Low-cost European carriers

In an era when one can fly from London to Rome for less than dinner for two at an osteria, it was only a matter of time until no-frills carriers started to dip their toes in the Pond—the Big one, that is. In recent years, a number of low-cost European carriers offering service to the United States have emerged. Indeed, the number of daily nonstop flights between the U.S. and Europe has grown by more than 20 percent in the last four years.

While some of the low-cost carriers (or LCCs in industry parlance) have been quietly serving popular European vacation spots, such as Florida, for some time, others are upstarts or former charter airlines looking for a piece of the competitive transatlantic action. "They are emulating the low-cost carrier model, using Internet distribution, low overhead, and a focus on efficiency," explains Craig Jenks, an airline industry consultant.

Eurofly, a former charter airline of Alitalia, launched service from New York's JFK to Bologna, Naples, Palermo, and Rome in June 2005, with round-trip flights starting at around $800. Last winter, the Scotland-based airline Flyglobespan introduced service from Belfast and Glasgow to Orlando (from $400 round-trip) and will fly from Liverpool to Newark starting this month. Air Plus Comet flies from New York to Madrid, with fares starting at $400 round-trip. The Germany-based Condor flies to Las Vegas, Orlando, Fairbanks, and Anchorage. A Las Vegas-Frankfurt round-trip is currently $428. The Netherlands-based Martinair flies to Miami and Orlando. Round-trip fares start at $696 for travel in May. And the Dusseldorf-based LTU is introducing service from German cities to Las Vegas in May.

These airlines aren't exactly Southwest with a continental accent. Legroom can be tight on these carriers, and don't count on VIP lounges and mileage programs, but there are no Southwest-style cattle calls, and food is available, albeit for a price, on some routes.

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