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‘Low-cost’ carrier can be more expensive than British Airways on routes checked by Which?, when you add in full cost with cabin bags and seat
High charges for luggage and seat selection mean that Ryanair and other budget airlines may not have the cheapest tickets this summer.
When we compared the price of three April flights from London airports to Malaga, Athens and Naples, Ryanair’s headline fare was cheaper than British Airways and Jet2 every time.
However, when we added a cabin bag and seat selection, British Airways was cheaper on two out of three routes. Jet2 was cheaper than Ryanair on the other route.
Ryanair has repeatedly introduced new extras and fees over the past few years. Its basic fare now only includes a backpack or handbag that fits under the seat in front of you, while parents must pay to sit next to children as young as three years old.
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Ryanair cabin bag costs
On a return flight from London to Malaga, Ryanair’s basic price was £36 cheaper than BA. But when we added a cabin bag to put in the overhead locker – and chose a seat with Ryanair – BA was £25 cheaper.
On a return flight from London to Athens, Ryanair appeared to be £32 cheaper than Jet2. But when we added a bag and a seat, Jet2 was £29 cheaper than Ryanair.
Both British Airways and Jet2 allow you to take cabin luggage to put in the overhead locker for free. They also, usually, seat travel companions together for free, so we didn’t add seat selection to those fares.
Wizz Air charges over £100 for extras
Wizz Air’s extras were even more expensive. Somebody browsing a flight comparison site for a trip to Athens or Naples at Easter might have thought Wizz Air was cheaper than its rivals.
However, just putting a bag in the overhead locker cost a startling £89 for each return trip. Seat selection was also the most expensive we found – £24 for a return booking. Wizz Air and Ryanair are much less likely to seat travel companions together, unless they pay.
It’s a reminder to travellers to always take so-called extras into account when you book a fight.
How British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, Ryanair and Wizz flights compare – once you add cabin luggage
Airline | London to Malaga | London to Athens | London to Naples | Average luggage and seat selection we paid | Average percentage of flights’ cost that was cabin bag and seat selection. |
BA | £268 | £240 | £120 | £0 | 0% |
easyJet | £257 | £189 | £126 | £52 | 27% |
Jet2 | £376 | £188 | £198 | £0 | 0% |
Ryanair | £293 | £217 | £132 | £57 | 20% |
Wizz Air | £364 | £230 | £185 | £113 | 49% |
All flight dates were for the same weekends in April – booking in December – and coming back a week later. We picked destinations to which all five airlines flew to from London airports. For Ryanair and Wizz Air we paid for seat selection as they often separate passengers who don’t pay. For the other airlines over 90% of passengers are typically seated with travel companions without paying, so we didn’t add seat selection to those fares.
Which is the cheapest airline – and the best?
Budget airlines such as easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air may well be the cheapest if you’re just travelling with a bag that fits under your seat.
However, if you want to take enough luggage for a week’s holiday – and be confident that you’ll sit next to your children or travel companion without paying – other airlines can beat them for price.
British Airways’ early morning flights from Gatwick (all three we checked departed before 7am) can have low prices once you take into account its more generous luggage allowance.
When we asked thousands of travellers about their experience of flying, Jet2 – which also includes cabin baggage in the ticket – was the best short-haul carrier. Wizz Air was the worst.
The best airlines for short-haul and long-haul flights
Wizz response
When we contacted Wizz Air for comment at the end of last year, it accepted that its standards had fallen in summer 2022 but told us that it had invested in customer service since then. It said: ‘Our customer satisfaction has improved significantly.’ It also said that the average price for cabin luggage is lower than on the three routes and dates we looked at.
Which is the most punctual and reliable airline?
British Airways flights had a very poor record for punctuality and cancellations when we checked last year.
In the year up to September 2023, BA cancelled 3.3% of its flights less than 24 hours before they were due to depart.
Just as bad, 2.4% of its BA Euroflyer flights – which operate from Gatwick airport – were more than three hours late.
Which are the best and worst airlines for punctuality?
BA response
When we contacted BA at the end of last year, it told us: ‘We always work hard to get our customers to where they need to be on time... Over the last year we experienced several factors outside of our control that had an adverse impact on our customers, such as adverse weather and Air Traffic Control industrial action.’
Which is better – easyJet or Ryanair?
In our snapshot price comparisons, easyJet came out cheaper than Ryanair. That's despite the fact that it has copied its rival’s policy of making you pay for cabin luggage.
You can’t read too much into the results of just three price comparisons, but our annual airlines survey results do show significant differences between the two carriers.
