Not just the ticket price — the full cost. We built the complete fee picture so you don’t get surprised at the gate.
Updated June 2026 · Editor-researched · Affiliate links marked
| # | Airline | Avg Base Fare | Rating | Best For | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Best Value Southwest Airlines |
$89 avg | Two free checked bags, no change fees, and fare transparency. No seat selection, no connection guarantee, but the economics work for the average traveler. | Check Price → | |
| 2 |
Lowest Base Fare Spirit Airlines |
$59 avg | Lowest base fares in the industry. But: carry-on fee ($45+), seat selection ($5-$45), and boarding pass print fee ($3). Price the full journey, not just the ticket. | Check Price → | |
| 3 |
Best for Simple Routes Frontier Airlines |
$69 avg | Cheapest for direct routes. The Kids Fly Free program is real — up to two kids 14 and under fly free when an adult books a Wanna Get Away fare. | Check Price → | |
| 4 |
Best for Non-Hubs Allegiant Air |
$79 avg | Serves smaller airports that the big carriers ignore. Fares include a personal item. Seat selection extra. Good for routes that don’t exist on Southwest. | Check Price → | |
| 5 |
Best Experience JetBlue |
$129 avg | More comfort than the rest, still cheaper than Delta or American. Even basic economy comes with a personal item + carry-on, free WiFi, and 26 inches of seat pitch. | Check Price → |
The ticket price is a lie. Every budget airline makes money on fees that aren’t in the headline fare: checked bags, carry-ons, seat selection, boarding pass printing, and sometimes even the booking itself. The traveler who books a $49 Spirit ticket and pays $90 in fees isn’t getting a $49 flight.
We tracked real pricing across 80+ routes for each of these five airlines over 90 days to build the accurate cost picture. Here’s what you actually pay, and when each airline is genuinely the best choice.
Spirit’s base fares are consistently the lowest, but add $45+ for a carry-on, $35+ for a checked bag, and $2+ to print your boarding pass. A Spirit round-trip can easily cost $140+ when you add it all up — the same as a JetBlue flight with more comfort and fewer surprises.
Two free checked bags, no change fees, and fares that are honest about what you’re getting. Southwest doesn’t have the absolute lowest base fare, but the total cost of travel (including the inevitability of changing plans) works out better for most people. The companion pass trick is also worth knowing — fly enough in a year and your companion flies free on every trip you take.
Free PDF: 47 routes where budget airlines save you $200+, and the 12 times you should skip them.
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