Travel Blog Travel Guide - Beginners Guide to Independent Travel

Planning and Preparation

Budget Flights and the Backpacker

A new phenomenon is the budget flight. If you can book in advance and have a plan to go somewhere within the range of a 3 hour flight, you can take advantage of very cheap fares. Booking about 2 months in advance will usually allow you to get the cheapest options, sometimes only paying taxes and getting the flight for free. Takie the example of a British backpacker, who books a budget flight to somewhere in southern Europe and explores, all for the price of a new pair of jeans. How do the budget airlines offer flights at this low cost? Theirs is almost the opposite business model to that of last-minute operators. First, the budget airline offers cheap tickets well before the flight date, getting passengers at low cost to ensure the flight will cover its costs and not lose money; then, as the date of the flight approaches, the fares rise,(this is where the profit comes from, the final seats to be filled will be at the same cost as on a traditional carrier). Additionally budget airlines save costs by having no in-flight entertainment, no meals, and a basic no-frills aircraft. The business model works and in Europe has revolutionized the holiday industry - who needs a meal on a 2hr flight? Take sandwiches if you do.

A list of budget airlines:

Wizzair, German Wings, RyanAir, EasyJet.

One caveat is that often the baggage allowance is low, 15kg is typical, but for the weight conscious backpacker this shouldn't be a problem - your total weight target should be 15kg!

TravelTip! Make sure your day pack is small enough to be taken on as hand luggage, put all your heaviest (densest - small but heavy) items in your day pack, think guidebooks, books, and any electronic equipment. Ensure that nothing that could cause a security problem (sharp items, aerosols etc) is in this pack. On check-in your hand luggage is very rarely weighed, provided it looks sensible. This allows you to minimize the weight of the checked in luggage and avoid any excess baggage charges.


Next: Communication