On November 23, 1995, a start-up airline with a couple of planes with orange
paint jobs launched £29 flights from Luton to Edinburgh and Glasgow. Just
over 12 years later, that price has fallen to £16.99, and EasyJet has grown
to become Britain’s biggest no-frills airline.
In 2008, one in 10 flights leaving Gatwick will be orange and, with the
takeover of the British Airways franchisee GB Airways at the end of March,
EasyJet will stretch the no-frills ordeal to destinations as distant as the
Canary Islands and Egypt. The big question now is whether the company will
make the five-hour slogs to airports such as Tenerife South, Sharm el Sheikh
and Paphos any more bearable than the grim conditions we’ve all learnt to
withstand on shorter no-frills flights.
GB Airways currently operates nine Airbus A320s and six Airbus A321s, with a
BA-standard seat pitch of 31in. EasyJet likes to pack us into a 29in seat
pitch, so cabins will be reconfigured to squeeze in a few more seats when
the airline takes over on March 31.
“The plan is to offer the standard EasyJet product on all flights,” the
carrier says, “although the GB Airways fleet has in-flight entertainment
facilities that we don’t have on our other aircraft, and we’re not sure what
to do about that yet. They may be stripped out, though we’re thinking we
could make more profit by selling in-flight movies instead.” The new order
won’t please travellers who booked flights with GB Airways before EasyJet
announced its takeover. Those departing on flights up to March 31 will still
benefit from full-service airline perks such as free meals and complimentary
bar service, but from April 1 the frills will be stripped away. EasyJet says
that if prebooked passengers don’t like the new conditions, they can claim a
refund.
So, with less legroom, no free drinks and cheese sandwiches on sale at £3 a
throw, are the prices low enough to tempt us to fly as far as Egypt the Easy
way? The introductory fare to Egypt is “from £69.99”, one-way, but finding
it is a fool’s errand. A return flight, leaving Gatwick on April 3 – the
first Thursday after EasyJet takes over GB Airways – and coming back a week
later, costs £457.58, including taxes and one checked bag. Fly from the same
airport on the same day with Excel Airways, which offers an inch more
legroom, and the price is £333, a saving of more than £120.
We scanned the whole year and found the average price of a one-way ticket to
Sharm el Sheikh to be nearly three times the £70 rate, at £199. The average
price of a return across the entire 2008 season turns out to be an even less
frilling £349.
Better fares can be found to Cyprus: an EasyJet return to Paphos from
Manchester on June 4 costs £157.96, and that’s a deal, with the nearest
competitor coming in at £219.98. If you fancy a week in Tenerife in August,
however, you can fly cheaper with Monarch. It has a return, for £223.14,
flying from Gatwick on August 3. The EasyJet fare is £306.96.
So, with the no-frills formula apparently unable to compete with charter
airlines over longer routes, is there any chance of a foray into true
long-haul routes such as America and Asia?
Probably not, because the likes of EasyJet, Ryanair, Wizz Air and Flybe are
happiest on short hops. With turnarounds whittled down to the time it takes
for a cursory clean and to refill the tanks, the aim is to maximise each
aircraft’s earning potential by flying as many trips as possible in any
24-hour period.
“With our new Airbus A320s, destinations like New York and Boston are just in
range,” EasyJet says, “but we can make more money flying to Amsterdam and
back five times a day than by operating a single return flight to New York.”
Cheap long-haul
WE HAVE yet to see a true no-frills carrier revolutionise long-haul air travel
the way the likes of EasyJet and Ryanair transformed the European skies, but
you can still go a long way on the cheap if you know where to look. All
fares are one-way unless otherwise stated.
Far East: Asia has embraced the low-cost revolution, although
conditions on board are often comparable to economy seats on scheduled
airlines. You can fly to Hong Kong tomorrow for £197 with Oasis Hong Kong
Airlines (01293 501152, www.oasishongkong.com)
– that’s £45 less than the cheapest BA fare, with an inch more legroom and
the same full-service benefits, including free food and wine. Oasis also
flies across the Pacific to Vancouver (from £219).
If you are Australia-bound, Jetstar (www.jetstar.com)
flies from Hong Kong to Singapore from £35, then on to Darwin from another
£43. Pricier, but more convenient, is the cut-price carrier Air Asia’s
(www.airasia.com) connection from Singapore to Australia’s Gold Coast
airport; £93.
Australia: as Jetstar is a Qantas subsidiary, you can get the low-cost
long-haul experience right across the country, with sample fares including
Perth to Melbourne for £67. The secret, as with all no-frills airlines, is
to book well in advance. Jetstar’s rival, Virgin Blue (www.virginblue.com),
offers flights from Darwin to Sydney for £105.
Canada and the USA: Zoom Airlines (0870 240 0055, www.flyzoom.com)
is the cheapest way across the pond, with one-way flights from Gatwick to
New York JFK starting at £129, although the astonishingly irritating website
makes it hard to find the cheapest fares.
Zoom also flies to several destinations in Canada, including Vancouver (from
£241), and last month added Fort Lauderdale and San Diego to its schedule,
with fares starting at £399 and £449 respectively from Gatwick or
Manchester. It offers a standard economy-class entertainment and food
service.
Caribbean: although not strictly a no-frills carrier, Excel Airways
often has Ryanair-esque fares for Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, St Kitts, St
Lucia and Tobago. Current deals include returns from Gatwick to Tobago for
£269, St Kitts for £273 and Barbados for £293.
Am I alone in thinking low cost airlines are the curse of this century? Flying should be part of the holiday not an ordeal. I don't want to sleep in a shed at the other end so why should I travel there in one?
Eric , Shrewsbury,
Why oh why does everyone want to save a buck??
This saving mentality drives me nuts...
You choose where you want to go and when within reason you will look for the cheapest but folks are going nuts to get a bargain all the time. Companies need to make a profit so folks can get paid????
Arthur Pendragon, Russell, Canada