Cheap Flights

NUMBER 1
EasyJet, UK
Based at London Luton Airport but running flights from both Gatwick and Heathrow, EastJet was the first low-budget airline to fly outside of Europe. Operating 387 routes between 104 destinations in Europe and North Africa, it is now listed on the London Stock Exchange as a public company. Booking is easy and completed online, with reference numbers handed out to passengers in place of tickets (a convenient strategy that was copied by dozens of other carriers shortly after). While EasyJet’s cabins are configured in a single class, with unflattering grays and brazen oranges used throughout the crowded aisles, the carrier does stretch to the furthest destinations for the cheapest, and, for the majority, runs flights that depart when they say they’re going to depart. A seat from Gatwick to Morocco can be snagged for little more than $60, for example. Cheap, cheerful and singlehandedly bringing travel to the masses, EasyJet deserves to be our No. 1 budget airline.

NUMBER 2
AirAsia, Malaysia

Founded by dotcom business-brain Tony Fernandes in 2001, AirAsia has singlehandedly unlocked the gateway to Asia. Voted “Airline Of The Year 2007,” its bright red aircrafts now fly to over 48 destinations in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Macau, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, and the Philippines, and is the first carrier in the area allowed to fly domestic routes. With the Kuala Lumpur to Penang route costing no more than $3, it’s hardly surprising that 35 million passengers have already taken to the skies with AirAsia. With no tickets, no seat allocations and no frills, AirAsia has steadily climbed up the low-budget airline ranks to settle nicely into our No. 2 spot.

NUMBER 3
AirArabia, United Arab Emirates
While you don’t automatically associate the United Arab Emirates and its surrounding high-rise cities with a shoestring budget, AirArabia breaks the mold to offer its passengers cheap seats for decent prices. Based in Sharjah, it operates services to 32 places in the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Only 4 years old, the carrier offers visitors to Sharjah International Airport direct access to Dubai, a super-fast check-in process, low congestion, and service with a beautiful smile. Once on board, passengers will enjoy seat pitches of 32 inches -- more legroom than any another economy airline in existence. With plans to set up a secondary base in Rabat, Morocco, AirArabia also plans to move in on the European market in the not-too-distant future.

NUMBER 4
RyanAir, Ireland
Despite being voted traveler’s “least favorite airline” in a 2006 poll by TripAdvisor.com -- largely thanks to its customer service -- Dublin-based carrier RyanAir has proven its critics wrong, becoming Europe’s largest low-cost airline. Operating 516 routes across 26 countries from 25 bases -- and with 50 more planned this coming year -- the airline has expanded at a frightening pace since is inauguration in 1985. Known for itscommitment to continuously low fares and its willingness to challenge established airline policy, RyanAir continues to move onwards and upwards. While its seats are pretty basic, its sheer number of destinations is the allure. And with plans to launch a long-haul route in 2009, RyanAir is convenient and cost-effective.

NUMBER 5
US Airways, USA
The largest low-cost airlines in the United States, US Airways boasts a fleet of 360 aircraft and flies between 240 destinations in North America, Central America, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and Europe. The spacious seats in the carrier’s Economy Class feature personal TVs with movie channels, games and television shows in a number of different languages, overhead monitors every three rows or so and an essential EmPower outlet for charging all those laptops and iPods. What’s more, just because those flying with US Airways are on a budget, it doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy a little in-cabin luxury, should they so choose. As part of the airlines’ Business Class, some planes feature brilliant Envoy Sleeper Seats that unfold to reveal fully flat beds, as well as complimentary gourmet food and a number of on-demand entertainment options. Who needs a private jet?

NUMBER 6
Jetstar, Australia
Named the best low-budget carrier by Skytrax, Jetstar runs dozens of flights within Oz as well as to locations in Asia, such as Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Cambodia, and Malaysia. What’s more, those in need of a little respite from busy city life can hop on a cheap-as-chips flight to Honolulu on the paradise isle of Hawaii. Offering the widest cabin of any single-aisle aircraft in the sky, Jetstar carriers come with the type of leather seats you’d expect to see in the upper-class section of a Virgin Atlantic flight, nifty power points so passengers can plug in their electronic devices, portable video-on-demand units for rent, and a convenient water fountain in the middle of the cabin floor should passengers not want to fork out for expensive in-flight refreshments.

NUMBER 7
WestJet, Canada
Based in Calgary, Alberta, WestJet is Canada’s premier low-cost airline and is one of the world’s fastest growing aviation companies. Flying to most of the main cities in Canada -- including Toronto and Vancouver -- and 11 destinations in the U.S. and Caribbean, WestJet has become a favorite amongst the country’s budget jet-setters. Voted the second-best low-cost airline in North America, passengers aboard a WestJet flight can expect their own personal TVs with 24 channels and satellite radio embedded into the seat in front, plush leather recliners and the best customer service in town. What more could you possibly want as you soar the sky?

NUMBER 8
LIAT, Caribbean
The official low-cost carrier of the Caribbean, LIAT may not be big on luxury, but with low, low prices, we’re prepared to put up and shut up. Based in St. John’s, Antigua, the airline offers scheduled flights to 22 holiday destinations across the Caribbean, including Barbados, the British Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts, and St. Lucia. Featuring propeller-only aircrafts, getting there with LIAT is half the fun as you bounce around the tiny cabin over blue seas and paradise islands. Making the Caribbean a smaller place, LIAT makes hopping from one island to another an affordable reality.  

NUMBER 9
Airberlin, Germany
Germany’s second largest airline after Lufthansa, Airberlin runs a vast network of flights to popular spots in Europe and North Africa, as well as dozens of domestic flights between German cities. Now with 97 destinations, cities such as Barcelona, Budapest, Copenhagen, Milan, Moscow, Paris, Rome, and Vienna are all within reach of its travelers. Boasting one of the youngest fleets in Europe, flights with Airberlin are comfortable, quiet and, as you’d expect from a German airline, on time. What’s more, the engines used are some of the most eco-friendly around, meaning those worried about their carbon footprint can sleep easier, too.

NUMBER 10
Royal Bengal Airlines, India
Having launched in 2006, Royal Bengal Airlines, based in Bangladesh, still has a way to go to provide its low-budget credentials. Nevertheless, it was founded to provide an alternative to the steep ticket prices of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, and looks set to deliver on its promise with a team of British Bangladeshi professionals, businessmen and aviation experts behind it. Initially offering direct flights from London to airports in Sylhet and Dhaka, Royal Bengal Airlines intends to widen its net in the future and serve destinations around Asia. With online booking, reduced check-in waiting times and increased baggage allowance, this carrier already has our vote.

( source : askmen.com )