Glossary
Low-Cost Carrier
Definition: A low-cost carrier (LCC) is an airline that offers lower fares by reducing traditional services such as free meals, baggage, and seat selection, operating with lower costs and often point-to-point networks.
Low-cost carriers like Ryanair, Southwest, EasyJet, Spirit, and AirAsia have transformed air travel by making flying accessible to millions of people. They achieve lower costs through: higher aircraft utilisation, single aircraft types, unbundled pricing (charging separately for bags, seats, meals), and efficient operations.
Some LCCs have introduced premium products: Norwegian’s former Premium cabin on long-haul, JetBlue’s Mint business class, and various Asian LCCs’ premium economy. However, these products generally don’t match the business class offerings of full-service carriers.
For business class travellers, LCCs are primarily relevant as positioning flight options. A cheap LCC domestic flight to a major hub can connect you to a discounted business class long-haul flight, saving significant money overall. BookMyBusinessClass agents sometimes recommend LCC positioning flights as part of cost-optimisation strategies.