Easyjet flies on over 500 routes across Europe and North Africa. Founded by Stelios Hajiloannou in 1995, the airline helped revolutionize air travel in Europe and pioneered the use of the Internet for flight bookings. With headquarters in Luton, England, Easyjet has 282 aircraft in 28 countries and is established as the leading low cost carrier out of London Gatwick, Milan and Geneva. Easyjet bookings are via Internet only. Online check-in is available.
easyjet.com
Ryanair offers cheap flights on over 1000 routes covering 150 European destinations. It flies from three London airports and other key European destinations including Brussels, Milan, Frankfurt and Madrid. Sale prices on Ryanair flights can go as low as €7 including taxes, but the airline adds charges for baggage, airport check-in and booking with credit card. All bookings are done online. Best value when flying with Ryanair is obtained if travelling without checked baggage and booking with a pre-paid credit card.
ryanair.com
Wizzair has a strong presence in Eastern and Central Europe. The company base is in Hungary with operating bases in Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Czech Republic. Booking with Wizzair can be done online, on the phone or via travel agent. Accepted payment types are Visa, Mastercard and Switch/Solo debit cards.
wizzair.com
Meridiana fly is an Italian airline founded from the merger of low cost carrier Meridiana and Eurofly. It continues to provide budget domestic flights in Italy and across Europe and North Africa. Business Class flights are offered on longer haul routes. Some of the more interesting destinations with Meridiana include Zanzibar, Mombasa, Mauritius and Chisinau in Moldova. Tickets can be purchased online, at Meridian fly offices or by phone.
meridiana.it
Jet2 is a UK based airline that concentrates on cheap flights to European holiday destinations. Flying from regional UK airports such as Blackpool, Newcastle and Leeds Bradford, Jet2 offers online check-in and pre-flight seat allocation. Bookings can be made by phone, but only online bookings offer access to discounts and promotions.
jet2.com
Vueling is a Spanish budget airline operating across southern Europe. It flies to major cities in Spain, Europe and North Africa. Online booking is the company's preferred method of booking, but telephone bookings can be made for a €10 surcharge. Online check-in is available up to three hours before departure.
vueling.com
