Budget airlines are a vagabonder’s best friend

There’s something satisfying about knowing that you paid a lot less to fly the exact same route as someone else.

Hooray for budget airlines!

It’s like my recent trip on AirTran. I can’t say that service or amenities were exceptional, but that’s the point. Expect little, get little, and here’s the best thing: pay little.

That’s why I was glad to see the list of budget airlines that WildJunket.com has compiled—a good portion of which I’ve never heard of before. Included are 34 airlines, covering Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Australia/New Zealand.

With travelers more concerned than ever about saving money, and with airlines trying to keep prices as low as possible (then charging for the added perks of pillows and checked baggage), it’s a list that’s relevant for everyone—but especially the budget traveler.

And because search engines like Orbitz and Kayak usually show the larger airlines—not these budget airlines—you’d have to know to know to specifically look on their websites for cheaper prices.

How about you? Can you vouch for some of these lesser-known airlines, like Fly Monarch, My Air, Volaris, Lion Air, or Cebu Pacific?