terrible experience.
And that’s why I put together this travel guide to help you have a pleasant experience if you find yourself traveling on a budget airline very soon.
Plan everything ahead of time
This is where people make their very first mistake.
The thing when you are traveling via budget airlines is that you have to be on top of your planning.
Now I am not saying that you need to become paranoid. But these airlines prey on you being forgetful so that they can squeeze every extra dollar from you.
Pay extra attention to your luggage situation
Trust me this is not the time where you want to leave anything to chance.
Make sure to triple check your luggage allowance.
If you went for the cheapest fare, usually that doesn’t include anything.
Are you planning to bring one of those popular rolling cabin bag?
Is it included?
Do not exceed your cary on allowance
After you check what is included in your package, check your weight allowance.
How many KGs are you actually allowed to bring?
This is very important because you also need to make sure that you don’t exceed your allowance.
That’s why I recommend having a scale at home so that you can be 100% certain about where you stand before you even set your foot at the airport. 🤷🏽♀️
Prepare for a smooth time at the security check
Security checks used to be such a major stressor in my life.
But I am so happy that this is no longer the case. Now I make sure to be very intentional about that section of the trip.
I recommend you do the same. This alone can ease up a major stressful part of traveling.
Do not overpack your one bag
This was definitely a main reason why security checks used to be so stressful. I would overpack my main bag ( sometimes a purse or a backpack).
Then obviously, I would get get the full check every single time where they would unpack everything and I would stress out trying to repack my overstuff bag.
The second I started to pack light with plenty of space in my main bag, my travel experience improved ten fold.
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Choose budget airlines Only when you can travel light
This one is a bit of an obvious one.
I recommend choosing budget airlines only when you know you can travel light. If you know you need to check a couple of bags, take the time to compare various fares.
Because what I noticed was that sometimes the price of legacy airlines wouldn’t be significantly different and so much more comfortable.
Be flexible
If you can be flexible on your dates, you can save more.
And also I recommend flying at less busy times. Perhaps in the middle of the week rather than a busy weekend.
And also skirting around the holidays and things like that.
Not only would you avoid the craziest airport rush but also also the plane tend to usually be less busy. It’s not uncommon to have an entire row to yourself.
They often run late
If you need to absolutely be somewhere on a specific time non negotiably on time, perhaps I wouldn’t recommend a extremely budget airlines.
The point is that you will have a much better experience if you can tolerate a certain element of unpredictability.
Ok, I feel like I am being a little bit harsh here.
At this point, I feel it is a mixed bag.
In The post covid travel world, I don’t really feel there is any major difference in budget and legacy airlines when it comes to punctuality.
On both sides of the equation, they can equally run late. so it’s more of a your mileage may vary and proceed at your own risk situation. 🤷🏽♀️
Work on your flight routine
You know the same way that so many of us girlies have a morning and evening routine, I would recommend to also have a flight routine.
For me, after security check, I like to purchase my favorite drinks at the duty free and make sure I have all my favorite items.
Before my sober journey, when I still drank regularly, I used to love purchasing some of those travel champagne size and enjoy it on my flight.
This definitely enhanced my travel experience.
Prioritize direct & short flights
I do believe there is a time and place for budget airlines.
Now in my 30’s, I am getting at the point of my life where I prioritize direct flights.
Younger me wouldn’t bat an eye at a 22hrs journey with ridiculously long delays at airports.
I remember once spending 16 hours at an airport waiting for my next connection flight.
🧐 🤦🏾♀️
And no, I wasn’t traveling from North America to Asia.
It was a simple Montreal to Florida type of situation.
Nowadays, you couldn’t pay me enough money to do something like that. I’d rather stay home than deal with this torture. 😅
Do not forget to check in online prior
The goal is to avoid those ridiculously last minute fees. All while simultaneously avoiding crowds as much as possible. 🤭
I noticed the more I avoid people, the smoother my experience.
Go figure ! 🤷🏽♀️
Download all boarding passes
This goes with the same idea of doing as many things as possible online.
Come ready!
You definitely want to check in and download your boarding pass.
I also like to take a screenshots for those times where wifi isn’t available.
And if you want to be as careful as possible, you could even go as far as printing it. Most airports have wifi.
But when I was coming back from a Cappadocia girl’s trip, the airport from which Wizzair was flying out of did not have wifi at all.
Also check your airports requirements.
I once flew in into Kutaisi’s airport where although being a recent airport, they were not equipped to handle electronic boarding passes. 😒
And everyone was required to have a print out physical copy of their boarding pass.
On the bright side, I’ve only encountered this in less popular up and coming destinations.
Do bring a warm cover or something
Is it just me or I feel like airports and planes in general are as cold as a morgue? 😩
It feels like traveling to the North Pole at times.
And there is nothing worst but being stuck on a flight freezing your butt with little to no warm covers.
And remember, you can’t just expect the airlines to have a massive supply of covers.
We’re not talking about PanAm days here were guests were treated with the utmost care.
In today travel world, many of those airlines try to maximize their plane with as many chairs as possible.
Even if that was something they had on the plane, you would definitely have to pay for it. You even have to pay for water. So just imagine! 😮💨
All this to say that unless you enjoy sub human temperature, make sure to dress warmly and bring a cover with you.
In summary
If you can master these tips , you’ve already won half the fight.
Traveling with budget airlines without letting it be a stressful thing can be a work of art.
But I promise that it is doable. These are my best tips, I’ve gathered from my own personal experience. I truly believe they will improve your own experience.
And most importantly get out there and stay awesome 🫶🏾
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