Low cost airlines delight with their low prices for flights to anywhere in the world. But does low cost always equal low quality? Let's try to figure out what a low-cost is. This is the name of low-cost airlines that have reduced operating costs for their passengers, which led to a decrease in airfare.
The first company to offer this type of job in passenger air travel was in America. At the moment, there are more than 110 low-cost or discounters in the world that offer their services at a low price.
How does an airline save money?
The biggest misconception is that low cost airlines save on their planes. In most cases, discounters prefer to use carriers with new aircraft, as this is the most significant savings for an airline. Such equipment breaks down very rarely, therefore, the cost of its maintenance or repair is minimal. Savings from low-cost airlines come at the expense of everything that is possible, except for safetytheir passengers.
The peculiarity lies in the fact that they do not have a separation between business and economy class, and this makes it possible to accommodate more seats. In addition, separately paid baggage minimizes the cost of movers. Only hand luggage of a certain size is allowed free of charge.
The described companies always prefer small airports, which are much cheaper to service than large ones. The runway in them is small, which leads to less fuel consumption. And the workload of the airport is minimal, which allows you to quickly take passengers on board without a long wait for permission to take off. The absence of free meals on board the aircraft reduces the cost of cleaning the cabin after the flight.
Aircraft Fleet
There are many discounters, but we will focus on the Turkish airline Pegasus. Its main base is located near Istanbul. The company with a 28-year history has earned the trust of passengers, thanks to a reasonable ratio between price and quality in the field of passenger air transportation.
Currently, there are 66 active aircraft in the Pegasus airline's fleet. The majority consists of Boeing 737-800s (there are 55 units) and Airbus A320s (24 units). Since 2018, a decision has been made to purchase 50 Airbus A320 neo units. This updated and more fuel efficient version of the previous generation of European Airbus aircraft will replace 50 existing Boeing 737-800s.
Airline destinations
Pegasus is a low-cost company that operates flights to more than 40 countries and 110 active destinations. The resumption of work in the Russian Federation since 2016 allows flights from Moscow (Domodedovo Airport) to Russian cities and abroad. Pegasus Airlines' most popular destination is Moscow - Tbilisi. In second place is the flight Moscow - Istanbul. Flights to the capital of Turkey are also made from Omsk, Mineralnye Vody and Krasnodar. The third most popular flight: Moscow - Krasnodar.
Baggage allowance
Like all discounters, the Pegasus airline forces you to pay for luggage separately. Passengers in the reviews recommend packing it as compactly as possible and providing it as hand luggage, which is carried free of charge.
Hand luggage is a bag or backpack that you can take with you on board the plane. Its dimensions must not exceed 20 x 40 x 55 cm, and the maximum weight - 8 kg. Hand luggage also includes some items that are allowed to be carried separately:
- umbrella (without sharp tip);
- cane;
- book, magazine or any paper literature;
- camcorder or small camera;
- laptop;
- baby stroller;
- purchase from duty free in the package;
- folding wheelchair;
- handbag or briefcase;
- outerwear or blanket;
- pair of crutches.
Baggage can be paid through the official website (in Russian)airline "Pegasus" or already directly at the airport.
Liquid regulations
When traveling with hand luggage only, you need to be aware of the rules for carrying liquids. So, the total volume of liquid in hand luggage should not exceed 1000 ml. Each package is a maximum of 100 ml. All liquid in the tanks must be placed in a transparent bag. One passenger - one package. The packaging is shown separately to the security service at the control.
Company rates
Pegasus Airlines has several fares available when purchasing tickets that offer the traveler options for shared baggage and additional benefits during the flight:
- Basic is the easiest. When choosing it, hand luggage is allowed free of charge, luggage - for a separate fee. Moreover, payment for baggage depends on the date of purchase of tickets. The earlier the purchase, the cheaper the baggage fee will be. Meals on board will be paid - from 8 to 12 dollars.
- Essentials includes hand luggage plus free baggage allowance up to 20kg. Also, this fare does not include free meals on board.
- Advantage. When choosing such a fare, a passenger is allowed to carry hand luggage up to 8 kg, luggage - up to 20 kg and a choice of seat. This fare provides a 50% discount on all additional services on board the aircraft (for food, drinks) and a free sandwich during the flight.
- Business Flex allows carry-on baggage up to 12 kg on board, luggage up to 20 kg, best seat selection, and free ticket cancellation or changedeparture dates without surcharge.
Pegasus Airlines: reviews and service reality
The described airline claims to care about its passengers, their safety and comfort. And, judging by the reviews, this is true - the planes are new, the crew is qualified. Comfort is also provided to the maximum and depends on your additional wishes and income.
Company valuation can be divided by criteria. We offer some of them:
- The lowest review score was for in-flight entertainment (no wi-fi or movies). Passengers who have used the company's services are advised not to expect anything more than just a flight.
- Censures were also caused by the peculiarities of food on board. According to reviews, food is paid, but you can only pay for it with a credit card or cash, payment in the air does not work through a debit card.
- Passengers also reacted negatively to the comfort of seats and service on board, arguing that using Pegasus services is tolerable if the flight takes no more than 2-3 hours. Longer can be tiring.
Top rated for value for money and registration. True, in the reviews it was noted that hand luggage is also weighed at the airport during check-in, so you need to be vigilant when packing. Passengers were advised to count a little more time when flying with a connection, because flight delays in this direction are common, and the airline is no exception."Pegasus". Tickets, by the way, are cheaper at the beginning of the week than at the end.
As mentioned earlier, don't expect low cost airlines to do what you're used to getting for big bucks. And in its class of low-cost airlines, Pegasus has shown itself to be a company that is ready to provide safe air travel at a relatively low cost.
