Are low cost airways as low cost as they appear?

Reply: Sure and no.

In order that’s very useful, isn’t it?

Right here’s a current expertise.

Pushed barmy by two grounded years I made a decision to go to an airshow in Knoxville, Tennessee, and the Nationwide Air Races in Reno, Nevada.

That begins with a flight into LA which native journey agent Flightcentre organized. That they had a particular take care of Fiji Airways that acquired me from Auckland, New Zealand, to LAX for $1096. One of the best different on-line was round $2100. So, a very good begin.

I then requested them to cost flights from LA to Knoxville and Knoxville to Reno.

$1150 they stated, flying full-service airways like United and Delta.

I’m a lot smarter than that! I can do higher than that! I checked Skyscanner and flying Allegiant, Spirit and Jet Blue by means of Las Vegas I might do it for round $580.

Be careful for the “gotcha”

Oh yeah? You’d suppose a combat-hardened worldwide traveller like me would know to be careful for the “gotcha” fees. Like $50 for those who wished to hold something apart from a small backpack as carry-on baggage. Not checked . . . carry-on. Checked was $70. And that was for those who purchased at reserving time. Add it later and the costs acquired larger, as I found.

In the long run my “low cost” flights value me $1054. I might have been higher to go along with the full-service flights for 100 bucks extra and acquired extra leg room, a meal and a drink.

However worse was to come back.

Doing a roadtrip by means of moonshine nation, I visited the Outdated Smokey Moonshine Distillery in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and purchased a jar of conventional corn moonshine.

Checking in for the flight from Knoxville to Las Vegas the safety man referred to as me apart. Immediately I knew the issue – the jar of moonshine in my backpack. I needed to both go away it behind or put it in a bag that could possibly be checked in.

Somewhat than go away it – a silly determination because it turned out – I elected to place it in my carry-on case and examine it by means of as maintain baggage.

“That will probably be $40, sir”, stated the good man on the check-in counter.

“However I’ve already paid $40 for carry-on baggage”, says I.

“Sure, sir, however to examine it in to the maintain at check-in time is an additional $40”.

In Las Vegas the identical routine. As an alternative of carry-on it had to enter the maintain. On Spirit Airways the extra value was $79.

Given the price of the product, $132, plus $40 plus $79, an all-up value of $251 I might have purchased a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue, a top-of-line scotch whisky.

So, youngsters, low cost isn’t all the time really low cost.

All-in, my “low cost” flights on low cost airways value me $1173, marginally greater than full-service airways.

And the bloody moonshine tastes like an industrial solvent. Johnnie Walker Blue it absolutely isn’t.