Jaunted

Discount Carriers Go the Distance

10/15/2007 at 10:05 AM
Tags: Low Cost Carriers, LCCs, Discount Airfare, New York Times, Oasis Hong Kong, Virgin America (all tags)

It used to be that discount carriers avoided going the distance and instead stuck to shorter flights and commuter routes. But that's beginning to change. Today more low-cost carriers are getting in on long-haul routes and saving travelers some coin in the process. Oasis Hong Kong, for example, flies nonstop daily between Hong Kong and London for about $230 each way.

And while Oasis may be among the first to fashion a long-haul discount carrier, they certainly won't be the last. AirAsia is developing its own discount spin-off , AirAsia X, which will begin service between Malaysia and Australia on November 2. And we can't forget Virgin America, which started service between the East and West coasts of the U.S. this summer.

So is saving a buck worth the hassle? As far as we can tell, our readers will try anything once. And while the service on one of these LCCs might not be the same, that super-low ticket price might make you feel better.

Related Stories:
· Discounters are in it for the Long Hauls [NYT]
· Low Cost Carriers coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Airtatoo]