Budget airlines like Ryanair and Wizz Air often boast about their low fares, but a new study by consumer group Which? has found that they can actually be more expensive than their rivals when extra costs are added to headline fares.
The study analyzed prices for return flights from London airports to Malaga, Athens, and Naples and found that British Airways had the lowest total price for Naples flights and was the second cheapest for Malaga flights. In contrast, Ryanair and Wizz Air failed to return the lowest price on any occasion when the cost of a cabin bag and seat selection were included.
These extra costs can add up quickly. For example, on a flight from London to Malaga, Ryanair charges £25 for a cabin bag and £12 for seat selection, while Wizz Air charges £15 for a cabin bag and £10 for seat selection. British Airways, on the other hand, includes both a cabin bag and seat selection in the price of the ticket.
As a result, Which? is calling for optional fees for seat selection to be covered by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill, which is currently making its way through parliament. The bill aims to ban unavoidable hidden charges for online consumers, known as “drip pricing.”
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, be sure to look beyond the headline fare and factor in the cost of any extras you need before you book. You may be surprised to find that a budget airline is not always the cheapest option.
