There are various airlines which operates in domestic aviation. All the carrier’s focus on the goal of providing the best flying experience to passengers to give them a memorable trip. The most popular among the lots are low-cost carriers and full-service carriers. Both the carriers have unique features which makes them the most popular airlines. Carriers like IndiGo and GoAir are widely famous low-cost carriers, and Vistara and Air India are the finest full-service carriers of Domestic aviation. Here we are going to mention every single detail you need to know about low-cost and full-service carriers and differentiate between them.
Price Structure
The most significant advantage of low-cost carriers is their economical fares. Low-cost carriers make sure that passengers enjoy their journey without burning their pockets. Not only this, but the saved amount can also be used on other things like food, accommodation and many more. In contrast, full-service carriers are comparatively costlier than low-cost airlines because of the extra services which full-service carrier offers. In India, Vistara is the finest full-service carrier. Apart from this, Air India is also a full-service carrier owned by the government.
Cabin Class
Generally, Low-cost carriers come with economy seats, but these days some low-cost airlines offer business class seats. Not only this, but passengers also get the option to upgrade their seats, get extra legroom seats by paying a nominal amount of money. Whereas full-service carriers come with multiple cabins. Passengers booking full-service flights get the option to choose from different cabins like the economy, premium economy and business class cabins. Since there are multiple cabins in full-service carriers, the aircraft is usually bigger than low-cost carriers. Also, passengers get the option to upgrade their economy seats into a premium economy or business class.
Loyalty Programs
The most significant disadvantage of low-cost carriers is loyalty programs. No domestic low-cost airlines offer loyalty program schemes to their passengers. However, to give hassle-free journey, low-cost carriers offer a variety of add-ons to customers which makes their trip memorable and comfortable. In contrast, full-service airlines offer different types of loyalty programs to their passengers. The points which are accumulated by the passengers are key to various offers, discount and add-on services. Not only this, but Loyalty programs also increase the credibility of the carriers and create a lasting impact on the mind of passengers. With the help of loyalty programs, passengers can get a discount on their flight tickets or any add-on service they purchase.
In-flight Meals and Snacks
Whenever passengers book low-cost carrier flight tickets, they usually don’t get any extra add-on values for the price. However, low-cost carriers offer a variety of in-flight meals and snacks at nominal prices which would satisfy their food cravings at 36,000 ft above the sky. Talking about full-service, when passengers book their flight tickets with full-service carriers, they get a variety of inclusion from which in-flight meals are one of the essential services. All the in-flight meals offered by full-service airlines are included in the ticket fares paid by the passengers, and they get a variety of meals to select from and satisfy their hunger.
Extra Services
Talking about extra services, when passengers book international flight tickets through low-cost airlines, sometimes there are connecting flights involved. In the entire process, passengers face a little hassle with immigration process if their flight tickets are booked with low-cost airlines. Whereas, if the passenger’s book international flight tickets through full-service airlines they don’t get any external hassle in immigration process as the carrier takes care of the entire process and makes their entire journey comfortable and memorable.