A recent UK CAA survey reveals that Go and easyJet are saving travellers hundreds of thousands of pounds by charging fares up to 75% lower than those of the traditional airlines.

A UK CAA survey of what Northern Ireland air travellers have paid in the last 12 months, reveals that Go and easyJet`s average return fare of £48 incl tax was:

- less than half of British Midland`s average return fare; and - less than a third of British European`s and British Airways` average return fares

Following our merger on August 1, Go and easyJet now have over 50% of the Northern Ireland air travel market and for the first time people North and South have credible proof of what they`re saving by flying with budget airlines.

Despite expensive re-branding and `cheaper fares` advertising by the traditional airlines, the CAA figures show the gulf between the low-cost and traditional airlines is wider than ever.

The CAA`s Belfast Airports Survey 2001-2002 reveals that the most expensive airlines* with which to fly to/from Northern Ireland are:

1. British Airways - £165 (average return fare incl tax)2. British European - £145 (average return fare incl tax) 3. British Midland - £116 (average return fare incl tax)

Go and easyJet`s average return fare is £48 incl tax.

The survey also shows that the traditional airlines save their highest fares for Northern Ireland residents! Passengers flying to England and Scotland with traditional airlines can pay up to £40 more per journey than someone flying in the other direction**.

Go`s Northern Ireland sales manager Caroline Harvey said: “The usual suspects are still ripping people off, and Northern Ireland passengers in particular.

Being low-cost is not about throwing in a few lower fares. It`s about being consistently cheap and saving travellers lots of money over time.”

*`Most expensive airlines` calculated by comparing total fare-income earned per airline on all the airline`s routes from Northern Ireland-residing travellers with the total number of Northern Ireland passengers flown; ** Based on the average return fares including tax on a particular route charged by airlines to residents of Northern Ireland versus residents of England / Scotland;
easyJet, Go and British Midland fly from Belfast International. British Midland, British Airways and British European fly from Belfast City.

The Civil Aviation Authority`s Belfast Airports Survey was carried out between April 2001 and March 2002; it involved daily passenger interviews during that period. It is the first CAA survey of Belfast Airports to be carried out since low-cost airlines came to Northern Ireland in 1998 (previous survey carried out in 1996).
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