Question: Does Europe have any Discount airlines that are not as barebones as EasyJet and Ryan Air? More like Southwest?
Here in the United States we have Airtran, Southwest, Jetblue, Frontier and Virgin America as dicount carriers.

Easyjet and Ryan Air seem much more downscale than our American discount airlines.

Our American low cost carriers offfer free soft drinks, free snacks, some have inflight tvs, toll free customer service numbers, e-mail customer service and no BS charges like checking in with a live ticket agent.

It seems that Southwest is almost a legacy carrier with no first class or assigned seating.

Ryan Air and Easyjet have no toll free customer service numbers, have no e-mail customer service and ofter charge to check in with a live ticket agent. The two airlines listed above charge for soft drinks and snacks.

Ryan Air and Easy Jet seem like the Dollar Store of airlines.

Southwest is more like the Target of airlines.

Does anyone thing US low cost carriers will down grade themselfes to become more like Ryan Air or Easy Jet? US low cost carriers could get rid of toll free numbers and replace them with 900 numbers. The US Lccs can start charging for beverages and snacks. They could also get rid of live ticket agents at check in and replace them with automated machines.

What I described would be a nightmere for American travelors. Does anyone think that Southwest, Airtran or Jetblue could become like I described in the next 5 years?

Lets hope not!
(discount airlines europe)

Best answer:

Answer by Sawbuck
European operators have to cope with much higher costs than American ones, not least because of short flights (most of the fuel is burned up in the takeoff and climb) and because of high airport landing charges. In order to meet the consumer demand for CHEAP, CHEAP FARES they have to slash everything to the bone. Will it ever happen here? Yes. If the price of oil goes up and stays up, then American airlines will also have to slash services to the bone to attract fliers. And then you will see these horrors here too. But don’t be too scared of automated ticket machines. Hey, if you can work a bank ATM, you can work an airport ticket machine. And now, in some airports, they even have machines that will print tags for your checked bags too.