Consumer Reports – December 2018

the Philippines. You

also might not be

on a nonstop flight.

Many business-class

cabins have lie-flat

seats, power ports, and

personal entertainment,

but others are less

luxurious. Always check

the website of the

airline you’ll be flying to

research the seat size,

legroom, recline, and

amenities before you

purchase a ticket.

Ed Perkins, con-

sumer advocate at

SmarterTravel and

a former Consumer

Reports travel editor,

says consumers should

beware of discounters

that sell tickets bought

with frequent-flyer

miles. It’s against

airline rules and could

cost you much more if

the airline finds out

and cancels the ticket.

(A ticket that doesn’t

earn mileage credit

might be one tip-off.)

Always pay with

a credit card, check

Better Business Bureau

ratings, and try to stick

to companies that

have been in business

for at least 10 years.

Membership in trade

associations such as

the American Society

of Travel Advisors

and the International

Airlines Travel Agent

Network suggests

legitimacy but does not

guarantee it.

OTHER WAYS TO SAVE

Look for sales and

deep discounts offered

by the airlines. Aer

Lingus, Alitalia, Cathay

Pacific, Virgin Atlantic,

and other carriers

allow coach-class

ticketholders to bid on

upgrades for savings off

the standard premium

fare. La Compagnie,

an all-business-class

carrier, offers fares

ranging from about

$1,700 to $2,500

round-trip from New

York to Paris, which is

well below the going

rate of about $9,000

on Air France. The

trade-off: Its seats are

not fully flat. And low-

cost carriers such as

Norwegian Air have

premium sections on

certain flights that offer

many business-class-

style perks, sometimes

for as little as $ 500

more than a coach seat.

—Barbara Peterson

Are Low-Cost Carriers

Really the Cheapest?

NOW THAT MAJOR airlines are going head-to-head with low-cost

carriers, we wanted to get an idea of which offered the best fares.

We compared the price of a low-cost carrier’s no-frills ticket with a

traditional carrier’s basic-economy ticket, as well as the enhanced-

economy fares of the low-cost and traditional carriers, on three

round-trip routes. Our findings are far from conclusive but suggest

that, on routes where these options are available, traditional airlines

may match or beat the price of a no-frills seat on a low-cost carrier,

while the budget airlines might save you money on a seat with extra

room and other amenities.

ROUTE 1

Los Angeles–

Denver

$281 $210

FRONTIER

BASIC

ECONOMY

DELTA

BASIC

ECONOMY

$353 $388

FRONTIER

ENHANCED

ECONOMY

DELTA

ENHANCED

ECONOMY

ROUTE 3

Chicago–

Fort Myers, Fla.

$234 $250

ALLEGIANT

BASIC

ECONOMY

AMERICAN

BASIC

ECONOMY

$322 $524

ALLEGIANT

ENHANCED

ECONOMY

AMERICAN

ENHANCED

ECONOMY

ROUTE 2

New York–

Dallas

$252 $245

SPIRIT

BASIC

ECONOMY

AMERICAN

BASIC

ECONOMY

$374 $465

SPIRIT

ENHANCED

ECONOMY

AMERICAN

ENHANCED

ECONOMY

Methodology: Enhanced-economy tickets include seat

selection, extra legroom, one carry-on and one checked bag, ticket

changeability, and advance boarding. Additional perks may be included.

Basic-economy ticket comparisons include the cost of a carry-on bag.

We chose the cheapest nonstop base fare and added amenities to it.

Prices are the average of the cost of tickets found Sept. 24, 2018, for trips

scheduled three, six, and 12 weeks ahead (dates on the Chicago-

Fort Myers comparison differed by one day). Flights were round-trip

with a one-week stay. Metro area airports were used when available.

>

>

>

<

<

<

DECEMBER 2018 CR.ORG 31