Using Whichbudget.com
 

Has anyone ever used this site to book travel? I am finding lots of really good deals on flights and am worried that once I purchase a ticket, how will I even know if that airline exists? I know that sounds silly, but I am just sooo encouraged by the cheap cost of the flights.

Are you sure you mean Whichbudget.com? That's not a booking site. It's a directory that shows you the budget carriers that fly specific routes, and then it links you to the individual carrier's page. Or do you know something I don't know?

Actually, the whichbudget site redirects you to a site for the specific airline on which you do the booking. And while some of the fares are indeed quite astoundingly low - London to Paris for 5 pounds! - don't forget that there will be a lot of taxes and fees added om before you check out.

Yes, I meant Whichbudget.com.

I should have better stated that when I use their site and then follow the links to the different airlines, I am shocked by the price and wonder about the authenticity of the various airlines.

Sorry, I should have written it more clearly.

Those are all real airlines. Whether one will be flying when you actually need to be on them will depend. For example, easyjet and Ryanair are HUGE airlines that will not fail. But some other listed may be a startup with a few planes.

Also, the prices listed on all those airlines' site do not include tax and fees. A 10 Euro flight will become ~40 when you actually make the the booking.

As an alternative try www.skyscanner.net It's not as comprehensive as www.whichbudget.com but it gives real time prices including taxes & charges for all the low cost airlines that fly a route

Hi B,

Those really low prices are for real - on actual airlines.

((I))

There are a couple of things to bear in mind when using those low-cost airlines, in addition to those already mentioned. For example:

1) As with regular airlines, the very lowest fares are available only for a limited number of tickets. So if you see an amazing fare and don't buy it, it may not still be available later. (Of course, even the more expensive fares on the low-cost airlines are still pretty darn low.)

2) Free baggage allowances, by weight, tend to be very low, and fees for excess baggage are very high. In fact, there's been some move towards charging a fee for any checked baggage, even the lightest. Check the individual airline's website.

3) They don't always use the major airports. For example, "Brussels Charleroi" or "Paris Beauvais" are not only not the major airports for those cities, they're not even near those cities. So be wary if trying to make a connection, or if convenience and travel time (and cost) into a city are crucial to you.

4) If you miss your flight for any reason, you will NOT be accomodated on another flight.

5) If you are connecting, it is more than likely that luggage will not be checked through, even if both flights are on the same airline.

This is not to say that you shouldn't use those airlines. It's just to let you know about some things to be aware of.