LowCost Archives - usatoday24

A Canadian low-cost airline is already experimenting with ultra-narrow seats for its passengers

February 8, 2026 by usatoday24

“Basically, it’s inhumane to make someone travel like that.” The words are from Amanda Schmidt, an ordinary citizen living (or surviving) another day in the experience of flying. Their complaints could have gone unnoticed, they could have fallen on deaf ears. But he uploaded a video to TikTok. The video went viral and now an airline has had to back down. The video. A man, a woman and a daughter recording. “It should be illegal.” “What happens in case of an accident?” “I’m getting claustrophobic just watching this.” “Don’t worry, they haven’t made you pay to recline the seat yet.” These are comments that accompany the video uploaded by Schmidt to TikTok and one of them points in the right direction as we will see later. In the video you can see two elderly people with serious problems traveling comfortably in their seats. Although the feeling is that the video is recorded with the wide angle of the camera, the image itself already produces a certain amount of stress, with the man putting his legs under the front seat. Click on the image to go to the original video “It’s inhuman”. Once the video went viral, the company has had to give explanations. In statements by the author to C.B.S. He argued a truism that WestJet, the Canadian company on which the people in the video travel, seems to have forgotten: “if they are selling a seat for a human, a human should be able to enter.” The video records what WestJet called “densified seating” (something like “densified” seats in a literal translation into Spanish). The company has tried to increase the number of seats on its planes by reducing legroom and front seatback. Now they confirm that they will reverse what they have called “ultra slim line” seats. “It’s in our DNA”. That is the response from Alexis von Hoensbroech, CEO of the company, who assured that it is essential for them to test new products in a statement made public by the company. These products were, in this case, increasing the seats available in the cabin at the expense of greater passenger comfort. WestJet has assured that it had a program open to reconfigure its cabins and increase the number of passengers but that the final implementation was pending the rejection or support it received from passengers. They assure that in December the possibility of canceling the project was already studied and that with the feedback received, the final decision was going to be made in mid-February. Now they confirm that they will return to the initial configuration. Recliners. Among the comments on the video, one of the TikTok users pointed out that WestJet still “did not charge for reclining the seat.” The mention was not accidental and this possibility had been talked about for a few months. In October We learned the company had a plan: If you want a reclining seat, pay more. To announce this measure, the company noted that it had created a new class of ticket called “extended comfort”, a category immediately above the basic fare that would allow the seat to be reclined. Passengers who did not opt for it or one of the premium services would travel the entire time with their backs completely straight. The decision raised eyebrows among users and experts such as John Gradek, professor of aeronautical management at McGill University in Montreal, who pointed out CBC that “the imagination of airline marketing managers never ceases to amaze me,” making it clear that the measure was nothing more than a new attempt to raise more money. More and more passengers. For years, the only certainty is that low-cost airlines have been working to put more passengers on their planes. In his usual controversial tone, Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, He claimed he could deploy planes to travel standing up in a week. And if it was profitable They would not hesitate to find a way to achieve it. Beyond O’Leary’s bravado, the truth is that there are companies that have been working on solutions that aim for this very thing for years, presenting at aeronautical fairs “seats” to travel completely vertical and barely supported on a kind of stools. An idea that fortunately has not finished curdling very good reviews they have received from the airlines low cost. Photo | Dillon Wolf and Kiya Golara In Xataka | Ryanair and the rest of the low-cost airlines have been charging for your carry-on suitcase for years. The European Union is tired of it

Ryanair and the rest of the low-cost airlines have been charging for your carry-on suitcase for years. The European Union is tired of it

February 2, 2026 by usatoday24

It is no surprise that the main business of “cheap airlines” is precisely charge you for cabin luggage. A cheap Ryanair or EasyJet ticket can easily be double the price if you include a small suitcase to carry in the cabin. And from Europe I want this to end nowboth by users and legislators. not so fast. In this regard, the European Parliament has voted in favor to allow all passengers to carry one cabin bag of up to 7 kg free of charge, in addition to their personal bag or backpack. The measure has sparked criticism from low-cost airlines, since they rate it ‘existential threat’ to its business model, and that could raise ticket prices by up to 25%, according to EasyJet. The trigger. The European legislative proposal establishes that any passenger may carry at no additional cost one personal item plus one piece of hand luggage of up to 7 kg and with combined dimensions of 100 cm. This would affect all flights to or from EU airports operated by EU airlines. Of course, it should be noted that this bill must still go through the European Council before becoming law. Baggage and margins. Bag fees have become a great source of income for low-cost airlines. Jay Sorensen, airfare expert at consulting firm IdeaWorks, counted to the Financial Times that European airlines raised $16 billion in 2025 just for baggage, of which 60% went to low-cost airlines. Although these fees are not usually broken down individually, Sorensen estimates that they represent almost a fifth of the total revenue of low-cost airlines. Reaction of the industry. Kenton Jarvis, CEO of EasyJet, has qualified the “lunatic idea” proposal and warns that the additional costs “would have to be passed on” to all passengers through higher prices, even for those traveling without luggage. On the other hand, József Váradi, CEO of Wizz Air, account to FT that consumers are “much smarter” and “are able to navigate the current system of optional tariffs.” For its part, Airlines 4 Europe, the industry lobby, has presented a survey according to which half of passengers would prefer to pay lower fares and keep suitcases as an optional extra. Margins. The low cost model is based on eliminating minutes on the ground and fuel costs. Augusto Ponte, European director of the consulting firm Alton Aviation, account FT that if each passenger carried between 2 and 4 additional kg, a plane with 150 people would have 500 kg extra weight, which translates into between 15 and 20 additional euros of fuel per hour of flight. According to Ponte, for an airline like EasyJet, which flies approximately one million hours annually, that would mean more than €28 million extra per year in operating costs, approximately a tenth of its total profit. In addition, the executive says that 150 additional suitcases in the cabin per flight would cause delays of about 10 minutes in each boarding, not counting the time necessary to relocate the excess in the hold. Ponte assures that, in short-haul aircraft that make six flights a day, this would be equivalent to one hour less operation per plane each day. Consumer protection. Beuc, the European consumer association, strongly supports the proposals of Parliament and even proposes raising the permitted weight to 10 kg. Agustín Reyna, its general director, argues that passengers “expect their hand luggage to be included in the price of the ticket” and that forcing them to pay turns luggage into “a luxury item.” For his part, Andrey Novakov, the Bulgarian MEP who is leading the parliamentary negotiation on these rules, has declared that the goal is “to strive for clearer and more predictable rules for airlines and a stronger aviation sector, but never at the expense of passengers.” Cover image | Gabor Koszegi In Xataka | When Ryanair CEO went to a restaurant he was charged for two extras: “priority seating” and “legroom”

The lack of additives at low-cost gas stations does not keep drivers up at night. That’s why Moeve wants to be more Ballenoil

October 31, 2025 by usatoday24

Moeve has changed its strategy and has done so in a big way. In just 12 months, the company has converted 50 of its service stations traditional to Ballenoil, its low-cost brand. And since this type of gas stations began to become popular, the ‘lack’ of additives It has not been a concern for consumers who, above all, prioritize their pockets. The transformation has been especially intense since this summer, when the oil company decided to accelerate the process of further prioritizing its low-cost brand in strategic points throughout the Peninsula. Transformation. The old one Cepsa bought Ballenoil in November 2023 with a clear objective: to challenge Repsol for the crown, which maintains the largest share of the Spanish market. But it is not only about growing the number of gas stations. And it seems that Moeve has understood that the future involves being present in two worlds: the premium, where it maintains its traditional brand, and the low cost, where the customer seeks to fill the tank at a lower cost. From Moeve confirm to the Vozpópuli medium that “both premium and low cost are important to respond to the expectations of our customers.” The perfect timing. Although fuel prices have fallen since all-time highs which they reached after the Russian invasion of Ukraine (when they exceeded two euros per liter), continue to remain at high levels. The liter of 95 octane gasoline exceeds 1.45 euros on average and diesel is close to 1.40 euros, according to data from CincoDías. Logically, given the rise in fuel prices, many drivers are looking for specifically economical gas stations, and that is where the low-cost ones come in. All in a context in which traditional oil companies focus on attracting customers through their promises of premium fuel and additives. Figures. The integration of Ballenoil has made Moeve exceed 2,000 service stations in the Iberian Peninsula for the first time, reaching 2,040 gas stations, according to 2024 financial data. The figure is expected to increase before the end of the year. The pace of transformation accelerated in June, when 16 stations changed their image in a single month. Just like affirms In the middle, during September and October the conversions continued, prioritizing territories where the company already has a greater presence. Madrid leads this transformation with nine gas stations that become Ballenoil, followed by Barcelona, Navarra, Albacete, Ciudad Real, Granada, Seville and Badajoz. The Ballenoil network has also allowed Moeve to penetrate areas where it did not previously have a presence, especially in Catalonia, the Valencian Community, Andalusia and several regions of Castile. The rise of low cost. Low cost gas stations already represent 20% of all stations in Spain, according to inform the EconomíaDigital medium, with more than 2,400 installations spread throughout the country. As the media explains, the savings for the driver can exceed 0.18 euros per liter compared to traditional brands, a difference that ends up being noticed with each refueling. And the forecasts point high, which could mean a major structural change in the national oil panorama. Ballenoil, Plenergy and Petroprix are leading this transformation, betting on automated systems and simplified infrastructure that allow them to reduce costs. Manuel Sáez, CEO of Ballenoil, declared to CincoDías that the objective is to “exceed 380 operational service stations” in the second half of the year and “reach 500 throughout 2027.” Competence. Ballenoil has reached 350 service stations in Spain, becoming the leader in number of points of sale within the low cost segment. Plenergy follows closely, with 340 gas stations (331 in Spain and 9 in Portugal) and plans to reach 370 this year. However, Plenergy leads in business volume: closed 2024 with 1,385 million liters sold, a growth of 43% compared to the previous year. For its part, Petroprix, with 165 stations in Spain, has opted for a different strategy, prioritizing international expansion in markets such as Portugal, Chile, Panama and Poland. Cover image | engin akyurt In Xataka | Catalonia wants to make variable speed limits a reality. And he is already experimenting to improve the sleep of his neighbors

The LowCost airline business is in the accessory. That is why this idea of vertical seats is one of his old dreams

May 23, 2025 by usatoday24

Would you be willing to travel on a practically standing plane? How long? It is, without a doubt, the first two questions that one assists when he attends, not without some stupefaction, to the invention of Aviointeriors, an Italian company that has been in a drawer for years a new seat concept for low -cost airlines. Skyrider. Perhaps because if you put an English name the precariousness and discomfort sounds a little better. Like when we describe the UPCyCling Or we call Coliving To share floor. Anyway, Skyrider It is the name with which Aviointeriors I tried to place their seats in low -cost companies years ago The company specializes in creating all kinds of environments inside a plane, with seats of all kinds and prices. From the most premium to the cheapest, typical of the tourist class. But years ago he tried to reinvent the tourist class with a seat … that perhaps we couldn’t call him a seat. 20%. Those are your accounts. 20% more occupation if travelers, instead of being completely sitting, simply rely on a completely straight back and yield their weight on an inclined lower surface. Something like traveling by bus with your back resting on the glass or body. The objective, of course, is to sell this format at some point in low -cost airlines. The short duration flights in which there are those who would be willing to go … One or two hours standing? Because it seems clear that we can say that these passengers travel “standing. An old dream. In recent days we have seen the proposition of using these seats be “new” in some media. The truth is that it is something we already knew and that Aviointeriors has maintained in its portfolio for more than a decade. In fact, they weren’t even the first to put it on the table. In 2003, Airbus first proposed a system of seats very similar to that of Aviointerior. Travelers barely sat on a cylinder that crossed the width of three seats and maintained a slight support. Something like a stool. In 2014 they gave him the patent. Three years later, the low -cost company Vivacolombia confirmed that he wanted to get on the dream of what we could call APERUUTOBÚS. It was, for his CEO, an attraction for “working class and vacationers with low budget”. Is it safe? The other big doubt that assails us when we see the image of these Skyrider or Airbus’s proposal. And it seems that. In 2019 the Italian company presented the third version of these vertical support with leg hole. The avant -garde He collected his appearance in Hamburg, at one of the most famous aviation fairs in the world. According to the medium, the minimum security measures required but not with the passenger regulations were complied with. According to this, they must have a space of 28 inches (71.12 centimeters) and the proposition of Aviointeriors was 23 inches (58.42 centimeters). Click on the image to go to the original post Better than not. Following the echo he has had in the media in recent days, the company itself He has published a post on Instagram in which they point to an obvious change of strategy. With a text in which it reads Provocative by Design (Designed to provoke, in English), the company talks about the seat in the following terms: “The Skyridider, often confused with a plane seat finished and ready to take be the air trip someday “ The truth is that Aviointeriors puts the focus in 2012 but throughout the decade the concept was evolving. Now, however, they point out in their communication that it is a company “very aware of the current demands of the market, gathering quality, comfort and the unmistakable touch of the Made in Italy in each product that creates. For now, the Skyrider is not part of the official line. “ A yearning. Although clearly Aviointerior is trying to separate itself from this concept that seems to be part of its past, low -cost airlines have shown their interest in several occasions for this type of solutions. We talk about the case of Vivacolombia but Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, has expressed himself in these terms on some occasions. Already in 2012 he pointed out that if this concept of traveling was approved could display them in a week. In one television interviewit pointed out that if the price of these seats were low enough they would fill out the space to travel erect than traditional seats. It’s not just the seat. Although the focus has been put in vertical seats, it is likely that the true intentions of low -cost companies do not point to how many more people can strain on a plane by journey. The real business is what revolves around that seat. The own O’Leary said to want to go to the bathroom Because that allowed him to put more seats but, not to mention it, allowed him to generate a new income route. It is what the Ryanair business model has based: put very cheap seats and charge each extra small at a high price. He has segmented the plane in small areas with different prices, charges for carry a suitcase in the cabin and has proposed a subscription. Photo | Wolfgang Weiser and Aviointeriors In Xataka | Ryanair has spent a year selling so cheap that now his passengers will suffer the consequences: expensive tickets in 2025

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