Budget Airlines New Premium Options Offer Perks For A Price
We are living in times when every penny counts and stretching that dollar is getting harder and harder, especially when it comes to air travel. However, some budget airlines premium options offering perks for a price might be trying to squeeze more of those pennies from you.
My family rarely travels anywhere that we can’t drive in a few hours simply because it’s just out of our budget. If you see me on a plane it’s either for business or a friend gifted me with travel points. So, this recent announcement about budget airlines premium options grabbed my attention.
Budget Airlines Premium Options
And, according to AXIOS, some of the well-known airlines synonymous with the word ‘budget,’ are feeling the pinch of the economy and hoping customers will bite at these new premium upsells. And, I know many travelers who are willing to fork over a little extra cash for added comfort.
We’re talking things like priority boarding, extra legroom, bigger seats, etc. And, that’s really nothing new for regular commercial airlines. However, customers who travel airlines such as Spirit and Southwest are typically willing to experience a little discomfort to get to their destination without shelling out a fortune. So, what are these budget airlines premium options offering?
Southwest Budget Airlines Premium Options
Recently, Southwest announced their plans for ‘premium’ seating, doing away with their long standing tradition of open seating. For decades, Southwest’s model assigned passengers boarding groups and a number that merely referred to a reserved spot within that group.
But, the airline points out that recent research says 80% of customers preferred actual assigned seating. I tend to agree. They indicate customers told them one of the biggest reasons they chose other airlines over Southwest was this factor. Southwest plans to give more information about the changes later this year.
Budget Airlines Premium Options Spirit
Next, one of the budget airlines many people are familiar with is Spirit. This carrier just announced a tiered fare model featuring 4 levels. These include the no-frills options known as ‘Go’ and higher tiered options listed as ‘Go Big.’ Those options offer bigger seats, in flight snacks and priority boarding among other things.
I particularly like the ‘Go Comfy’ option that guarantees a blocked middle seat. ‘Go Savvy’ offers travelers a carry on or checked bag and seat selections.
The tiers will be available for booking August 16 and service on these flights starts August 27.
JetBlue
Another airline associated with saving money is JetBlue. Amid budget airlines premium options being announced recently, JetBlue is possibly mulling over a first class service next year for domestic flights, according to some analysts. Their current ‘Mint’ perk is typically for transcontinental and international trips.
So, bottom line, I feel like you get what you pay for when it comes to most things in life. My opinion is if you’re traveling a short distance and only want to get to your destination without spending a lot, budget is a good option. However, many of these carriers sometimes experience delays and cancellations that might make travel more difficult. So, flexibility is key.
But, no matter what, air travel is always going to be expensive. And, it’s only going to get more expensive, whether you pay up front, or a nickel or a dime here and there later for add ons. The good thing is, you get to choose where and how you spend your hard earned money.
We’ll keep our eye out for more developing news in the airline wars as these budget airlines premium options are rolled out. These budget airlines offer service out of Charlotte currently, However, JetBlue’s final day of service from Charlotte Douglas is October 26.
These Are The Most Popular International Travel Destinations From North Carolina
1. Michigan
Who knew Michigan was such a travel hotspot? The rest of the cities included in NC’s top 5 makes sense to me. This one leaves me scratching my head a little. But AirportParkingReservations says that “Michigan is known for incredible hiking, fishing, and water activities”. Have fun guys I think I’m skipping out on this one at least til I check some other states off of my bucket list first.
