Is there any better feeling than finally getting around to booking flights for your next trip? From the moment you start browsing airport websites, your time away will surely feel closer than ever.
Unfortunately, booking flights is also the one last hurdle to getting you wherever you’re going, and it’s a task that’s easier said than done in this age of choice. As soon as you start searching, you’ll be met with a host of options and one pressing question – which airline is right for your next flight?
It’s a challenging conundrum, and in UK airports alone, you’ll face as many as 13 options spanning from British Airways, to Easyjet and everything in between. You also won’t want to rush this decision, as your choice will impact everything from your travel budget to your in-flight comfort and overall ability to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip.
With all of that in mind, how do you even begin to ensure the right choice? Keep on reading to find out!
Bear Budget in Mind
Budget is always a great place to start with airline deliberations. After all, you’ve already spent a small fortune on your trip itself – there’s every chance that you’re not keen to reenact that spending on your flight. Or maybe cost isn’t an issue, and you’re willing to opt for a more expensive airline if that expense leads to additional comforts.
Either way, considering your options is going to help you start narrowing down a list of eligible airlines. Let’s say, for instance, that you’re keen to cut airline costs. In the UK, famously budget airline options include Easyjet and Ryanair with their basic offerings but undeniably competitive prices.
Alternatively, high-end more luxury UK airlines include British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. In almost every instance, you’ll pay a premium for these options, but you can typically enjoy luxuries for that price including comfortable seating, additional legroom, and inclusions like on-flight meals without unexpected extra costs.
Consider Additional Fees
Budget is one thing but, these days, it’s also important to consider any additional fees you can expect to pay for flight basics. This has become especially the case with UK budget airlines like Easyjet, which have notoriously ranked up their additional fees in recent years. While even these extras probably won’t tip your flight price over that of a more luxurious airline, they can see you paying a lot more than you might expect.
Luggage is by far the most common area of additional fees to consider. As an example, let’s consider baggage fees with Easyjet, where you’ll get just one free hand luggage allowance for a bag of no more than 45 x 36 x 20 cm. Fees for larger hand luggage or checked bags can quickly escalate to as high as £50, with an excess weight fee of £12 per kg. By comparison, anything from an economy ticket up with British Airways includes at least one free checked bag per ticket.
Other extras to be wary of, particularly across budget airlines, might include the need to pay for specific grouped seating, the need to pay for an inflight meal, or the need to pay extra for in-flight entertainment.
Study Airline Essentials
Studying airline essentials like safety and award records is a great way to ensure you’re booking with the airline that’s most likely to suit your needs. Nervous fliers, in particular, may benefit from considering the safety records of each airline. Platforms like Airline Ratings are fantastic for this, as they allow you to easily see the ranked safety ratings of each option.
Luckily, most airlines in the UK have a pretty low fatality rate, but it can still be interesting to note that options like Loganair have experienced significantly fewer accidents (one incident with minor injuries), than the most poorly rated airline, British Airways (five accidents, no fatalities). Do note, however, that statistics like these aren’t always representative, as carriers like British Airways have a far higher flight roster, and are thus inevitably more likely to rank highly even though they’re also entirely safe. It’s also worth noting that British Airways has more broadly been ranked as one of the safest airlines in the world, even if their upfront UK safety rating looks on the lower side. However, if checking these facts puts your mind at ease, it’s definitely a step worth taking.
Safety aside, it can also be useful to consider the awards or accolades of any airlines you’re considering. These serve as a kind of industry recommendation and can be useful to know if you’re torn between close contenders. For instance, both Virgin Atlantic and British Airways were named as one of the top 20 airlines worldwide by Skytrax last year. Equally, TripAdvisor named Jet2 the best UK airline back in 2023 based on considerations including their on-time performance and number of flight cancellations.
Consider Creature Comforts
Comfort is another airline consideration well worth making, especially if you’re spending long periods on that one flight. Unfortunately, comfort is famously hard to come by with budget airlines that tend to have limited legroom (unless you pay extra), and generally small seats. While airlines like Easyjet and Ryanair often come under fire for their lack of comfort, a recent Which survey comparing economy airlines revealed the poorest comfort from providers like TUI. This might be okay for a short-haul flight to Spain, but you’d sure feel it if you’re in that seat for any longer than a couple of hours!
By comparison, British Airways consistently ranks top for in-flight comfort, with wider-than-average seats and legroom that, while not always generous, is certainly better than many budget contenders. In recent years, British Airways has also been praised for its accessibility, which includes seat-belt extenders that ensure comfort for plus-sized passengers. These may seem like small considerations, but they’ll make a huge difference if you’re embarking on a longer flight.
What About In-Flight Entertainment?
No matter how long your flight is, you’ll want something to do for the duration, and these offerings also vary a great deal between airlines. The good news is that most UK flights come complete with some kind of entertainment, but the quality of options does vary a great deal.
Perhaps the main consideration for modern fliers is that of wifi, which is certainly not guaranteed on all UK flights. However, some providers do offer this option, including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. The benefit here is that, with wifi on board, you’re open to pretty much any entertainment of your choosing. The kids can certainly watch their pick of shows on Netflix, and you can choose between spending your flight scrolling your socials, replying to work emails, or making the most of 20 free spins across your favourite online slot games. In short – your entertainment possibilities will be endless, making this a tempting in-flight benefit indeed.
That said, a lack of wifi doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll soon be bored out of your mind. For instance, TUI offers over 400 hours of free film, TV, and audio to passengers, as well as having a dedicated streaming service on selected Boeing 737 aircraft. Even some budget airlines like Easyjet provide generous in-flight entertainment options, including the ability to access flight maps that trace your journey.
However, not all airlines offer entertainment as standard. Ryanair has famously discontinued its entertainment offerings and lacks both in-flight wifi and charging facilities. That said, passengers can still bring their own electronic devices onboard as long as they’re kept in flight mode.
Put Out the Feelers With Other Fliers
There’s one clear indicator that we haven’t spoken about yet – airline reviews. After all, online reviews are probably the first thing you check out when buying a product from a company, so why should your flights be any different?
In reality, the main issue with personal airline reviews is that they tend to paint an inaccurate picture. For instance, a passenger might be incensed to write a terrible review after one bad experience with a delayed flight, despite the fact that this experience, alone, doesn’t mean an airline won’t be a great choice for you.
However, that’s not to say you need to fly blind to public opinion. If you have friends who fly regularly, they could provide some fantastic recommendations in mind for your specific trip or preferences.
It can be especially useful to ask about things like overall costs, as well as general flying experiences to different locations. If you keep getting recommendations for a specific airline, whether that happens to be a luxury or budget choice, then it might be worth giving that option some serious consideration.
Conclusion
Is there any guarantee of choosing the right airline every time? Not exactly, but you can make logical airline choices based on these considerations. Then, over time, you’ll come to have a more reliable idea of which airlines work for your needs and which are your top options for family, private, or work trips in the future.
