Check the price of the assumed low-cost carrier against the prices of traditional carriers. Low-cost carriers should be at least 50 percent cheaper than a regular airline.
Examine the policy for checked baggage. Most airlines in the "no-frills" category charge for each piece of checked luggage and enforce strict rules regarding the size and number of carry-on baggage.
Research the location of the airport. Low-cost carriers, especially in Europe, are known for flying into remote airports that are sometimes over 30 miles from city center and require a bus ride or other form of transportation to get to and from, often at an additional cost.
Check your boarding card at the airport. If you are not assigned a specific seat on the plane, your airline is probably low-cost. These airlines reduce the number of cabin crew by not offering specific services to each passenger and seating passengers on a first-come, first-served basis when boarding begins instead of assigning seats.
