When you buy a cheap flight with a budget airline – Don’t expect any frills or customer service!

The cost of flying has increased rapidly in recent years, due mainly to rising aviation fuel costs, staff costs, maintenance costs and airport taxes. The price to the traveler has also been affected by natural disasters such as the Icelandic volcano eruption and climate change emission controls. Flight tickets and the costs of getting from A to B can be very expensive if you do not follow certain purchasing guidelines.

Whether you are going on holiday or a regular business traveler, no matter what your destination or reason for travelling, you will want to take advantage of cheap flights. Cheap Flights are in theory great for the pocket, but what are the downsides and hidden costs to purchasing tickets from budget or low cost airlines?

Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of buying cheap airfares is the ability to travel at the exact departure time or your choice or arrive at your destination at a reasonable hour. Most cheaper flights either depart in the very early hours of the morning or arrive at the resort airport in the middle of the night. Not an ideal solution if you are travelling with children or have a business meeting to attend!

Similarly, which day of the week you travel is going to affect the price of your ticket. Fridays, the Weekends and Mondays are the most busiest periods and low-cost flights are difficult to obtain over these periods due to the demand for commuter seats. Cheap budget airline flights can usually only be purchased in off peak periods on days in the middle of the week, which is usually unsuitable for holidays as accommodations are let from one Weekend to the next.

If you plan to travel during any of the holiday periods or when the children are off school, then budget flights are not a option. Nearly all airlines raise their ticket prices during these periods of high demand.

Don’t expect the familiar onboard service of old with Air Hostess attention. Budget Airlines keep their staff to a minimum to reduce costs and consequently on board facilities and service are often poor. Food is not usually included in the price of a cheap air seat and you will pay a premium for an alcoholic drink, sandwich or beverage. Seating space has been reduced in most low cost aircraft and you should prepare for more cramped conditions.

Other downsides to buying a cheap flight ticket are very low baggage weight restrictions. Often on commuter routes this is restricted to one piece of hand luggage. If you wish to put bags in the cargo hold, you will pay a premium.

Make sure that you understand how far the destination airport is from the city before you purchase your ticket. Large cities like London or New York may have many airports serving them, some which can be over 100 kilometres from the city centre. Often the costs of rail transit are as much as the cheap fare so it is worth checking this out before you book!

Although the risk of injury can not be said to be higher for cheaper air tickets, however in certain poorer countries safety concerns have plagued low cost air operators in the past, and it is true to say that large national carriers such as Qantas have a better safety record than some of their smaller neighbours.

Remember if it’s cheap, it’s cheap for a reason! If you are prepared to put yourself out a little bit and be flexible with your travel conditions, then cheap airfares can be a great way to see and experience more of the World!

Whether you are looking for cheap flights to Palma for some sun, or cheap flights to Prague for a stag do, or cheap flights to Belfast for shopping, look around for flight offers and deals on the Internet, and visiting a comparison website will inevitably save you money.