LordLucan - not all the low-costs are a poor way to fly! I far, far prefer the quality of service I get on buzz flights from STN-FRA and back than I used to get on far more expensive flights on LH from LHR-FRA! The buzz team are friendlier, the coffee comes in a cafetiere (even if you do pay for it - and why shouldn't you?), parking at STN is so much cheaper, the seats are vastly more comfortable on both 146 and 737 than on any LH airbus, you don't feel a second class citizen to some fat businessman in 'someone else paid for my ticket class', etc etc......
Low cost short-haul, if clean and comfortable, is much more appealing than full-cost free G&T travel in the cattle-class seats of multi-class carriers! Especially when it means that I can visit Ladylove more often than I used to be able to!