Flying

Booking a flight used to be pretty simple. You picked a destination, checked a few schedules, bought a ticket that usually included your luggage and a meal, and headed to the airport. Today, things are very different. Open almost any flight-search or aggregator app and you’re immediately faced with a choice: Do you grab the incredibly cheap fare offered by a budget airline, or pay more upfront for a traditional full-service carrier? Over the years, the rise of low-cost airlines has completely changed the way people travel. Carriers such as Ryanair, EasyJet, Southwest, and AirAsia have made short trips and international travel accessible to millions of passengers. But there’s another side to those low fares. Once baggage, seat selection, airport check-in, and food are added, the final price can look very different from the attractive number you first saw. That’s why the debate over Budget Airlines vs Premium Airlines isn’t simply about choosing the cheapest ticket. It’s about understan...