EasyJet, bmibaby and a number of other airlines should no longer be considered as low-cost carriers (LCCs), according to travel technology provider Sabre Airline Solutions.

A survey of 540 airlines by the company revealed that of the 123 which said they were low-cost carriers, more than half offered services which were more in keeping with traditional airlines, such as codesharing and multiple classes of service.

Murray Smyth, vice president of Sabre Airline Solutions, said: “The LCC segment is one of the most competitive in the airline industry and this has spurred many pure LCCs to explore new ways of evolving their business to remain competitive and sustainable. For many, this has meant adopting some full-service carrier business practices to help grow their passenger base and expand their reach in the marketplace, although they have often added their own twist on how these business practices are implemented.”

The firm says that the airlines adopting several of these practices should now be considered as hybrid rather than low-cost carriers and puts airlines such as easyJet, Germanwings, bmi Baby, Southwest Airlines, Jet Blue and Virgin Blue falling into this category.

Smyth said: “Many of these airlines have evolved into a hybrid carrier in order to make a play for the highly lucrative business traveller, who has a completely different set of needs and shopping behaviours from the leisure traveller that LCCs have traditionally targeted.”

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