Tiger Airways flights were roughly half the cost of other airlines in April. Picture: Tiger Airways. Source: Herald Sun
BUDGET airlines are called budget for a reason. So why do Australians expect so much service? If we don't stop complaining, we're just going to hurt our hip pockets.
The cost of a budget flight is less than that of a taxi to the airport. Less than a bus or a train to the same destination. So why do we expect more from them? Try asking a taxi driver for a free cup of tea. Or getting them to wait for you because you need to finish your coffee in the lounge.
Let's compare some flights on Friday 15 April 2013.
If you want to fly from Melbourne to Adelaide the cheapest flight on Jetstar will cost you $49 ($66 with bags), Tiger will set you back $50 ($65 with bags). On Virgin the cheapest flight costs $112 and on Qantas the cheapest flight is $119.
So budget airlines are roughly half the cost. Half the cost.
Yet we all complain that they don't give us food, they don't allow you to board late and they don't have as nice seats. You get what you pay for.
In fact budget airlines are often cheaper than other forms of travel - forms of travel that we expect much less of.
Let's look at another route - Melbourne to Sydney. A flight on Tiger will cost you $54.95. An interstate train will cost $91.18. A Greyhound bus $101.04. The taxi to Melbourne airport will cost $50.
The cost of a budget flight is close to half that of the bus or the train and almost the same price as the cab to the airport.
If you are late for the train or the bus, it will leave without you. We get that. We don't complain. We don't expect a free meal that is gluten and dairy free vegetarian or someone to carry our bags or even a seat that reclines.
The first report of the Airline Customer Advocate revealed budget airlines are the most complained about by flyers.
So why do we hate budget airlines so much?
CAPA Centre Aviation chairman Peter Harbison says the figures showed two very different aviation markets. People who fly Qantas and Virgin are familiar with flying and they don't complain as much.
"(Jetstar and Tiger) have a whole lot more restrictions because they offer cheaper fares with add-ons and you tend to get more passengers who aren't experienced flyers but still have high expectations," he says.
In other words people who fly budget airlines expect full-service for half the cost and they complain when they don't get it.
The facts are that budget airlines aren't really as bad as we think they are. They arrive and depart on time almost as much as full-service airlines.
In 2012 Qantas had the best overall on time departures at 86 per cent. Tiger and Virgin near tied for second.
On time arrivals are much the same. Qantas arrived on time 84 per cent of the time, Virgin and Tiger both scored just over 80 per cent and Jetstar came in at 76.6 per cent.
Some budget airlines forgo having backup planes on standby to keep prices low. That means when a flight gets cancelled or delayed on a budget airline you will have to wait longer than on a full-service airline. It's a fact. If you want the extra service of a backup plane in case of emergency pay for full service.
According to Singapore Airlines budget offshoot Scoot the cost of running a full-service airline is about 40 per cent higher than that of running a low cost airline.
The cost difference comes from having backup planes and assorted costs associated with food and baggage. Yet passengers are not always willing to pay, so full-service airlines only make a small profit.
Complaining about budget airline service is not just whingeing. It's actually causing higher prices.
Both Scoot and Tiger say if they are forced to include more services the prices will have to go up. The cost difference between full-service airlines and budget carriers will disappear. Anyone else remember when Virgin was considered the budget airline?
Tiger Airways Australia commercial director, Carly Brear says low cost travel enables people to fly when it was never before financially possible for some.
Maybe budget airline travellers need to suck it up and remember they are flying BUDGET. Think of it as the same service level as a train or bus - but cheaper. Turn up on time, don't expect a free feed and if you want more - pay for it.
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