Dec 20th, 2010 at 3:30PM: Every time you pay to check an extra bag you're making someone's life better. The latest data from the U.S. Department of Transportation reveals that the third quarter of 2010 was the most profitable for the U.S. airline industry since the department began keeping score in 2002. The industry's operating profit margin hit 10.5 percent in aggregate. Low-cost carriers, as a class, had an operating ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
lowcostcarrier posts
Airlines have best quarter ever ... thanks baggage fees!
Dec 20th, 2010 at 3:30PM: Every time you pay to check an extra bag you're making someone's life better. The latest data from the U.S. Department of Transportation reveals that the third quarter of 2010 was the most profitable for the U.S. airline industry since the department began keeping score in 2002. The industry's operating profit margin hit 10.5 percent in aggregate. Low-cost carriers, as a class, had an operating ...Inside Virgin America's mid-continent arrival
Dec 6th, 2010 at 5:00PM:
I don't think I actually understood the implications of Virgin America's launch into "fortress-hub" Dallas/Fort Worth until we touched down on the tarmac.
As we taxied to our gate, I could see nothing but a endless row of silver fuselages; all adorned with the iconic blue & red "AA" logo. It felt almost as if we were silently making our way through the front gates of a modern-day Troy. ...If easyJet goes under, you're not screwed
Sep 14th, 2010 at 8:30AM: If easyJet were to go insolvent before you could take a package you've booked online with the company, fear not: you're insured. Since the beginning of the month, the European low-cost carrier has arranged with credit protection company International Passenger Protection to make sure customers don't lose out if the airline as a whole takes a nose dive.
According to Paul Phillips, group ...Flying Wizz Air, European low-cost airline
Sep 13th, 2010 at 10:00AM:
I just flew with Wizz Air, a major budget airline in Europe whose name and stunts I had previously only snickered over. It turns out in addition to offering low fares across Europe, they are also the largest carrier in Hungary (at least according to Wizz, Malev Hungarian would beg to differ) and a major player in Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria. Last week I traveled to Bulgaria (look for some ...JetStar to pack planes with iPads
Jun 2nd, 2010 at 3:00PM: JetStar seems to know that in-flight entertainment is nothing to scream about right now. You watch canned programming from a small screen. Fun. For a low-cost carrier, you'd think that fixing this problem isn't a priority, but it looks like the little guys are coming up with the best ideas. The airline is getting ready to test the iPad as in-flight entertainment. Access is expected to cost A$10 ...Spirit Airlines announces another raunchy marketing stunt
Feb 3rd, 2010 at 8:30AM: Ah, Spirit Airlines - the airline equivalent of a Beavis and Butthead episode.
After annoying their own staff with their "MILF" promotion back in 2007, the marketing minds at this low cost carrier have decided to ignore all the previous criticism, and launched yet another raunchy promo.
Dubbed "MUFF DIVING", the promo promises "Many Unbelievably Fantastic Fares to Diving Destinations". Yeah, ...Megabus to offer 100,000 free tickets
Dec 9th, 2009 at 11:30AM: Budget bus travel might not always be the most comfortable or efficient way to travel, but it is often the cheapest. Thanks to low-cost bus service providers like Megabus, which offers routes in the Midwest and on the East Coast, you can often score tickets for just a few bucks. And with amenities like wi-fi and electric outlets, you may actually survive the bus journey with your sanity.
The ...Gadling brings you the girls of the 2010 VivaAerobus calendar!
Dec 4th, 2009 at 3:00PM:
We've done it again - for the second year, Gadling is bringing you the entire lineup of the VivaAerobus calendar. For those that missed the 2009 version, VivaAerobus is a Mexican low cost carrier that publishes a yearly calendar with some of their most attractive employees. The calendars are sold on their flights, and all proceeds benefit the Mexican pediatric cancer research alliance.
...Iceland Express will offer low-cost flights from Newark to Reykjavik
Nov 4th, 2009 at 2:30PM: I'm kind of obsessed with Iceland. Ask me about the country and get ready to endure my lengthy soliloquy on why I love it so much. It's one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, and I'd feel pretty comfortable saying that even as I travel to more destinations, I'll always consider it so.
Drive a few minutes away from Reykjavik and you'll see mountains topped with snow, former lava ...Is there a Long Tail for travel?
Oct 4th, 2009 at 3:00PM:
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.gadling.com/2009/10/04/is-there-a-long-tail-for-travel/'; tweetmeme_source = 'Gadling';
There's been plenty of discussion about author Chris Anderson's Long Tail theory since it was first proposed in 2004. The theory, which suggests selling niche products can be just as profitable for businesses as the huge blockbusters, has been attracting plenty of attention both ...Hungarian airline stunt too successful
Jun 25th, 2009 at 8:00AM: A crowd pissed all over Wizz Air's attempt to release 1,000 balloons into the sky. The low-cost airline had hoped to celebrate its fifth anniversary, but the Hungarian crowd was drawn to the event by the rumor of freebies hooked to the balloons – coupons worth $49.95 – ultimately ruining it for everybody.
The balloons were held in a net in Budapest. Attendees started to pop balloons ...Ryanair: get in shape, carry your own bags
May 10th, 2009 at 8:00AM: European object of disdain low-cost carrier Ryanair is always looking for ways to save a few bucks. From pay-to-piss to the fat tax, the airline has put forth a stream of ideas that really haven't gotten off the ground. Well, CEO Michael O'Leary has a new one to add to the list: mandatory luggage self-service.
Under this new model, passengers would carry their bags through airport security and ...Say "I do" at 30,000 feet - easyJet wants to get into the wedding business
May 5th, 2009 at 2:30PM: Desperate to generate some extra cash, every airline in the world is scrambling for ways to introduce new money making services. Some have considered paid bathrooms, others are going to double charge fatties. UK low cost carrier easyJet is in the lead at the moment in the creativity top 10. The airline is planning to introduce in-flight weddings on their planes, allowing couples to tie the knot at ...Israel, Mecca ... no difference to British BMI
May 3rd, 2009 at 9:00AM: Passengers headed to Israel on a British BMI flight were alarmed to find their destination was Mecca, according to the in-flight map. The airline, it seems, isn't terribly aware that the Middle East is know for a tiny amount of tension that's lasted for decades (the most recent iteration, at least).
Pick your joke about "wiping Israel off the map" – the Sydney Morning Herald did.
BMI, of ...Porn industry disgusted by flight attendant side job
Mar 23rd, 2009 at 11:30AM: "Look, we all have standards," an adult entertainer familiar with the full- and part-time work of Ryanair flight attendant Edita Schindlerova told The Independent. "I think it's disgusting that she works for Ryanair. All of us here at Biggus Dickus Productions feel really let down by her. If only she had told us she worked for them, maybe we could have done something to help her. Now, she has ...Good news! Ryanair will NOT make you use coins to enter their bathrooms
Mar 6th, 2009 at 11:30AM: We'd forgive you if you accused us of being pro/anti Ryanair (depending on what you read). In the past week we broke the news that the Ryanair CEO was considering introducing coin operated bathrooms on his flights. Then we reported on remarks of a Ryanair spokesperson who claimed the esteemed Ryanair CEO was just screwing with us. Thankfully the official reply is out - Ryanair will NOT be ...Ryanair removes the airport check-in desk
Feb 23rd, 2009 at 4:30PM: By now I'm sure everyone has heard of Ryanair, the cheeky European low cost carrier. Their insanely low fares have turned them into the third largest airline in Europe. Of course, in order to offer low fares, you need to cut a few corners. You won't find any free pretzels on Ryanair. In fact, pretty much anything service related is either non existent, or requires an additional fee. Their latest ...Southwest Airlines announces service to BOSTON
Feb 19th, 2009 at 12:00AM: At long last, Boston has been freed from the grips of legacy carriers. Virgin America just started service to Beantown this month, and tomorrow morning, Southwest Airlines plans to announce that they will be starting flights. Coincidence? Maybe. Great for the everyday passenger? Definitely. Because with Southwest, comes competition, and with their low fares (read: hedge) driving the market, other ...EasyJet survival guide: six simple steps
Feb 10th, 2009 at 3:30PM: The name is seductive: EasyJet. This low-cost airline boasts occasional fares of below €10 (one way) and can get you almost anywhere in Europe. What's not to love? Of course, entering the experience, you know deep down that there has to be some unpleasantness involved, but you accept that as a condition for cheap travel. After all, you're only inconvenienced for a few hours at the most ...Budget Travel: European Spring Break
Feb 10th, 2009 at 11:30AM: Europe. For Spring Break? You must be joking right? Surely in this time of economic crisis and tightened budgets the European continent is out of reach for most, especially for the student traveler looking to save a few bucks on their Spring Break. And that's why we're here to tell you just how remarkably affordable AND easy it is to spend that week off partying it up in Prague, museum-hopping in ...
