BA Offer better Value than Ryanair
British Airways fares are frequently better value than those of Ryanair, says a study published by the official air passenger watchdog yesterday.
The report from the statutory Air Users' Council found that the difference in prices between full service carriers and their no-frills rivals was "often minimal" and more than compensated for by the older airlines' use of conveniently located airports.
Analysis of 1,500 fares on nine short-haul routes showed that operators such as BA and bmi British Midland sometimes offered the cheapest fares, especially when booked well in advance.
Between Glasgow and Paris, British Airways had lower prices than Ryanair for four of six booking periods assessed.
For departures on a Friday and return a week later, BA offered seats for £133 from Glasgow International compared with Ryanair's £178 from Prestwick, 32 miles out of the city centre.
For travel the week following the time of booking, the full-service operator charged £107 against the budget airline's £118. The pattern was the same for flights four weeks and 13 weeks after booking.
Ryanair came out on top only for travel the next day with a lowest fare of £171 against BA's £263.
The study found that in general the difference in fares tended to diminish the further in advance tickets were bought.
Unlike their low-cost competitors, BA and bmi would also offer bookings 26 or more weeks in advance, usually at cheaper rates than available 13 weeks before.
However, no-frills fares tended to rise less sharply as the travel date approached.
A London-Venice return cost only £2 more with Easyjet if booked for travel the next day rather than 13 weeks in advance. With Ryanair, the increase was £15 but £102 with British Airways.
The council report also urged consumers to take the cost and time of travel into account before making their choice.
It showed that while Ryanair's average London-Frankfurt fare (£86) was almost £50 cheaper than BA's, the traveller to Frankfurt would find the transfer journey from Hahn airport taking two hours and costing £8.
Meanwhile, after landing at Frankfurt Main, the BA passenger would pay £2 to reach the city centre in 11 minutes.
The study added that full-service carriers offered the additional benefits of free refreshments on board and "more comprehensive back-up" when flights were delayed or cancelled.
"It is not possible to conclude that one particular type of airline is better than the other - each has advantages and disadvantages.
"With no-frills operators, passengers now have more choice than ever before. Our advice is to book as early as possible, shop around and find out which airport the airline uses."