The Rise of Affordable Long-Haul Airlines: Your Essential Guide

You've witnessed them on TikTok and Instagram: individuals soaring high on the latest long-distance, budget-friendly airlines that offer seemingly unbelievable fares.

If you are adaptable and willing to forgo additional amenities such as checked bags, meals, entertainment, and the bar cart (depending on the airline), you can find flights from New York to Paris for as low as $200.

However, what sets each of these independent airlines apart? Let's analyze it.

When comparing long-haul, low-cost carriers with other airlines that claim to provide "full-service," you often find similar features such as newer planes like the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350, and occasionally identical seats and entertainment screens. To some extent, the quality of airline food remains constant across all airlines, and many passengers already bring their own meals even when traveling with full-service airlines.

It is advisable to approach these carriers with the understanding that you are paying for affordable fares, which implies a low-cost experience onboard. In general, keeping your expectations low and remembering the minimal amount you paid might lead to pleasant surprises.

Long-haul, low-cost airlines primarily target four specific markets: transatlantic, transpacific, southeast Asia, and Australia. These markets offer both long flight durations and a sufficient number of passengers, ensuring profitability for the airline.

Unfortunately, this type of airline often receives negative attention in the media. For instance, you may have heard about the airline that charges passengers for power sockets and prohibits the bringing of outside food. Or perhaps you're familiar with the airline that provides 12-hour flights without seatback entertainment screens, the overnight flight without included meals, or the airlines that squeeze an extra seat into each row to maximize capacity.

For the savvy traveler, these low prices can be a great deal. However, it's important to be cautious and know what type of ticket and seat you're booking. Keep in mind that airlines such as Frenchbee and AirAsia X have narrower planes with an extra seat in each row. Others like Zipair and Scoot may not offer inflight entertainment, even in business class. Notably, Scoot even charges for power sockets in economy.

What to look for when you book

There are fantastic bargains available, whether you're in search of the most affordable airfare or looking for a value-for-money premium economy (or in a few instances, low-cost business class) experience.

But how do you what youre going to get?

Check each airlines website carefully for what is and isnt included in each ticket type, as well as pricing and other details, such as:

- Food: During extended flights, it may be necessary to purchase an additional meal, even if the initial one is included. However, opting for pre-ordering can prove more cost-effective.

- Seat Selection: This encompasses the ability to be seated together as a family or group, as well as the various options for extra legroom or enhanced comfort.

-Soft drinks and sometimes even water

-Alcoholic beverages

-Hand luggage weight and size

-Checked baggage weight and size

-Inflight entertainment and WiFi

-Power sockets (yep!)

-Pillows and blankets

-Whether the airline prohibits bringing food on board (no, really)

- Find out the specific airports and terminals utilized by the airline. These may not necessarily be the primary airports in the city, and could potentially involve low-cost terminals with limited amenities.

- Determine whether connections are "protected." In the event of a delay in your inbound flight, ascertain whether the airline is responsible for arranging an alternative booking for you, or if you are left to manage it independently.

Each bundle offers unique inclusions, combining seat selection, checked baggage, and a meal. These packages are tailored specifically for flights to and from a designated home-base airport.

Heres what you need to know about the newest, biggest and most useful ones for international travelers:

Frenchbee, based out of Paris Orly, flies Airbus A350s.

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Frenchbee

Home base: Paris (Orly, the old airport)

Notable routes: LA, Miami, NY, SF, overseas France

Flies: Airbus A350s, but with extra-narrow, 10-across seating

What you should be aware of: The 10-across A350 seats are quite narrow. Meals are not included with "Basic" fares (costs an additional $25, so remember to bring a sandwich) and you will also need to pay for a checked bag. However, opting for "Premium" seats is a great option as they offer spacious premium economy seats and can be a good value for money. Additionally, there is some complimentary seatback entertainment.

LEVEL flies Airbus A330s with a home base in Barcelona.

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LEVEL

Home base: Barcelona

Notable routes: Boston, LA, Miami, NY, SF, plus Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile

Flies: Airbus A330s

What you should be aware of: This is the long-haul, low-cost airline from IAG, the parent company of British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, and Vueling. It provides connections through Barcelona. LEVEL features comfortable economy seating with eight seats across and a premium economy section known as the Premium Cabin.

Norse Atlantic flies Boeing 787s.

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Norse Atlantic

Home base: Oslo, but flights to and from London (Gatwick), Paris (Orly), Berlin and Rome, too

Notable routes: Boston, Chicago, LA, Miami, NY, Orlando, SF

Flies: Boeing 787s. Dont call it "Norwegian, but with new paint," but theyre exactly the same planes that used to fly for Norwegian.

What you need to know: The ex-Norwegian planes mean older seats, but the premium cabin has oodles of legroom and is one of the best deals in flying.

Air Premia offers above-average seat features and loads of legroom.

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Air Premia

Home base: Seoul (Incheon, the international airport)

Notable routes: Honolulu, LA, Newark, Frankfurt

Flies: Boeing 787s

What you need to know: Air Premia offers above-average seat features and loads of legroom, plus a good premium cabin that can be a great deal if youre flexible.

With a home base at Narita international airport, Zipair Tokyo is Japan Airlines' low-cost arm.

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Zipair Tokyo

Home base: Tokyo (Narita, the airport an hour away from the city)

Notable routes: Honolulu, LA, SF, San Jose (CA)

Flies: Boeing 787s

What you need to know: This is Japan Airlines low-cost arm. It offers a real full-flat pod as ZIP Full-Flat. Theres no seat-back entertainment in economy or business.

Scoot is Singapore Airlines' low-cost arm.

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Scoot

Home base: Singapore

Notable routes: Berlin-Athens (theres a stopover in Athens), plus many useful connections into Asia

Flies: Boeing 787s

This is Singapore Airlines low-cost subsidiary, which offers connections throughout the region. It features a cozy Scoot-in-Silence cabin, exclusively for passengers aged 12 and above, and ScootPlus seats, resembling premium-economy style. However, there is no seatback entertainment. Please be sure to review the terms and conditions thoroughly: access to in-seat power is subject to an additional fee, and bringing outside food on board is technically prohibited.

Qantas' low-cost arm connects Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia.

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Jetstar

Home base: all major Australian cities, plus the Gold Coast

Notable routes: Honolulu, east Asia, Southeast Asia

Flies: Boeing 787s

AirAsia X

Qantas' budget subsidiary offers convenient connections throughout Australia, New Zealand, and southeast Asia. Although the aging aircraft may feature outdated seats, Jetstar Business, reminiscent of premium economy, can provide excellent affordability.

Home base: Kuala Lumpur

Notable routes: east Asia, southeast Asia and Australia. London keeps getting pushed back…

Flies: AirAsia X utilizes Airbus A330s with a configuration of extra-narrow nine-across seating.

What you should be aware of: AirAsia X is a subsidiary of AirAsia, a prominent low-cost airline in Asia, offering extensive connectivity. In terms of inflight entertainment, there are no individual screens provided. Instead, passengers have the option of streaming entertainment content on their personal devices, although this service is currently suspended. Furthermore, AirAsia X offers Premium Flatbed seats which resemble the sleeper seats from the 2000s era. These seats can be reclined to a completely flat surface, although they still maintain a slight incline relative to the aircraft's floor. Notably, these Premium Flatbed seats can often be booked at a lower cost compared to economy seats on other airlines.