Low-cost Carriers – The Wknd Travel

Flight Report: PEACH AVIATION MM 158 – Fukuoka to Osaka Kansai – Future-Proof & Efficient Japanese Domestic Low-Cost Flight [April 2023]

In April 2023, I flew to my favorite country, Japan, for the first time since the pandemic. I thought I was just in time for the cherry blossom season, but Sakura started early this year. I saw a ₱1 base fare ticket to Fukuoka from Osaka a few months ago and decided to grab this low fare to visit Japan again.

Upon arrival in Fukuoka, I stayed only for a night and decided to fly to Osaka the next day and base there for the remaining 6 days. Between these 2 cities, I flew with one of Japan’s biggest low-cost airlines – Peach Aviation. This Peach Aviation flight MM 158 from Fukuoka to Osaka Kansai is today’s flight report feature. Read on below as I share details about this future-proof and efficient Japanese domestic flight.

In case you missed it, I post reviews & features of my flights since June 2019. I’ve covered airlines such as EVA Air, Indonesia Air Asia, Singapore Airlines, Emirates & Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.

Peach Aviation

Peach Aviation Limited, operating as Peach, is a Japanese low-cost airline based in Osaka, Japan. The airline was founded by All Nippon Airways and Hong Kong-based private equity firm First Eastern Investment Group on 10 February 2011. The airline was initially named A&F Aviation and rebranded to Peach on 24 May 2011.

The airline had its first domestic commercial flight to Sapporo and Fukuoka on 1 March 2012. It also marked the first flight by a Japanese low-cost airline in the country. It flew its first international route from Osaka Kansai International Airport to Seoul Incheon International Airport back on 8 May 2012. The airline has launched several domestic and international routes through the years and has become one of the biggest low-cost carriers in the country. In 2018, All Nippon Airways, its parent company, announced the merger of Peach and another low-cost carrier, Vanilla Air, with Peach as the surviving entity.

Today, Peach flies to 37 destinations within Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, and Thailand. It has bases in Osaka, Naha (in Okinawa), Tokyo Narita, and Sendai. The airline operates an all-Airbus A320 fleet. It expects deliveries of Airbus A320neos and Airbus A321LR (long-range) aircraft in the next few years. On 24 April 2023, the airline celebrated an important milestone as it flew its 50millionth passenger since it started its operations.

Peach sports a unique livery consisting of pink, purple, and white color schemes. As far as I am aware, the airline does not have a loyalty program. It has a monetary token called Peach Points where these points can be used to pay for Peach flights, add-ons, and government taxes.

Peach is a low-cost airline. The airline offers basic airline fares at low and affordable prices. Any other add-ons and services availed of such as check-in baggage allowance, seat selection, and inflight meals are paid on top of the basic fare.

Do you want to know the difference between a full-service & a low-cost airline? Check out my previous post detailing the differences of these 2 types of airlines.

Airfare

I booked my one-way ticket 2 months before the intended flight date and paid ¥8,260. I availed of the airline’s Simple Peach basic fare and bought a 20-kilogram check-in baggage allowance as an add-on. My local credit card issuer charged me ₱3,559.50, including the foreign currency transaction conversion fees.

I believe the total fare price is reasonable considering it was for a flight during the peak Sakura season and it was booked 2 months before the flight.

Travel Requirements

The airline staff only requested a valid identification card during counter check-in. They specifically asked for my Philippine passport during check-in. Apart from the confirmed airline ticket and valid ID, the airline staff did not require any other requirements to board this flight.

Before The Flight

3 days before the flight, Peach Aviation sent a flight email reminder. They sent a pre-flight preparation checklist and tons of information about check-in and bag drop procedures. They also offered more add-ons such as additional baggage allowance and seat selection.

At the time of the flight, check-in procedures are only done at the airport at least 1.5 hours before the flight. Recently, the airline has introduced flight check-in procedures through its official mobile application.

Aircraft & Flight Information

This Fukuoka to Osaka Peach flight MM158 utilized a 7.4-year-old (at the time of the flight) Airbus A320-214 aircraft. This plane, delivered to the airline in November 2015, is registered under JA817P. It has 180 seats in an all-economy class 3 x 3 configuration.

The flight took off from Fukuoka International Airport at 6:13 p.m. and touched down at Kansai International Airport in Osaka at exactly 7:00 p.m. The flight only took 47 minutes and arrived 5 minutes ahead of schedule.

Ground & Airport Experience

Domestic flights out of Fukuoka International Airport depart from the Domestic Terminal. This is the airport terminal connected to the Kūkō Line of the Fukuoka City subway system.

CHECK-IN

Check-in for domestic Peach flights opens 90 minutes before the scheduled time of departure. Passengers first check-in through the check-in kiosks, line at the counters for document check, and drop bags for weight and security checks at the bag-drop counter. Seats are assigned automatically unless availed of for an additional fee.

This unique check-in process took me less than 5 minutes to finish. Add to that, the ground staff at the document check and bag-drop counters were nice and accommodating. It was an easy, quick, and efficient check-in process. Well done, Peach!

PRE-DEPARTURE

After check-in, I lined up and took some time to pass through security. I walked to our assigned gate, Gate 2, and noticed that the noticeboards included the expected flight delays in the smallest timeframe (10 to 15 minutes).

The Gate 2 pre-departure area had enough seats for all the people in our flight. It even had workstations for those who wanted to do some work while waiting or those who needed to go into a meeting before catching a flight.

BOARDING

The ground staff announced the pre-boarding reminders at 5:30 p.m. They started boarding passengers at 5:35 p.m., 20 minutes before the scheduled departure.

Passengers assigned to seats A and F in rows 16 and above boarded the plane first. They were followed by all passengers seated between rows 16 and above. Next, passengers assigned to seats A and F in rows 1 to 15 boarded the plane. They were followed by the rest of the passengers. One quick note – all boarding announcements were made in Japanese and not in English.

The crew closed the cabin doors at 5:55 p.m. The boarding process was finished in 20 minutes. It was quick, orderly, and efficient. The plane pushed back at exactly 6:00 p.m.

Inflight Hard & Soft Product

SEAT FEATURES

This Fukuoka to Osaka Peach flight was operated by an all-economy-class Airbus A320-200 aircraft. The plane has 180 economy seats configured in a 3 x 3 arrangement split in the middle by a single aisle. According to SeatGuru, all seats (excluding the exit row seats) have a seat width of 17 inches and a seat pitch of 29 inches.

I got an aisle seat (4C) for this quick flight to Osaka. Each seat features an industry-standard leg room, a foldable tray table and a seat pocket with the aircraft safety card, air sickness bag, inflight magazines (both in English and Japanese) and an inflight digital service information sheet. Each passenger also has access to individual air vents and individual reading lights.

INFLIGHT SNACKS

Peach does not offer complimentary snacks or meals onboard. Passengers can purchase snacks, meals, or drinks onboard through the inflight digital service. Unlike other low-cost carriers, the Peach cabin crew does not go around the plane and offer snacks to the passengers. They only go to the passengers once food orders made through the inflight portal are served.

They offer a wide range of snack and drink options at reasonable prices. I did not avail of any food or drink service during this flight.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Like most low-cost airlines, Peach Aviation planes do not feature personal entertainment screens. They provide inflight magazines both in English and Japanese.

The airline also has an inflight portal where passengers can browse through various entertainment contents such as airline original videos and other variety shows. The portal’s shop offers souvenirs for those who want to buy some and transportation tickets for those who want to take the bus from Kansai Airport to Umeda. The portal also features a moving inflight map that shows real-time details about the flight.

INFLIGHT CONNECTIVITY

Peach did not offer in-flight Wi-Fi on this short flight to Osaka. Passengers can connect to the onboard connection only to access the inflight portal and not to use the internet or messaging applications.

LAVATORY

I did not get the chance to visit the lavatory because the flight was a little under an hour.

Cabin Crew Service

Unfortunately, I did not have a direct interaction with the cabin crew on this flight. I saw them only during boarding, before take-off and landing and during disembarkation. At least, they made sure that everyone followed the protocols during these times. Overall, the cabin service lack personal touch from the crew.

Disembarkation & Baggage Claim

The aircraft touched down at Kansai International Airport at exactly 7:00 p.m. and taxied to Terminal 2. We got off the plane through the tarmac and walked quite a distance to the baggage claim area. We got our bags after a few minutes and headed to the free shuttle bus to Terminal 1 / Kansai Airport train station.

The arrival experience was almost like our Jetstar flight from Sapporo to Tokyo Narita back in February 2018.

Flight Experience

I had a fun, interesting and unique flying experience with Peach Aviation. I believe some of the Japanese way of doing things are different from what we are used to, but they totally make sense. I found their systems quick, efficient and future-proof.

This flight had some notable points. First, the check-in process was unique but quick and very efficient. The whole process took me less than 5 minutes and that included checking in via the kiosk, having my documents checked with the ground staff and surrendering my check-in luggage for a weight and security check.

Second, Fukuoka Airport announced every possible delay on their flight noticeboards. They announced the expected 5-minute delay. Impressive! Third, the boarding process was, again, unique but made everything run smoothly and quickly. I noticed that it is only in Japan that they board A and F passengers before anyone else. This specific process works and makes boarding faster.

Fourth, Peach Aviation’s inflight portal is something else. It is future-proof and a nice additional feature for a low-cost airline. Another airline that comes to mind is Scoot, with its ScootHub. I hope the other low-cost airlines in the region develop their own inflight portal. I seriously think this portal makes the inflight experience a lot better.

Lastly, the fare I paid for this flight (¥8,260 / ₱3,559.50) was worth every single penny. The airline offered an affordable fare during the peak season and delivered an excellent flying experience.

Moving to the other side, I personally think the airline can improve some parts of the flight. First, they can add more contents and options to the inflight portal. Currently, the entertainment options are limited to airline-related videos and some variety shows. It would be nice to have full movies or television series in the options.

Second, I hope the airline can also incorporate English announcements both during boarding and during the flight. They can continue making the announcements in Japanese, but I hope they can also add some English parts for the important ones. Lastly, I personally felt the lack of cabin crew touch on the flight. I may be saying this as someone who is used to the Southeast Asian kind of inflight hospitality. The cabin crew service still affects the overall flying experience.

Nevertheless, it was still an excellent flight with Peach Aviation. Will I fly them again in the future? Definitely. It would be interesting to see if other Japan-based airlines follow the same processes. I wonder if All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan Airlines (JAL), Air Do, Jetstar Japan and other local airlines do the same thing. I hope I can fly all of them in the future.

To my fellow aviation geeks, here are some additional information about this domestic flight to Osaka:

Airline: Peach Aviation
Flight Date: 14 April 2023
Flight Number: MM 158
Route: Fukuoka, Japan (FUK) to Kansai Airport, Osaka, Japan (KIX)
Duration: 47 minutes
Seat Numebr: 4C (aisle seat)
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214
Aircraft Registration: JA817P
Engines: 2 x CFM International CFM56 Engines
Age (at the time of the flight): 7.4 years old
Delivered: November 2015

This sums up my first-ever flight with Peach! Have you flown Peach in the past? How was your experience? Will you fly Peach soon & or by any chance have questions about anything mentioned above? Feel free to share your experiences or post your questions in the comments section below. You may also send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thank you for joining me in today’s Peach flight report. I hope you can also check out these flight reports as well as my previous flight reports with Cebu Pacific Air, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Vietnam Airlines and Air France. All other previous flight reports can be found under the Flight Reports category. Feel free to check them out. Please look forward to more flight reports in the future.

Before you go, I hope you can like and follow my social media pages – Facebook and Instagram. This will help me increase my reach; it will also keep you up-to-date with the latest blog posts and flight reports on this website. Thank you and see you in the next flight report!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Flight Report: VUELING VY 6333 – Milan Malpensa to Barcelona – Superb Flying Experience with a Spanish Low-Cost Airline [December 2022]

My time in Milan went by too fast! After spending days around the city and the nearby Lugano and Lake Como, I had to say goodbye to the beautiful Milan and my friend Leng who flew back to the Philippines ahead of me.

I flew to a new city and country – Barcelona, Spain – on a new airline (for me) – the Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling. I took their VY 6333 flight from Milan Malpensa to Barcelona last 3 December 2022. This Vueling flight is today’s flight report feature. Join me as I share with you what happened on this superb flight to Barcelona.

Vueling

Vueling S.A. is a Spanish low-cost airline owned by the International Airlines Group (IAG). This low-cost airline commenced operations in 2004 and is currently headquartered in Viladecans, Greater Barcelona, Spain. The airline started out operations from Barcelona to Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, Brussels and Paris. Over the years, it has expanded its footprint to other hubs like Madrid, Seville and other Spanish and international bases. In 2012, the International Airlines Group (IAG) announced a buy out of the shareholders and a takeover of the airline. The group completed the takeover a few months later in 2013.

Vueling is currently the largest Spanish Airline based on number of destinations and fleet size. It operates to over 140 destinations using over 120 all-Airbus aircraft. The airline’s main hub is Barcelona El Prat Airport in Barcelona, Spain. It also has hubs and stations in other Spanish cities like Madrid, Seville, Palma de Mallorca, Gran Canaria and even other European cities like Paris, Rome and London.

Vueling’s frequent flyer program is called Vueling Club – part of the Avios loyalty program. The airline is not a member of any airline alliance. It has current codeshare agreements with British Airways and Iberia, both part of the International Airlines Group.

Vueling is a low-cost carrier. This means that the airline offers bare fares; any additional service or perk comes with a fee. The airline does not provide complimentary inflight snacks or meals, entertainment screens and complimentary baggage allowance. The airline has 4 fare bundles which guests can choose from. The Basic Fare only includes a complimentary underseat bag which measures 40cm x 20cm x 30cm. The Optima Fare has everything the Basic Fare has plus 1 x 25-kilogram checked luggage and free regular seat selection during booking.

The Family Fare has everything the Optima Fare offers plus dedicated check-in desks in main airports and priority boarding for those flying with kids under 2 years old. The TimeFlex Fare includes an underseat bag, a 10-kilogram carry-on baggage allowance, flight cancellation to flight credit, unlimited flight date changes, complimentary flight time change on the same day, fast-track security in selected airports, priority check-in and boarding. All these add-ons are also available for individual purchase in case you only avail of a certain fare bundle. Also, all these fare bundles can earn Avios points.

Do you want to know the difference between a full-service & a low-cost airline? Check out my previous post detailing the differences of these 2 types of airlines.

Airfare

I booked my flight 1.5 months before the intended date and paid €57.99 for the Optima fare bundle. I was charged by my local bank ₱3,442.29 including foreign currency transaction charges. At the time of booking, the airline had different policies and inclusions on fare bundles. They changed these bundles and inclusions (as mentioned above) for tickets booked after 4 November 2022.

At the time of booking (October 2022), my Optima fare bundle included the following: an underseat bag measuring up to 40cm x 20cm x 30cm, 1 x 10-kilogram carry-on / cabin bag, 1 x 25-kilogram checked baggage allowance, complimentary regular seat selection during booking, complimentary flight changes and free cancellation, conversion to flight credit and even flight credit refund.

Looking at the bundle inclusions, I got the best possible add-ons for such an affordable fare. It may not include a meal or an entertainment screen, but it still had the necessary add-ons needed by someone traveling around Europe for weeks. It was sad seeing the airline change the bundle inclusions but it was also great taking advantage of the previous inclusions before it was changed.

Travel Requirements

Flights between Italy and Spain operate like domestic flights here in the Philippines. At the time of this flight, both countries no longer require a negative test result or vaccination documentation to board the aircraft. Passengers only need to present a government-issued ID – passports for non-EU residents. Spanish authorities, at the time of this flight, still required face masks on flights. I believe this requirement has already been removed nowadays.

Before The Flight

The airline did not send anything via e-mail before the flight. The first and last e-mail I received from them is the booking confirmation after I booked the ticket. Strange.

Nevertheless, I still checked-in online for the flight 24 hours before schedule. This made the airport check-in process faster and smoother.

Aircraft & Flight Information

This Vueling VY 6333 flight from Milan Malpensa to Barcelona was operated by a 9.5-year-old Airbus A320-200 aircraft. The plane has 180 seats in all-economy class cabin – as expected from a low-cost carrier.

The flight took off from Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) at 12:58pm and landed at Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN) at 2:15pm. The journey in between 2 airports only took 1 hour and 17 minutes. The plane pushed back from the gate 2 minutes ahead of schedule but took some time going to the runway. Nonetheless, the flight still arrived ahead of schedule. Thanks, Vueling!

Ground & Airport Experience

Vueling operates its flights out of Milan Malpensa Airport Terminal 1.

CHECK-IN

Check-in counters for flights within the Schengen zone normally open 2 hours before the flight and 40 minutes before the departure. I do not remember the exact reason but I read from the website that time that check-in counters during this season (December 2022) opened 30 minutes earlier at 2.5 hours before the flight schedule.

I arrived the airport exactly 2.5 hours before the flight and immediately lined up for bag drop at 10:20am. I finished check-in at 10:38am. The check-in process went by quickly considering I was 10^th-ish in the line. The whole process took only 18 minutes.

PRE-DEPARTURE

After check-in, I went up to the 2^nd floor and had my early lunch. The boarding gate information was not available up until an hour before flight. Thankfully, the gate details became available at 11:33pm.

I immediately walked to Gate A04 and waited for the boarding announcement.

BOARDING

Boarding by groups commenced at 12:04pm. Priority passengers including those travelling with infants boarded the plane first. Passengers seated in the rear section of the plane went in next followed by those seated in the middle cabin. I was among the last passengers to board the plane because I was seated in the front section of the plane.

At the time of the flight, the Spanish Authorities still required masks in all modes of public transportation. Passengers were requested to wear their face masks during boarding. The airline provided masks for those who do not have one.

The whole boarding process finished at 12:39pm. The plane pushed back from the gate 9 minutes after.

Inflight Hard & Soft Product

SEAT FEATURES

The Airbus A320-200 aircraft used for this flight to Barcelona, Spain has 180 seats in a 3 x 3 all-economy class configuration. According to Seatmaps.com, all 180 non-reclining seats have a pitch of 29-30 inches and a width of 17.5 inches.

Each seat is equipped with a tray table, a coat hook and a seat pocket with a magazine, an air sickness bag and the aircraft safety card. The seats also have dedicated reading lights and air nozzles. Each row has 1 crew call button. Unfortunately, the seats do not feature USB or standard power outlets, headrests, pillows and blankets.

I prebooked seat 6F for this flight to Barcelona; I got this complimentary seat included in my Optima fare bundle. I enjoyed the beautiful views of the Italian and Spanish coasts during the flight.

INFLIGHT SNACKS

Vueling does not provide complimentary meals and snacks onboard. The airline offers snacks and drinks for purchase during the flight. After take-off and after the seatbelt sign was turned off, the crew went around to distribute pre-orders snacks and drinks. They also went around and offered some eats to the rest of the cabin.

The list of available snacks and drinks are found in the airline’s online catalogue available when connecting to the onboard flight portal.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Being a low-cost airline, Vueling does not offer in-flight entertainment options to its passengers. Like Cebu Pacific Air and Air Asia, the airline’s seats are not equipped with personal entertainment screens. The only available entertainment option for passengers is the inflight magazine found in seat pockets in front of every passenger.

INFLIGHT CONNECTIVITY

Inflight connectivity of wi-fi connection was not available on this flight. The passengers can only access the airline’s flight portal for the snack and drinks menu, the airline’s destination activity offerings and a simple flight status section.

LAVATORY

I did not have the chance to visit the lavatory on this short flight to Spain. I did not want to bother my seatmates who were both asleep throughout the flight.

Cabin Crew Service

The cabin crew service on this flight was just alright; it was not remarkable but it was also not terrible. The crew did their job and assisted the passengers when needed. Somehow, it lacked the level of hospitality that is offered by crew on Southeast Asian low-cost airlines.

Disembarkation & Baggage Claim

The cabin crew announced an organized disembarkation process – they called 5 rows at a time to disembark. Gladly, all passengers followed. Those not yet called remained seated and waited for their turn.

I got off the plane at 2:23pm and reached baggage claim section after 10 minutes. The bags eventually came out and I was out of the airport in no time.

Flight Experience

I had a superb first flight with the Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling. I went on the flight with close to no expectations and I only wanted to arrive in Spain safe and sound; but I was blown away by the experience I had on this short hop from Milan Malpensa to Barcelona. It was my first ever flight with a European low-cost carrier and it did not disappoint!

On this flight to Barcelona, I believe Vueling excelled on the following areas or points. First, fares were low and competitive considering the ticket was booked only 1.5 months before schedule. The Optima fare (that time) only cost €57.99 one-way and already included complimentary regular seats, 10 kilograms carry-on baggage allowance, 20 kilograms check-in baggage allowance and flight credit options. It is a shame that the airline had to change these inclusions 2 weeks after I booked my ticket; but it was still great because the previous ticket inclusions at the time of my booking were honored on the flight.

Second, Vueling offers great schedules between Milan Malpensa and Barcelona. Low-cost airlines normally get only early morning and late-night flight schedules; but not Vueling on this route. They have multiple flights mostly leaving Milan in the morning or in the afternoon. Third, the flight left the gate in Milan ahead of schedule and arrived at Barcelona ahead of schedule on a busy Saturday.

Fourth, given masks were required during this flight (back in December 2022), the airline staff proactively handed out masks to passengers who do not have one. It is a simple but nice gesture that made the experience better. Lastly, the crew implemented an orderly disembarkation process. All passengers complied and everyone had a smooth disembarkation process.

I honestly cannot think of anything bad that happened on this flight. There is one part where I believe the airline can improve on for a better flying experience. It would be nice to see the airline ramp up their inflight portal – not just showing the snack menu and flight schedule. I hope they can add games or other services like who Scoot is doing on their ScootHub. This will surely change the game in European low-cost flying experience.

Will I recommend Vueling to my readers? Yes, for sure! As laid out above, I had a superb first flight with them. Everything on the flight fell into place; I was a happy customer. I will not hesitate booking them again next time I fly within Europe.

For those who want to know more details about this flight, here you go:

Airline: Vueling
Flight Date: 3 December 2022
Flight Number: VY 6333
Route: Milan Malpensa (MXP) to Barcelona (BCN)
Duration: 1 hour & 17 minutes
Seat Numebr: 6C (window seat)
Aircraft: Airbus A320-200
Aircraft Registration: EC-LVS
Engines: 2 x International Aero Engines V2500
Age (at the time of the flight): 9.5 years old
Delivered: May 2013

Have you been on a Vueling flight in the past? How was your flying experience? Did you like it? Let us engage into a conversation by sharing your flight experiences below. Do you have any questions about anything mentioned above? You may also send them to me via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thank you for joining me in today’s Scoot flight report. I hope you can also check out my previous flight reports with Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Vietnam Airlines and Air France. All previous flight reports can be found under the Flight Reports category. Feel free to check them out. Please look forward to more flight reports in the future.

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Flying 101: Comparing Low-Cost & Full-Service Carriers

It’s been months since leisure travel was banned for us, Filipinos. If not for Covid-19, many of us might be somewhere else blending with beautiful nature, walking around modern & vibrant cities & enjoying the sunset in islands & beaches. The pandemic stopped tourism or leisure activity & forced people to stay in their own homes.

I can’t believe my last leisure travel was my solo trip to Europe in late 2019. It’s the first time I’ve been on the ground this long. I may have run out of recent trips to share or post but it doesn’t mean I’ll stop sharing travel-related information & experiences with you. Since we’re all stuck at home, I figured out it’s the best time to go back to basics.

Today, I will start a blog series called Flying 101. It is a blog series that will talk about the basics of flying & all other details around it. By the end of this series, I hope you’ll know the ins & outs of flying & you’ll learn to maximize it once leisure travel is back to its pre-pandemic level.

The first topic in this Flying 101 series is a comparison between low-cost & full-service carriers. There are thousands of airlines around the world & all these airlines are either low-cost or full-service carriers. Join me in today’s topic as I define to you what are low-cost & full-service carriers, what are their similarities & their differences. Find out at the end of the post which type of carrier you should fly with in your next flight.

DEFINITION

A low-cost carrier is an airline that provides flights & fares at a low-cost & eliminates the luxuries of flying. On the other hand, a full-service carrier, from its name, is an airline that provides a comfortable (up to some point luxurious) full-board flying experience. A full-service carrier has a long & eventful history & are usually the flag carriers of the country of origin.

Of the 3 main carriers here in the Philippines, Philippine Airlines is the only full-service carrier. The other 2 carriers – Cebu Pacific Air & Philippines Air Asia – are low-cost carriers. I will mostly use these 3 airlines to point out the similarities & differences between the low-cost & full-service carriers.

SIMILARITIES

Even with the different service models they use, low-cost & full-service carriers still have similarities as detailed below:

Destinations & Hubs – A low-cost carrier has almost the same destinations & hubs with that of the full-service carriers. All the 3 Philippine carriers mentioned above fly out from Manila, Clark, Cebu, Davao & other smaller hubs to various domestic & international destinations. 2 out of 3 carriers, if not all, fly to almost the same destinations depending on their fleet & the approved passenger traffic by the authorities.

Loyalty Programs – Airlines, regardless of the service model they use, offer loyalty programs to their passengers. These loyalty programs allow passengers to earn points & miles every time they fly or they avail from partner establishments. All the 3 airlines above have their own loyalty programs – Philippine Airlines has Mabuhay Miles frequent flyer program, Cebu Pacific Air has GetGo lifestyle rewards program & Philippines Air Asia has Air Asia BIG loyalty program.

DIFFERENCES

Believe it or not, low-cost & full-service carriers have a longer list of differences. Know more about these differences in the detailed list below:

Pricing – The biggest difference between low-cost & full-service carriers is pricing. Low-cost carriers offer the cheapest fares to & from their destinations. These carriers are known for providing no-frills fares – meaning fares only include a guaranteed seat in the flight & a limited carry-on baggage allowance. Their base fares can go as low as ₱1 or even ₱0 or free. Any extra service or benefit in a low-cost carrier comes with a fee. On the other hand, full-service offer flights at a higher price but with added benefits included.

Here’s a sample PROMOTION ticket FOR 1 to Taipei, Taiwan on EVA Air – a full-service carrier.

This is a ticket FOR 2 to Taipei, Taiwan on Cebu Pacific Air – a low-cost carrier. Cheap-o, right?

Cabin Class – Low-cost airlines usually adopt an all-economy class cabin; they pack airplanes with its maximum passenger capacity. Both Philippines Air Asia & Cebu Pacific Air pack their Airbus A320 with 180 economy class passengers. Cebu Pacific Air’s Airbus A330 can accommodate up to 436 passengers – the densest seating capacity for that type of aircraft.

Full-service carriers offer up to 4 cabin classes in their flights – first class, business class, premium economy class & economy class. First class is the most luxurious cabin & economy class is the cheapest. Only selected airlines fly all 4 classes but most airlines either have either business & economy classes or business, premium economy & economy classes. Philippine Airlines offer both business & economy class experience to most of their network & offer premium economy to selected routes.

Please take note that some low-cost carriers outside the Philippines, like Air Asia X, Scoot, Jetstar & Norwegian, have started offering premium cabins (their own version of business class) on their medium to long-haul routes.

Baggage Allowance – Baggage allowance in low-cost carriers come with a fee, depending on how big the baggage allowance is. On the other hand, baggage allowance is included in full-service carriers. Allowance depends on the cabin & fare classes but it’s usually 25 to 30 kilograms for economy class passengers on international routes.

In the effort to earn some revenue & to offer lower fares, some full-service airlines like Malaysia Airlines & Philippine Airlines have started offering baggage allowance for an additional fee on economy light fares.

In-flight Food, Entertainment & Experience – Full-service carriers outweigh low-cost carriers in terms of in-flight experience. Full-service airlines offer free snacks, liquor & up to 2 meals on board depending on flight duration. Each seat in a full-service airline plane has a bigger leg room & seat pitch & features personal entertainment screens in most flights. If not, they offer entertainment options via the airline’s mobile application. Each seat also offers a pillow, blanket & an earphone or headphone. Some full-service carrier airplanes even offer in-flight Wi-Fi. Premium cabins have wider seats, lie-flat beds, bigger entertainment screens & luxurious food options.

In-flight experience in a low-cost carrier is nothing if you don’t pay for additional services. In-flight meals & snacks are available for purchase on the website & during the flight. Low-cost carries don’t offer entertainment options & amenities (pillow, blanket & earphones / headphones) on their flights. Every single added benefit on a low-cost airline comes with a fee.

In-flight entertainment on a full-service carrier (SQ)

Please take note that airlines have various policies on in-flight features. Some full-service airlines offer snacks or meals for a fee on certain routes, particularly in Europe. I remember when I flew with Brussels Airlines & Czech Airlines; both flights I flew with offered snacks for sale during the flights. If you want to experience the full-service airline benefits, it’s best to fly with Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Emirates & the likes.

Airports & Airport Terminals – This may not be entirely true here in the Philippines but some, if not most, full-service carriers fly from the main & nicer airports & airport terminals. Low-cost carriers have their own terminals, if not secondary airports. Secondary airports are mostly applicable to European low-cost carriers like Ryan Air & WizzAir. These secondary airports keep taxes & fees lower than that of main airports making it more attractive & fit for the low-cost carrier’s service models.

For example, most full-service carriers fly out of Kuala Lumpur International Airport Main Terminal while low-cost carriers fly out of Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2. Another classic example is Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi & Don Mueang Airports. Suvarnabhumi Airport hosts majority of the full-service carriers flying into Bangkok while Don Mueang Airport accommodates most of the low-cost carriers flying into the city. Here in the Philippines, Cebu Pacific Air uses the relatively newer Terminal 3 (for domestic jet flights) & the older Terminal 4 (for turboprop flights), Philippine Airlines fly out of Terminals 2 & 3 (for domestic flights) & Philippines Air Asia only uses the older Terminal 4 for their domestic services.

Code-Share Agreements, Alliances Networks – Full-service carriers have code-share agreements with other full-service airlines which make their networks even bigger. These airlines also are members of world airline alliances which make transfers easy & hassle-free. Passengers have access to farther destinations & even to smaller regional airports with only 1 check-in. It’s rare for low-cost carriers to have code-share agreements & alliances. It then makes their network only limited to their destinations.

Philippine Airlines is not a member of a world airline alliance but has code-share agreements with All Nippon Airways (Japan), Malaysia Airlines, Turkish Airlines & a few more. Cebu Pacific Air, on the other hand, is a member of Value Alliance. I am not sure if the alliance is still operational & I haven’t tried it too. Singapore Airlines is a member of Star Alliance, one of the world’s biggest airline alliance. Passengers can fly to various destinations worldwide as long as the destination is part of the Star Alliance network.

WHICH ONE TO FLY?

Now that we know what low-cost carriers & full-services area, its similarities & differences, you might ask me which one should you fly. I always consider 4 factors when choosing which one to fly – Fare, Flight Duration, Loyalty & Comfort.

Fare – I will always go with the low-cost carrier if the fare is way cheaper than that of the full-service carrier. If the promotional fare is at ₱1 or free base fare, no doubt I’ll go with the low-cost carrier but considering the 3 other factors below.

I won’t mind taking a 3.5-hour flight to & from Japan if the fare is this cheap – ₱2,873.74 return!

Flight Duration – I already flew 4 times a low-cost carrier on an 8-hour flight & I had a 50-50 experience. The passenger load was half empty on the first 2 flights so it was alright. The last 2 flights had full passenger load & it was the worst. I told myself that I won’t mind flying a low-cost carrier for flights up to 4.5 hours. I will take a full-service carrier for flights over 4.5 hours.

Loyalty – I collect & earn miles on selected frequent flyer programs; I also consider this when booking flights. Either I book with Cebu Pacific Air to earn GetGo points, with Philippine Airlines to earn Mabuhay Miles or with Singapore Airlines to earn KrisFlyer miles. As much as possible, when flying with other airlines, I make sure I will have the chance to earn miles or points for the program I am a member of.

Comfort – Comfort & in-flight experience is one factor that I recently started looking into. I make sure that I am okay with the carrier’s seats, service & promised in-flight experience when choosing on which one to fly.

I flew with both low-cost & full-service carriers in the past & I will choose the full-service airline at any time, especially on longer flights. If I am planning to save some cash, then I will go with the low-cost carrier. At the end of the day, you will be the one to decide which one to fly to your destination of choice.

Thank you for joining in today’s Flying 101 topic. I hope you learned something about low-cost & full-service carriers. Now you know which type of carrier you’ll fly with on your post-pandemic trip. Do you have any questions about anything mentioned above? Feel free to post them in the comments section below. You may also send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Be up to date with cheap fares, airline promotions & the upcoming Flying 101 posts by following me on these platforms – Facebook & Instagram. See you next time!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.