Best Budget Airlines in Europe (Ranked by Hidden Fees)
Budget airlines make headline fares look irresistible — until add-ons, seat fees and gate penalties turn a €19 ticket into a €100 trip. Below I rank the most-used European budget carriers by how likely they are to surprise you with extra fees, show the typical gotchas, and give actionable tips so you keep the price low.
Quick take — the ranking (worst → best for hidden fees)
Ryanair — most aggressive ancillary pricing and strict gate enforcement. Ryanair
Wizz Air — very stingy free-carry rules; priority add-on often required. wizzair.com+1
easyJet — lower headline surprise but strict gate/oversize penalties reported. easyjet.com
Vueling — many optional bundles; overhead/cabin costs can add up. Vueling+1
Transavia — low base fare but nearly everything (checked bag, cabin bag if unbooked) is paid. transavia.com+1
Eurowings — clearer bundle pricing and fewer nasty surprise gate charges (if you prebook). Eurowings+1
Why “hidden fees” matter
Airlines split the ticket into base fare + ancillaries. Hidden fees that inflate a trip include:
Carry-on / personal item restrictions and gate check charges.
Checked-bag price jumps when bought at the airport vs online.
Seat selection / family seating fees and priority boarding.
Payment method or booking-channel fees and admin charges.
If you compare only base fares you’ll often lose — the cheapest headline fare can be the most expensive final price.
1) Ryanair — highest chance of surprise (what to watch for)
Common hidden fees: tiny free personal-bag allowance, strict size enforcement (large gate fines), and rising costs for checked baggage and priority boarding. Ryanair’s optional items (priority + second carry-on, 10–20kg hold bags) vary by route and booking time — buying at the airport is much more expensive. If your small bag doesn’t fit the sizer, expect a heavy gate charge.
Bottom line: Ryanair often has the lowest headline fares but enforces carry-on rules and upsells aggressively — check exact bag dimensions and prebook any bag/priority you need.
2) Wizz Air — strict carry-on + priority paywall
Common hidden fees: only a very small personal item is free on many fares; extra cabin trolley requires WIZZ Priority. Checked-bag prices escalate a lot at the airport vs online. Wizz’s “priority + extra cabin bag” add-on is almost required for anyone who wants a normal carry-on.
Bottom line: If you plan to bring a standard cabin bag, budget for WIZZ Priority or book a higher fare — otherwise you risk paying large sums at the gate.
3) easyJet — moderate surprises, strict gate rules reported
Common hidden fees: small free under-seat item only on lowest fares; larger cabin or hold luggage is an extra cost. Recent reports show gate staff incentives to spot oversized bags — meaning gate checks and penalties are enforced in a way that inflates revenue from oversize carry-ons. Prebook baggage and understand the exact free-item size to avoid a stiff gate fee.
Bottom line: easyJet’s fee structure is relatively transparent on its site, but enforcement at airports can cause last-minute charges.
4) Vueling — bundles can hide the true price
Common hidden fees: Vueling sells many bundles (e.g., “Fly Light”, “Optima/Fly” packages) where baggage, seat choice and priority are added separately or grouped. If you add items á la carte, the totals can stack quickly. Gate and overweight fees are also expensive compared with online prebooking.
Bottom line: If you want extras with Vueling, compare a bundle vs buying a la carte — bundles can simplify costs but sometimes cost more than expected.
5) Transavia — cheap base, pay for almost everything
Common hidden fees: many Transavia fares do not include checked luggage; cabin bag not booked in advance is often checked at the gate (with a fee). Seat reservation and airport baggage purchases are substantially pricier than online prebooking.
Bottom line: Transavia’s base fare is honest but you must actively add baggage/seat options during booking or expect high airport charges.
6) Eurowings — clearer bundles if you prebook
Common hidden fees: like other LCCs, Eurowings charges for seats, priority and hold luggage — but their fare bundles (BASIC / SMART / BEST) make what’s included clearer up front, and online prebooking offers sizable savings over airport prices. If you prebook add-ons, surprises are fewer.
Bottom line: Eurowings is one of the easier budget carriers to avoid surprises with — just prebook luggage/seat and you’ll usually be fine.
Quick comparison table (typical ranges — always check route/season)
Values are approximate ranges and change by route/time; check the airline page for your flight before booking.
| Airline | Small free carry-on? | Typical checked 20–23kg (online) | Priority / extra cabin | Gate/airport penalty risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryanair | Very small (fits under-seat only on lowest fares). | €18–€60 (route/time dependent). | €6–€36+ (priority & second cabin bag). | High — strict enforcement & gate charges. |
| Wizz Air | Small personal bag free; trolley requires WIZZ Priority. | €8–€90+ (varies). | WIZZ Priority from low single digits to €20+. | High if you skip priority. |
| easyJet | Small under-seat item free on some fares. | €9–€50+ depending on timing. | Seat selection & Upfront costs vary; gate gate-check penalty reported. | Medium |
| Vueling | Personal item free; other cabin/checked bags charged. | From ≈€10–€120 depending on weight/time. | Bundles include seats/priority; a la carte adds up. | Medium |
| Transavia | No checked bag included in many fares. | €9–€54 (online); much higher at airport. | Seat reservations €5–€21 typical. | Medium–High if unbooked cabin bag. |
| Eurowings | Small item varies by fare (BASIC vs SMART). | From €12–€75+ online; airport more. | Seat & priority options available; prebook to save. | Lower if prebooked |
(Table notes: prices are illustrative ranges from airline pages and recent guides — always confirm for your date/route.)
How to avoid (or reduce) hidden-fee surprises
Compare final total, not headline fare. Always add baggage, seats and priority when comparing.
Prebook online — far cheaper than airport purchases. Most airlines give big discounts for online add-ons.
Measure and weigh your bags at home. If your bag looks borderline, gate sizers and overweight fees are expensive.
Bundle smartly. For families, a bundle with included baggage/seat can be cheaper than many per-person add-ons.
Use budget-flight aggregators that show add-on costs (or services that list the final price with typical add-ons).
Join local Telegram channels or bots (like Flynect) that monitor deals and often note total price after typical add-ons for a route.
Final word
Low-cost carriers are brilliant when you travel light and understand the rules. If you’re hunting the cheapest workable trip (not just the cheapest fare), always add the specific extras you’ll need before you pay — and compare the final totals.
If you run deals or need alerts, Flynect helps — we aggregate cheap flight deals and show realistic totals, plus a Telegram bot + country-specific channels so you get notifications relevant to the airports and fee patterns that matter for your region. Join the Flynect bot or the country channels to get deals and fee-aware tips delivered where you prefer.
👉 Join our Bot or use https://flynect.eu
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