Allegiant’s model is genius. It is the only vacation destination player at most of its traffic-starved airports. For residents of many of the catchment areas associated with these far-flung airports, Allegiant offers a cheaper and simpler way to get to popular holiday destinations.

A different kind of budget airline

Allegiant’s model has been quite successful, with the airline growing impressively over the last several years. In March 2010—the most recent month for which statistics are available—the airline saw a traffic increase of 16.4 percent over the previous March. Its load factor grew as well, though less dramatically, from 92.3 percent to 92.9 percent.

Charisse Jones pointed out in a USA Today article late last year that of the airline’s 135+ routes, it faces competition on just five. While this competition-averse strategy may advertise Allegiant’s vulnerability to more powerful airlines, the airline also has enormous room to grow. According to Jones, the airline has identified over 300 potential routes for future development.

Because Allegiant is focused on linking underserved airports with prime holiday destinations, it does not fly to many of the country’s biggest airports. New York’s three airports and Chicago’s two airports take no traffic from Allegiant, and neither do Miami, Atlanta or Houston. The only major airports Allegiant serves are Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Orlando, and all three are big hubs for the airline.

The Luck of Bismarck and Grand Island

Let’s gauge the impact of Allegiant on two markets.

Take Bismarck, North Dakota. Allegiant flies between Bismarck and Las Vegas and Phoenix-Mesa. The other airlines flying to and from Bismarck are Delta (to Minneapolis) and United (to Chicago and Denver). The routes flown by Delta and United are business routes, while Allegiant’s are leisure routes.

Or look at Grand Island, Nebraska, home to the Central Nebraska Regional Airport. Allegiant flies twice a week from Grand Island to Las Vegas and twice a week to Phoenix-Mesa. The only other airline flying to Grand Island is Great Lakes Airlines, which operates a route to Denver. Again, the Great Lakes link is a business route, while Allegiant’s routes are for holiday travelers.

For North Dakotans, Nebraskans and residents of many other states and regions, Allegiant makes air travel to popular vacation destinations easier, cheaper and far simpler than it would otherwise be.

An Allegiant for Europe?

The United States and Europe have very different transportation infrastructures and vacation allotments. For these reasons among others, it is difficult to imagine a precise mirror for Allegiant within the context of Europe.

These differences acknowledged, an Allegiant analogue for Europe—let’s call our new fantasy airline Euro-Allegiant—might fly from places like Aalborg, Leipzig-Altenburg, Lille, Lviv, Kaliningrad, Kuopio, and Wroclaw to holiday destinations like Chania, Fuerteventura, Larnaca, Luxor, Madeira, Monastir and Paphos.

Unlike Ryanair, which connects secondary, often minor airports to multiple destinations, Euro-Allegiant would link its far-flung airports to a limited number of vacation hubs. Euro-Allegiant would start small, fill in the gaps, link up otherwise unpaired destinations, dissolve routes if and when bigger airlines decided to move in and possibly even absorb local charter flight arrangements.

Would this model work in Europe? With some modifications, it just might.

The post Allegiant Airlines: Is there a market for a European Allegiant? appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Cheapos traveling from the German capital (or beyond) when snowy conditions prevail should take a few steps to prepare for the absolute worst: cancelled flights and missed connections. The following precautionary measures will make an unplanned night or two in Berlin or your layover city more cost (and time) efficient.

1. Carry on your essentials

It is all too often the case that travelers aren’t allowed to re-claim their bags once they’ve checked them, even if their flight is cancelled or they’re stranded in a layover airport. As a result, a well-packed carry-on is key to avoiding the cancellation blues.

Pack a change of underwear and a clean T-shirt, as well as three-ounce-or-less containers of soap, toothpaste, deodorant, and/or whatever you can’t live without for a night (or two). If you have a cell phone or a laptop, bring along the energy cord and converter plug. If you’re easily bored, pack reading material or a deck of cards.

2. Check your flight

If it’s snowing or the weather forecast calls for snow on your departure date, check the status of your flight online before heading to the airport. If flights out of your airport and/or your layover airport are canceled, call the airline to find out if your flight will make it.

3. Consider Re-booking

If airline officials suspect that your flight (or flights) will be canceled, they may encourage you to book a seat on a flight the leaves in a day or two, or after weather conditions have improved. If you have a flexible schedule and enough euros to tide you over for an extra day or two, you shouldn’t hesitate to extend your trip. Waiting around in a crowded airport is a lot less fun than roaming Berlin’s warm and cozy museums.

4. Avoid the airport

If you find out that your flight is cancelled before getting to the airport, don’t waste time or money on transportation to the airport. Since both Tegel and Schönefeld are too small to handle a crowd, you’d probably be turned away or stuck waiting in a confusing, slow-moving re-booking line. Your best bet is to find the nearest phone or computer and work the airline’s customer service line.

5. Book a room with flexible terms

If it is likely that your flight will be canceled, reserve a room at a hostel or hotel that doesn’t require a credit card hold or advanced payment. If you end up making the flight, you can always cancel the room before boarding. Ensuring that you have a place to stay is especially important if you’re flying through Tegel; sleeping in the airport isn’t an ideal option. (Sometimes guards kick travelers out after the last flight of the evening has arrived; sometimes they herd everyone to Terminal D.)

6. Know your rights

Luckily, travelers passing through the European Union are entitled to reimbursements for food, transport, or accommodation if their flight is canceled (some restrictions apply). Treat yourself to a nice hotel and a big meal if the airline is footing the bill!

7. Bring along a snack

Before heading to the airport, where food is overpriced and not very good, stock up on granola bars, nuts, or other lightweight snacks at a Cheapo grocery store like Aldi. If you get stuck overnight, at least you’ll have something to nibble on.

The post 7 tips for surviving a flight cancellation (in Berlin and beyond) appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.