For many, budget airlines are the perfect way to enjoy a holiday without breaking the bank – but these can come with their own problems.
And some experts are warning that Ryanair and Wizz Air travellers should double-check the airport they are travelling to before booking, due to this big travel mistake made by millions each year.
Hadleigh Diamond, director of airport transfer company SCS Chauffeurs said: “Many budget airlines use major destinations in airport names that are actually 100s of miles away from the actual destination, leaving travellers working out how to get an airport transfer to the real destination.”
A Wizz Air spokesperson said this is vital for keeping costs down: “The use of secondary airports is key to ensuring we can keep fares for our passengers as low as possible.”
An airport may have a big city’s name even if it’s not actually in that city, as the airport is meant to be the main hub for people flying to and from that whole metropolitan area, even if it’s technically located in a nearby suburb or town.
This makes things easier for travellers and helps with name recognition, especially when there’s only one major airport serving a large area.
Airports over 50 miles away from their city
- Frankfurt-Hahn Airport (HHN) – 126 km (78 miles) (closer to Luxembourg).
- Oslo-Torp Airport (TRF) – 110 km (68 miles) southwest of Oslo.
- Memmingen Airport (FMM) (Often Marketed as “Munich West”) – 116 km (72 miles).
- Stockholm Skavsta Airport (NYO) – 100 km (62 miles) south of Stockholm.
- Barcelona-Reus Airport (REU) – 100 km (62 miles) southwest of Barcelona.
- Paris–Beauvais Airport (BVA) – 85 km (53 miles.
- Düsseldorf-Weeze Airport (NRN) – Approximately 80 km (50 miles) – on the border with Holland.
After landing at these airports, you’ll still have between one and two hours to travel until you reach your destination, which can be a pain if you haven’t planned a transfer or plotted a route ahead of time.
However, it’s because of this distance that airlines are able to offer budget-friendly flights to these destinations, Hdleigh said: “They do have benefits, however, offering cheap flights to major destinations, as long as you’re able to plan your airport transfer effectively, especially by pre-booking if its a late night flight.”
Similarly, a spokesperson for Wizz Air added: “At Wizz Air, for over twenty years, we’ve worked to democratise travel by making flying affordable for all.
“Thanks to this, we have flown more than 100 million passengers in the UK and connected them to incredible destinations for a low price. This has been a key aspect of our ultra-low-cost business model.
“The use of secondary airports is key to ensuring we can keep fares for our passengers as low as possible.
“It also helps to support local economies by encouraging travellers to visit off-the-beaten track destinations they wouldn’t otherwise visit.”
