Best Budget Airlines by Region

Where to fly 362 words Updated July 2026

A regional shortlist of the LCCs worth knowing in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

Europe

  • Ryanair (FR), largest network, cheapest base fares, strictest baggage
  • easyJet (U2), most generous personal item, friendlier cabin policy
  • Wizz Air (W6), strongest in Eastern Europe, by-the-kg hold pricing
  • Vueling (VY), Spanish base, good IAG connectivity
  • Norwegian (DY), best of Scandinavia for short-haul
  • Transavia (HV/TO), Air France-KLM's LCC arm, useful from Orly and Schiphol
  • Pegasus (PC), Turkey base, cheap into Istanbul SAW
  • TUI Fly (X3), German and Belgian leisure routes

North America

  • Spirit (NK), largest US ULCC, FLL/LAS hub strength
  • Frontier (F9), Denver-based ULCC, GoWild Pass for flexibility
  • Allegiant (G4), small-city to leisure routes only, twice-weekly schedules
  • Sun Country (SY), MSP-based hybrid, more inclusive than ULCCs
  • Avelo (XP), newer carrier, Northeast and West Coast secondary cities
  • Breeze (MX), newer carrier, mid-tier underserved markets
  • Flair Air (F8), Canadian ULCC
  • Lynx Air, exited the market in 2024

Latin America

  • Volaris (Y4), Mexico's largest LCC, US-Mexico routes
  • Viva Aerobus (VB), Mexican ULCC, slightly cheaper than Volaris on domestic
  • JetSMART (JA), Chilean and Argentine ULCC
  • Sky Airline (H2), Chilean LCC
  • Gol (G3), Brazilian hybrid
  • Azul (AD), Brazilian regional + leisure
  • Wingo (P5), Colombian LCC
  • Arajet (DM), Dominican Republic-based LCC

Asia

  • AirAsia / AirAsia X (AK / D7), Southeast Asia's dominant LCC
  • Scoot (TR), Singapore-based long-haul LCC
  • Cebu Pacific (5J), Philippines' largest LCC
  • VietJet (VJ), Vietnam's largest LCC
  • IndiGo (6E), India's largest LCC, also flies internationally
  • SpiceJet (SG), Indian LCC
  • Jeju Air (7C), Korean LCC
  • Peach (MM), Japanese LCC
  • Spring Airlines (9C), Chinese LCC
  • Lion Air (JT) / Batik Air (ID), Indonesian LCCs
  • Jetstar Asia (3K), Singapore-based, Qantas subsidiary

Africa and Middle East

  • flydubai (FZ), Dubai-based LCC
  • Air Arabia (G9), Sharjah-based LCC, also Maroc and Egypt subsidiaries
  • FlySafair (FA), South Africa's largest LCC
  • Jambojet (JM), Kenyan LCC
  • Fastjet (FN), Tanzania, South Africa, Zimbabwe
  • Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, recently launched Wizz JV
  • Salam Air (OV), Oman-based LCC
  • fly Jordan / Jordan Aviation, small Jordanian operators

How to choose between them

Region matters less than route. The cheapest fare on any given city pair could be a regional LCC, a global LCC, or even a legacy carrier in basic economy. Use Google Flights' multi-airline search and a fare-history tool to find the actual cheapest combination, then check the bag-fee math before clicking pay.

Sources & further reading

The fees, allowances and procedures cited in this guide are cross-checked against carrier and regulator publications. For primary sources and official rulings, see:

  • IATA, international airline trade body; canonical source for IATA codes, baggage tracking standards and industry statistics.
  • ICAO, UN civil aviation agency; the authoritative reference for ICAO codes, safety standards and global aviation policy.
  • OpenFlights public dataset, the open airport, airline and route dataset that powers the directory side of FlightHaven.
Last verified: July 2026. Carrier policies and airport fees change frequently, always confirm with the airline or airport before travel. FlightHaven is independent and does not sell tickets.