A plane’s a plane, right?
Well, in essence yes, but the level of service and slight differences occur between many different airlines, and it’s worthwhile knowing about some of them, to make your journey more comfortable.
There are things that are out of everyone’s control when it comes to air travel, and delays do unfortunately happen. A lot of the time this is because of your safety, so it’s important to be aware of that before you start screaming at the check in desk lady! There is nothing anyone can do, so stay calm, and simply do a bit more duty free shopping!
To check for any delays or problems with your flight however, head online before your departure and check your flight status. This is something I always do now, because it puts my mind at rest before I leave the house. If you know what you’re dealing with, it’s easier to stay calm and process the situation.
In terms of differences in airlines, it all comes down to what you deem as comfortable. Certain airlines do offer more leg room generally, and it might be just me, but I find that Monarch’s leg room is a little more than, say, Thomas Cook’s. Despite that, all airlines will offer extra leg room seats for an additional price. As for food, generally you pay for an airline meal at the time of booking, but some airlines don’t offer a meal service as such, and instead have an in-flight food trolley.
Let’s talk baggage now, because this is the main difference in airlines, and something I’ve taken advantage of quite a lot! If you’re going away for maybe a long weekend or even a week, it’s possible to travel with just hand luggage if you use one of the airlines that offer more hand luggage, such as Monarch (on some flights), Jet 2, Easy Jet etc. These offer around 10kg, or as much as you can fit into a set-sized bag, which is the case with Easy Jet. As long as you can fit your bag in the overhead locker or under the seat in front of you, you should be fine. It takes a bit of ruthless packing, but it can be done as long as you wear your heaviest items, such as shoes, and buy your toiletries at the airport, remembering the rules on liquids in hand luggage. Saves money too!
So, can you argue that a plane is a plane? Well, in terms of getting from A to B, yes it is, but if you want to take advantage of extra perks, do your research before you book.
