Budget airline, NOT really Budget !

I had my first experience flying a budget airline recently. This was for a short trip, a week, to Australia.

I had heard of the discomfort in travelling due to the rigid immobilised seat and the short leg room, for long distance, which proved to be true. Sure enough, I had difficulty in stretching my legs and inclining my chair to a comfortable slant.

However, as I was mentally prepared to expect the "worse" I was not totally disappointed!

I learnt a few lessons from this airline in maximising its space within the small confine of the plane and its ability to make good profit.

The price for the ticket was deemed low but NOT so if the other "incidental" costs were added into the price of the ticket.

The seats "opened" for booking were not well located as they were either far behind into the tail section of the plane or very near to the toilets. To have a "nearer to the front of the plane seats" and slightly away from the toilets, we need to pay for "extra charge".

The budget plane, to my surprise, as I had confessed I had never paid any detail attention to the business model of the budget airline, had a "business class with state-of-the art business class seats" - of course at higher ticket price!

Then, it had a "silent compartment" for another price.

For a seat behind the "silent compartment" with longer leg room or near the emergency door, or other "hot seats", one has to pay an extra "loading rate" as well.

Then there is no free meals. For long distance travel, unless one is on a hunger strike, one has to purchase food from the airline, which is not cheap.

Hmmm... this is not the end, other than the minimal  check-in baggage allowed, one has to buy extra luggage weight!

All adds up ... not cheap ticket ... and then the long distance to walk to the sky bridge to board the plane ... would I travel with a budget airline again for long haul? I have to think again ...

However, if a traveller has no high expectation, and is easily satisfied, the airline ticket, to get you from point A to B, is indeed very economical!

/01-11-2014

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