Tips

“No Frills” may mean less ticket price, but it can be heavy on stress unless you know what to expect a little bit in advance.  Here are a few tips from recent experience:

 1.                  If you are travelling with children pay the additional cost for priority boarding.  It’s not worth the worry of standing at the back of a large line of passengers wondering if you and your little ones are going to find the right number of seats to be seated together.  Whinge and complain about paying this cost by all means, but pay it.  If your plane is full it’s well worth the peace of mind.

2.                  Having paid for priority boarding, find the priority boarding queue and stand in it as soon as you get to your gate.  You may be standing there for 40 minutes but at least you know that you’re guaranteed a good choice of seats once you’ve boarded the plane.   Choosing seats around the middle of the plane will allow you a few minutes to get our children seated before other passengers start pushing past you.

3.                  Weigh your luggage if possible before arriving at the airport.  Not only will it cost you in money if you’re over your allocated allowance, but you’ll also have to stand in another queue to pay the excess and then queue to check-in again.  If you know it’s over weight beforehand you have the choice of ditching some stuff, or going straight to excess baggage and paying before your check-in desk opens! Please note, excess baggage has become very expensive. You are better off leaving your laser hair removal system at home, becaue it'll be cheaper to just buy another one when you arrive than take it with you.

4.                  Remember to ditch all drinks before going through security into the departure area.  You can buy more once you get through there.

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5.                  Go through to the departure lounge as soon as you are allowed to do so – especially if you have young children.  This will give you enough time to clear security (including the removal of jackets/shoes and putting them back on), and also time to make a bathroom visit.  

6.                  Food on the plane will be available but it will be limited in choice – especially if you are travelling later in the day.  Pay a visit to a store in the departure lounge and buy any refreshments you think you’d like on board the plane.  The vending machines in the launge may be expensive, but it will most likely to cheaper than buying what’s offered by your airline, and a good deal tastier!

Although the above is not an exhaustive list of things you can do to make your “no frills” flight hassle free, by following the tips above, you’ll be able to cut out some of the frustrations that first time “no frills” passengers endure.