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Explain European Flight Prices

Posted on 2/1/26 at 3:16 pm
Posted by Yeti_Chaser
Member since Nov 2017
12089 posts
Posted on 2/1/26 at 3:16 pm
How is it so cheap to fly within Europe? You regularly see prices in the $20-$80 range which you could never find domestically in the US. I understand these to be "budget" airlines (easyJet, Ryanair) but I bet they're better than flying spirit. At least probably a better crowd on the airplane. Europe is smaller? Even a direct flight from Houston to New Orleans will run you $110+

Even flying to Europe from the US is cheaper than many domestic destinations. There are several flights available to Lisbon, Madrid, Athens, Dublin, Stockholm, etc for cheaper than a cross country domestic flight.
This post was edited on 2/1/26 at 3:19 pm
Posted by LemmyLives
Texas
Member since Mar 2019
14281 posts
Posted on 2/1/26 at 3:26 pm to
Uh, yeah, Europe is smaller. And then you have every country needing it's own airline (Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines, BA, KLM, Iberia, Air France, Alitalia, etc.) Each of those then has a budget airline (usually) as a part of the same ownership group.

The crowd isn't really much different, although you can easily create the Miami experience by flying anywhere on Thomas Cook, or to any Mediterranean destination from the UK.
Posted by RedFoxx
New Orleans, LA
Member since Jan 2009
6666 posts
Posted on 2/1/26 at 3:35 pm to
They’re not just competing with other airlines they are also competing with a functional rail system that will drop you off on the central part of town.
Posted by LemmyLives
Texas
Member since Mar 2019
14281 posts
Posted on 2/1/26 at 3:56 pm to
quote:

functional rail system that will drop you off on the central part of town

The exception to this is when there are mountain ranges in between destinations. A 90 minute flight may be a 13 hour train ride.

And no, we don't need a high speed train between Dallas and Houston. We already have one that departs every 30 minutes from Hobby, it's called Southwest Airlines.
Posted by WestCoastAg
Member since Oct 2012
149704 posts
Posted on 2/1/26 at 4:12 pm to
quote:

but I bet they're better than flying spirit.
eh
Posted by baldona
Florida
Member since Feb 2016
23753 posts
Posted on 2/1/26 at 5:09 pm to
Allegiant, Spirit, Breeze, frontier, etc are all similar to Ryanair in both service and price. Cheap basic tickets, pay to carry on, etc.

There's plenty of videos of Ryanair people going nuts just like Spirit.

ETA: Allegiant routinely has tickets sub $80 especially for non weekend flights
This post was edited on 2/1/26 at 5:11 pm
Posted by wiltznucs
Apollo Beach, FL
Member since Sep 2005
9313 posts
Posted on 2/2/26 at 12:26 pm to
quote:

They’re not just competing with other airlines they are also competing with a functional rail system that will drop you off on the central part of town.


This right here^^^

The competitive landscape for travel in Europe is vastly different than the US/Americas.
Posted by baldona
Florida
Member since Feb 2016
23753 posts
Posted on 2/2/26 at 12:40 pm to
Also understand that Ryanair is rarely flying into the main airports. I've never flown Ryanair so TIFWIW, but its usually a very small airport.

I'm assuming they are getting airport deals to increase traffic there, so their costs are lower.

Its rare you can fly internationally and then take a direct Ryanair flight from the same airport.
Posted by TeddyPadillac
Member since Dec 2010
30029 posts
Posted on 2/2/26 at 1:17 pm to
quote:

Also understand that Ryanair is rarely flying into the main airports. I've never flown Ryanair so TIFWIW, but its usually a very small airport.





quote:


Ryanair traditionally prefers to fly to smaller or secondary airports, such as London Stansted, Paris Beauvais or Rome Ciampino, usually outside major cities to help the company benefit from lower landing fees and quick turn-around times to reduce costs.

Ryanair does still serve several major airports, including Amsterdam-Schiphol, Athens, Barcelona-El Prat, Berlin-Brandenburg, Brussels Airport, Bucharest-Otopeni, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Lisbon, London-Stansted, Madrid, Marseille, Oslo-Gardermoen, Rome-Fiumicino and Stockholm-Arlanda. Some of these cities do not have a viable secondary airport that Ryanair could use as an alternative.[277] More recently, Ryanair has grown more at primary airports as it looks to attract more business passengers. In Summer 2014, the airline opened bases in Athens, Lisbon and the primary airports of Brussels and Rome for the first time.



Amsterdam and Madrid are major hubs and cheap locations to fly into from the US and you can get anywhere in europe for under $100 from there.

Posted by Pfft
Member since Jul 2014
4945 posts
Posted on 2/2/26 at 2:04 pm to
Also most main highways are toll roads in Europe. Flying from Milan to Rome is probably less than the tolls.
Pretty nice to have the choice of three forms of transportation.
Posted by Globetrotter747
Member since Sep 2017
5461 posts
Posted on 2/3/26 at 8:30 am to
quote:

How is it so cheap to fly within Europe? You regularly see prices in the $20-$80 range which you could never find domestically in the US.

They are often comparable if you’re flexible.

The Texas panhandle is one of the very few areas of the USA I haven’t been to. Thinking of flying into Dallas and taking a little road trip out that way and eating at The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo. Flights from ATL-DFW are as low as $56 in March.

Atlanta to Dallas is about the same distance as Paris to Rome.
Posted by BigPapiDoesItAgain
Amérique du Nord
Member since Nov 2009
3422 posts
Posted on 2/4/26 at 1:05 pm to
For one thing, think more regulation and consumer protection much like the US industry back in the 70's before deregulation, where there were a good 70 or so domestic carriers.
Posted by LSUShock
Kansas
Member since Jun 2014
5640 posts
Posted on 2/4/26 at 11:39 pm to
quote:

And no, we don't need a high speed train between Dallas and Houston. We already have one that departs every 30 minutes from Hobby, it's called Southwest Airlines.


Though we will never get it, we absolutely need a EU like rail system in the US. Would make my life so much easier as a traveling business person. I hate the 3 hour drives where I can't do anything. If only I could sit on the train mindlessly and work.
Posted by TheDeathValley
Louisiana
Member since Sep 2010
20422 posts
Posted on 2/5/26 at 3:32 pm to
quote:

ating at The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo


Amarillo is great, but the Big Texan is a tourist trap. Hofbrau is a much better restaraunt.

Palo Duro Canyon is nice too.
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