Jet2

Upside
Airline is innovative and particularly good for travel to and from England's north.

Downside
Jet2 should augment current destinations with more big-city destinations. Extra charges during booking can lead to a doubling of the original quoted price.

About
We like to think of Jet2 as the little budget airline that could. Based at Leeds Bradford airport in the north of England, Jet2 also flies to multiple destinations from hub airports across England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. Although Jet2 has been flying for nearly 30 years, it was called Channel Express (Air Services) for its first 20 years.

Slightly out of the media loop due to its headquarters in England's north, Jet2 nonetheless flies an impressive number of routes to destinations across Europe, with especially good connections to France, Spain, and Italy.

Jet2 has innovated in a number of ways. In early 2007, they rolled out an in-flight handheld entertainment device. Jet2 innovates quietly and consistently.

Jet2 has won several awards, including Best Short Haul UK Airline (Guardian and Observer newspapers) May 04, and "World's most punctual airline operating into Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport" 2003.

Baggage
* Carry-on: One "small piece" of hand luggage not to exceed 10 kg.
* Checked: Up to 17 kg. In addition, every checked bag is charged at the rate of €9-19.50 per item depending on the duration of the flight; Excess baggage will cost €9 per bag. There is a maximum weight of 25 kg per bag. Over the weight limit, it's €5 per kilo.

Seating
You can choose seats at the time of your purchase on-line. Alternately, seats are selected on a first-some first-serve basis at the time of check-in.

Tip
Be aware of the many additional costs when booking online.