19/08/13
Category: B1+ and up / Tag: , , , , , , , ,  / Add Comment

Why Budget Airlines Are So Cheap

Have you ever wondered how RyanAir can offer their insanely low fares? A new video gives a detailed breakdown of how budget airlines trim the financial fat to compete with full-priced commercial airlines.

  

 

 

 

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 Watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iotIpR2S1lM

Glossary

  • affordable – inexpensive
  • no-frills (product or a service) – basic and has no extra or unnecessary details
  • to exceed – to be greater than a number or amount, or to go past an allowed limit
  • trade-off – a balancing of two opposing situations or qualities, both of which are desired; a compromise
  • up for grabs – available
  • to taxi (of an aircraft ) – to move slowly along the ground before take-off or after landing

 

Discuss

 Discuss in pairs, small groups, or with your teacher.

  • Is flying more affordable today, in your opinion?
  • Why do ticket sales exceed the actual number of seats? Why do airlines do that?
  • How does a fare ticket system reward early ticket purchases online?
  • How do you get the best budget flight deal?
  • Why do budget airlines operate in airports far from the big cities?
  • How do you feel about budget airlines charging for extras like hold luggage or priority boarding?

Practice Makes Perfect

Use the glossary words and expressions to fill in the sentences. Make sure to use the correct form. Go to How do budget airlines offer low fares? to find out more.

to taxi                   to exceed              affordable

trade-off              up for grabs            no-frills

  1. It is necessary to find a good ………… between cost and quality
  2. Make sure the weight of the checked luggage does not …….. 20 kg. Otherwise you`ll be charged a fee.
  3. Low or zero fares now make flying more ……. .
  4. Unbelievably low fares are ……….  first. As the travel date nears, fares get more expensive.
  5. Flight 91 moved into a line of ……… planes and finally left the ground 30 minutes late.
  6. What you get for these low fares is just the flight, ……… like food, newspapaer, generous baggage allowance.

ANSWERS: trade-off; exceed; affordable; up for grabs; taxiing; no-frills

 

 





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Explore it more to create your own teaching-learning experience!




Flying is an expensive endeavor, but somehow certain budget airlines are able to sell tickets for less.


Watch to learn


How Budget Airlines Work


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