how you come to say what is a LCC

A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline (also known as a no-frills, discount or budget carrier or airline or cheap flight) is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts. To make up for revenue lost in decreased ticket prices, the airline may charge for extras like food, priority boarding, seat allocating, and baggage etc.

The term originated within the airline industry referring to airlines with a lower operating cost structure than their competitors. While the term is often applied to any carrier with low ticket prices and limited services, regardless of their operating models, low-cost carriers should not be confused with regional airlines that operate short flights without service, or with full-service airlines offering some reduced fares.

Low-cost carrier business model practices vary widely. Some practices are more common in certain regions, while others are generally universal. The common theme among all low-cost carriers is the reduction of cost and reduced overall fares compared to legacy carriers.

The price policy of the low cost carriers is usually very dynamic, with discounts and tickets in promotion. Like other carriers, even if the advertised price may be very low, it often does not include charges & taxes. With some airlines, some flights are advertised as free (plus applicable taxes, fees and charges). Depending on the airline, perhaps as many (or as few) as ten percent of the seats on any flight are offered at the lowest price, and are the first to sell. The prices steadily rise thereafter to a point where they can be comparable or more expensive than a flight on a full-service carrier.

Most airlines charge additional taxes and fees on their tickets. Some low-cost airlines have been known to charge fees for the seemingly ridiculous, such as levying a credit card charge where credit card is the only payment method accepted. Many consumers and governments consider this to be fraudulent, but some still allow this and similar practices.

So now tell me please, from 2004 specific since and after 2008 world financial crisis and what now in europe and usa, which the REAL low cost carriers you can call, based on what and if their model has changed or not over the last 7 years even they still call themselves as a LCC.

Lisa, I have never liked the term Low Cost Carrier/Airline. I do not believe there is such a thing. You only get what you pay for so if airline ABC is offering the same service as airline XYZ for 30/40% lower fare then yes airline ABC is a LCC.

We keep comparing as Mabel says Apples and Oranges and we cant do that we have to compare like for like.

If we fly from point A to point B and we get a price from say Air France and we get a price on the same route point A to point B with Ryanair we should understand that Air France will be higher because the service will be of a higher standard. We either pay AF what they want or go with FR and if we do so we have to understand that it will be a garbage service from start to finnish because there is not enough money in the pot to give us a high standard of service.

I don't think there is a LCC but there is a cheap seat airline who will add all sorts of charges and there is an all inclusive carrier who will quote you a price for everything. We therefore must remember that if we want to use what we call a LCC, Budget Airline or No Frills Carrier the first price we get is ONLY FOR THE SEAT and nothing else.

Lowest Level of Service to best.
Level 1 : RYR,WZZ,AXM,CEB,
Level 2: SWA,
Level 3: JBU,FFT
Level 4: MLR
Level 5: VRD,EIN,JST,XAX,

well pointed, captain bill, i very agree with ONLY FOR THE SEAT and nothing else.

skid kid, here in Canada, WS you can say is a level 3.

world worst of all surery FR, level ZERO, like standard and poor´s lowering to worst italy and spain, as not worthy talk about greece, ireland and portugal.

Low Cost Carrier means an airline that is not swamped and infested with unions, overpaid old staff and heavy pension obligations, that is what low cost is, Bill it has nothing to do with price of tickets etc.

We need to tell Mr. O'Leary that because that is not his definition. He has said many times that Low Cost is what they are because they are Low Cost to the passenger unlike BA who are a high cost airline to their passengers. He said that FR are low cost because all people need within Europe is a seat on an aeroplane. They don't need to take lots of luggage with them so a small bag is all they need.

Yes I dont disagree with MOL, but the basics of selling at competitive prices and still make a profit (FR) is a low level of cost, many Asian Airlines are low cost too although they are regarded as legacies.

Skid Kid, I'm not familiar with the 3-letter airline codes. Which are AXM, FFT, MLR, JST and XAX?

CPH I agree with what you are saying regarding the set up and structure of what we call a LCC but that is of no interest to the potential passengers. The marketing towards them must exclaim and show as a Carrier we can offer you a Low Cost.

The irony is that when compared to full-service airlines the LCC's fares often turn out to be not much (if at all) less after ancillary fees are factored in. E.g. for my latest roundtrip to LAS NK was only $9 less than WN once fees were factored in.

We do have Norwegian here in my backyard, they consider themselves being a LCC, and so do all their customers and I:
Their services are at level with SAS (SK)and any legacy airlines, and when booking, 80% of the time cheaper than SK and others, and amazingly enough making a profit and on top of that they grew +20% in 2011, plus their fleet is less half the age of SK, and I bet SK will probably not exist 10 years from now, same with a lot of other legacies!

CPH, Norwegian are level with SAS and any legacy airline, as far as Service goes, but don't SAS charge in Y for ancillaries? So they're not exactly on a level with 'any' legacies themselves?

Yes Lisa, I would say WJA is level 3.

Mabel, AXM=Air Asia, FFT=Frontier, MLR=Mihin Lanka, JST=Jetstar, & XAX=Air Asia X.

Most European regional airlines, and I am only comparing to SK European routes to Norwegians, since they (DY) only serve the European market, do not offer any other class than 1, only the ticket price (flexible) and the bribes (mileage) are different.

CPH, matt757:
<<Their services are at level with SAS (SK)and any legacy airlines>>
Level with SK may be, but with ANY legacy carriers? How about try comparing Norwegian with legacies such as SQ, CX, OZ, NH, NZ, etc. ......will need to create a new definition for the term <LEVEL>.

When Norwegian achieves SkyTrax 4Stars or higher in the future, I'll start thinking about them as level with ANY legacies.

FLX, that'd pretty much what I was getting at, should've put the bit about Norwegian/SAS being level with any Legacy in quotation marks...

FLX: I am purely comparing with intra-euro flights.