A low-cost airline is a company that offers generally low fares in exchange for reducing many of the services traditionally offered to passengers, without in any way compromising the safety of travellers. The general characteristics of low-cost airlines are:
Fly to cheaper, less congested secondary airports and fly early in the morning or late at night to take advantage of lower landing fees; short flights and fast response times, allowing maximum use of the aircraft; direct sale of tickets, especially through the Internet, avoiding the payment of fees and commissions to travel agents and reservation systems; eliminated onboard catering and other ancillary services, replaced by optional paid food and beverages on board.
Since the early 1990s, a number of these airlines have emerged throughout North America as an alternative to the long-established major carriers. The most successful low-cost/charter airlines operating in the United States and Canada are:
ALEGIAN AIR.COM
Serving flights nationwide from Las Vegas, operating major bases at Orlando Sanford International Airport and St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport
ATA AIRLINES
A low-cost airline based in Indianapolis, Indiana, operating scheduled passenger flights in the continental US and Hawaii, as well as commercial charters around the world.
AIRTRAN AIRWAYS
Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, AirTran operates more than 700 daily flights throughout the eastern US and Midwest, including more than 200 daily departures from Atlanta.
WESTERN AMERICAN AIRLINES
It is the second largest low-cost airline in the US, serving approximately 100 destinations in the US, Canada and Mexico. Primary centers are Phoenix, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada
BORDER AIRLINES
Based at the Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado, the airline operates flights in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Its main destinations in the US are west of the Mississippi River.
JETBLUE AIRWAYS
It is one of the main low-cost American airlines, with destinations in the United States (New York-JFK, Long Beach, Oakland, Boston, Orlando, Ft Lauderdale, Washington-Dulles), as well as flights to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, and Mexico City.
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES
America’s largest low-cost airline, with notably large operations out of Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Chicago Midway Airport, Houston Hobby Airport, Las Vegas McCarran Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, Nashville, Oakland and San Diego.
SPIRIT AIRLINES
Serving flights nationwide, as well as destinations in the Caribbean, Bahamas and Mexico.
AIRLINES OF THE COUNTRY OF THE SUN
It uses the nearby Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport as its main hub and operates flights to destinations in the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean.
WEST-JET
A low-cost Canadian airline based in Calgary, Alberta, flying through most major cities in Canada and 11 cities in the United States. WestJet was rated the second best low-cost airline in North America.
