Why do people always seem to assume that Ryanair, Easyjet et al are always cheaper than a full-service airline

Whilst I won't dispute the fact that the low-cost carriers have some great deals to be had, quite often the established airlines such as British Airways etc. will often be cheaper than Easyjet/Ryanair etc but trying to persuade people to believe this is very difficult!. I work in an office where every time someone talks about flying anywhere, they automatically look at Easyjet and won't even consider BA, even though for 3 out of 5 journeys BA has actually been cheaper or the same price.

The only time you are cheaper is if you book weeks in advance. I've had flights to Dublin from Glasgow for 1p plus taxes... Sometimes there isn't any competition.
But then again, on a short flight to Dublin, flying with the likes of Aer Lingus maybe more expensive..but due to the time your in the air, you're not getting anything extra..like a cup of coffee? I really could go 45mins without a cuppa!

But I certainly would NEVER fly with EasyJet. The programmes on TV do not paint them in any favourable light. I think the staff are rude and offer absolutely no concessions.

I was 20mins late for a flight with RyanAir due to traffic and I was still allowed to board, I've seen people go to the checkout desk for EasyJet 1 minute after it has closed and there is no way they are allowed to board...A good way to advertise how inflexible you are and loose customers if you ask me!!

U r quite right.....100%

Some people just dont understand the concept of 'you get what you pay for'. I don't belive that Ryanair or Easyjet are any better. British Airways and Monarch are much more efficient in their booking procedures. And anyway some people are just dumb!

RyanAir might not be cheaper, but maybe there are reasons (other than price) that people choose RyanAir. I've never flown either, but I've heard BA is well-known to cancel flights. That's a big deal to any flier, regardless of price.

I think that if people really want a good deal they should shop around. You're quiet right that sometimes Easyjet, Ryanair... are sometimes more expensive than BA or KLM, you should always check out everything before buying. I for example usually fly from Spain to Britain with Ryanair. Why? Firstly the car park in Girona airport is free, so I save on that. Secondly they fly direct from Girona to Glasgow, something which BA don't do. However, I do always check out all of the flights to make sure that there isn't something cheaper. Another possibility is to check out airlines from the country you're flying to. In Spain there are several low cost companies worth checking out.

Because of misleading advertising.

Fares on "budget" airlines often appear to be cheaper because they don't include taxes.
In my experience they tend to be more delayed than "mainstream" airlines like BA or KLM

I have observed and experienced the same thing as well: the traditional carriers are sometimes cheaper than the budget airlines. The budget airlines advertised themselves as cheap no-frills airlines but as the flight starts to get booked, the price is increased aggressively making it more expensive than the traditional carriers. Most people can't seem to get past the advertising and will always look at the budget airlines without considering the traditional airlines.

Flying from Newcastle we have more choice with budget airlines. British Airways only goes direct to London so more time and money is involved whereas Easyjet and Jet2, Ryan Air etc fly direct

because most of the time they actually are.