Many air travellers used to have the attitude to air travel that it is not about getting from A to B but about prestige and comfort. Then came along the budget airlines and changed everything.
Nowadays, travelling cheaply is considered to be a plus, not just a cheap way out what ordinary people tend to look for, thus damaging ones image in business. Low cost airlines are now performing better than ever before and, even in tough economic conditions, are flying way ahead of the traditional airlines who are suffering as a result.
The world total growth in the airline industry is a mere 1%, yet budget airlines have recently enjoyed a growth of 13%. This proves that the traditional airlines are making almost no progress whatsoever. Travellers, including the world’s richest, are beginning to realize that paying double the amount for a ticket in order to receive a sandwich on board is not in the sensible category.
In the US, the total airline capacity is down by 2%, yet the budget airlines are now doing 4% more business than just one year ago. On a similar note, the previously popular transatlantic route has only experienced a growth of 1%, whereas the regular annual growth tends to be much higher. The reason for this is thought to be that low cost airlines rarely offer this route to Europe and back.
India and the Middle East continue to outperform the whole world in terms of airline revenue. There is an amazing 34% increase in air traffic to and from India, whereas the Middle Eastern countries have a similarly impressive 20% growth rate. EasyJet was voted as the world’s best low cost airline at the recent awards in London.
I agree that the low budget airlines are gaining ground but there will always be a good percentage of people who are still looking for good quality and service on board and they are prepared to pay for it !