Are There Any Low-cost Alternatives To EasyJet When Flying To East Central Europe?

Two large low-cost airlines were established in the past few years in East Central Europe in order to help better connect the region to popular destinations in Western Europe and the UK.

SkyEurope, a Slovak low-cost airline based in Bratislava, was founded in 2001 and claims to be the largest discount carrier in the region. In addition to Bratislava's M.R. Stefanik Airport, SkyEurope also maintains hubs in Budapest, Krakow, Prague and Vienna. SkyEurope currently flies to 37 European destinations and provides low airfares similar to those of easyJet. Like the UK-based discount giant, SkyEurope offers buy-on-board snacks, rather than complimentary meals.

The other major discount airline in the region is Wizz Air, a Hungarian-Polish company established in 2003, which maintains hubs in Budapest, Katowice, Warsaw, Gdansk and Sofia. Wizz Air connects these cities to popular destinations in Western Europe and as of January 15, 2007, will also be offering scheduled flights from Budapest to Bucharest. Wizz Air is known for special promotions where it gives away hundreds of "free" tickets and only charges the passenger the applicable taxes. Its regular fares, however, tend to be slightly higher than those offered by easyJet. Wizz Air operates flights to over 36 cities, including London-Luton, Glasgow, Cork and Liverpool.