Europe's Largest Low-Cost Airlines Want to Form Their Own Alliance

While some of America’s biggest airlines — including American, Delta and United — have taken a cue from their low-cost competitors by introducing basic economy rates that strip passengers of everything from the chance to choose their own seats to the ability to make use of the luggage bin above their heads, The Telegraph reports that a group of Europe’s largest budget airlines — including easyJet, Norwegian and Ryanair — have been toying with the idea of forming their own “low-cost alliance,” which could pose a major threat to the business of full-service carriers like British Airways and Emirates.

Though the aforementioned no-frills airlines have long been competitors, they’re beginning to see how banding together could shake up the airline industry and improve their bottom lines across the board, particularly when it comes to long-haul flights. Ryanair alone services more than 200 destinations in 33 different countries, making it the largest airline network in Europe — British Airways flies to 183 destinations, although in 78 different countries. Many of these low-cost carriers service smaller, regional airports in far-flung places that would be difficult to reach otherwise, while Norwegian offers long-haul flights to the U.S., Asia and the Caribbean and recently confirmed that it'll be expanding to Argentina, so the travel opportunities would be many if the carriers all worked together on this.

At the moment, though no official deals have been made, easyJet, Norwegian and Ryanair seem to be the primary players. Stay tuned to TPG for the latest updates — we'll be watching this closely, especially since it could be a great thing for budget-minded travelers.

H/T: The Telegraph