Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2, Wizz Air, TUI — the best budget airlines flying from the UK all promise cheap fares, but the experience (and the true cost) varies enormously once you factor in baggage fees, legroom, punctuality and the general will to live. I’ve flown them all, multiple times, and the cheapest headline fare is rarely the cheapest trip. Here’s the honest comparison, so you can choose with your eyes open.

Best Budget Airlines from the UK Compared: The Headline Numbers

Ryanair — the cheapest, the most… Ryanair

• Fares: consistently the lowest headline prices in Europe, especially booked early. Flash sales drop fares to single digits.
• Fees: where they get you — baggage, seat selection, priority boarding, even printing your boarding pass (don’t). A “£20 fare” easily becomes £60 with a checked bag and a chosen seat.
• Legroom: 30 inches — tight. Non-reclining seats (a blessing in disguise: no one reclines into you).
• Punctuality: genuinely excellent — among Europe’s best. Their ruthless 25-minute turnarounds work.
• Network: enormous from UK regional airports, especially Stansted. If they fly your route, they’re usually cheapest.
• The catch: the customer service experience is famously adversarial. If something goes wrong, expect a fight — know your UK cancellation rights cold before flying Ryanair.

easyJet — the grown-up budget option

• Fares: slightly higher than Ryanair on average, but frequent sales and a better booking experience.
• Fees: similar menu of extras, but the base fare includes a bit more (under-seat bag). Their bundle options (Flexi fares) are transparent.
• Legroom: 29-30 inches standard; “Up Front” and “Extra Legroom” seats (up to 34″) are worth the £8-15 on longer flights.
• Punctuality: decent, though Gatwick/Luton congestion causes delays.
• Network: huge from Gatwick, Luton, Bristol, Manchester and Edinburgh. Strong on city routes and holiday destinations.
• The vibe: noticeably less adversarial than Ryanair. Their app is excellent, disruption handling is better, and easyJet Holidays packages are genuinely good value.

Jet2 — the package holiday specialist

• Fares: competitive, especially as part of Jet2holidays packages (which often undercut flight-only + separate hotel).
• Fees: 22kg hold baggage included in many fares — a rarity among budget airlines and a huge effective saving.
• Legroom: 30 inches, comfortable enough.
• Punctuality and service: consistently top-rated among UK budget carriers — friendly crew, fewer horror stories.
• Network: focused on Mediterranean holiday destinations from UK regional airports (Leeds, Newcastle, East Midlands strongholds).
• Best for: package holidays and travellers who want budget prices without budget misery.

Wizz Air — the ultra-low-cost challenger

• Fares: often undercuts Ryanair on headline price, especially Eastern Europe routes.
• Fees: aggressive — even cabin bags cost extra on the cheapest fares. Read the fare conditions with a magnifying glass.
• Legroom: 28-30 inches — among the tightest. Tall travellers beware.
• Punctuality: historically the weakest of the big budget carriers, though improving.
• Network: strong on Eastern and Central Europe from Luton and Gatwick.
• The catch: disruption handling has attracted regulatory attention. Cheap, but keep your rights knowledge handy.

TUI Airways — the charter hybrid

• Fares: competitive on package holidays; flight-only fares exist but aren’t their focus.
• Included: packages typically include hold baggage, transfers and a more generous experience than pure budget carriers.
• Best for: traditional package holidays where you want everything handled.

The True Cost Comparison

Headline fares lie. Always calculate the total trip cost for your specific needs:

• A £25 Ryanair fare + £30 checked bag + £8 seat = £63
• A £45 easyJet fare + £24 checked bag = £69 (but better experience)
• A £55 Jet2 fare with 22kg bag included = £55 (cheapest overall here)

The winner depends on your baggage, route and priorities. For hand-baggage-only light packers (see our light packing guide), Ryanair and Wizz’s rock-bottom fares are genuinely cheapest. For checked bags, Jet2’s included allowance often wins.

Choosing for Your Trip Type

• Cheapest possible weekend away: Ryanair or Wizz, hand baggage only, off-peak.
• Family holiday: Jet2 or easyJet — better service, saner policies, package options.
• City break: easyJet’s network and schedules are hard to beat.
• Eastern Europe: Wizz Air’s network is unmatched.
• Package holiday: compare Jet2holidays, easyJet Holidays and TUI as packages — then compare against DIY (our cheap flight guide + separate hotel).

Surviving Budget Airlines (Universal Tips)

1. Read the baggage rules for YOUR fare. Budget airline baggage policies change constantly and vary by fare type. Check before every trip, not from memory.
2. Check in online and download boarding passes. Airport check-in fees are pure profit for the airline.
3. Arrive with time to spare. Budget terminals (Stansted, Luton at peak) have long security queues.
4. Bring food and entertainment. Buy-on-board is pricey; an empty water bottle (fill airside) and snacks save a fortune.
5. Know your rights: EU/UK261 compensation applies to all these airlines on UK/EU departures. Our cancelled flight rights guide is essential pre-flight reading.
6. Pay fee-free: use a no-foreign-fee card — airlines often process in euros.

Loyalty Programmes: Worth It?

Budget airlines all run loyalty schemes now — easyJet Plus, Ryanair’s subscription-style discounts, Wizz Discount Club. Are they worth it? The maths is simple: divide the annual cost by the saving per flight. Wizz Discount Club (~£30/year) saves £5+ per person per flight — two return trips and it’s paid for itself. easyJet Plus (£215/year) only makes sense for very frequent flyers (free seat selection, speedy boarding, dedicated bag drop). For most holiday travellers flying 2-4 times a year, Wizz’s club is the only one that clearly pays; the others need 8+ flights to break even. And none of them beats the simplest loyalty hack: booking early, travelling off-peak, and packing light. Programmes reward frequency; the tactics above reward everyone.

For independent satisfaction ratings, Which? surveys thousands of UK passengers annually on airlines — punctuality, customer service and value — a useful cross-check against the marketing.

The Practical Takeaway

The best budget airline from the UK depends on your trip: Ryanair for rock-bottom hand-baggage fares (with eyes open), easyJet for the best all-round budget experience, Jet2 for packages and included baggage, Wizz for Eastern Europe. Always calculate total cost including bags and extras, book direct, and know your passenger rights. The cheapest fare isn’t always the cheapest trip — but with the full picture, budget airlines remain the greatest deal in European travel.