Sky Europe, a highly popular low-cost airline, suddenly announced its bankruptcy on September 1, leaving thousands of passengers stranded across Europe. Other regional low-cost airlines were immediately thrown into competition with each other to help these passengers out of their predicament by offering “rescue fares”. Slovak-owned Sky Europe had been having problems paying off its debts, and according to reports, had not posted a profit since it opened for business back in 2003.

It is an unfortunate situation, as Sky Europe appeared to be one of the better low-cost airlines, serving a wide range of destinations all across Europe. Sky Europe was also known for offering excellent sales, discounts and promotions on a regular basis. To top it off, their in-flight service was always friendly and compared favorably to their competitors.

Now, travelers looking to move around Europe inexpensively must look to other low-cost airlines, such as Smart Wings. Based in Prague, Smart Wings flies as far east as Dubai, but is also known for sending emails to its customers informing of last minute changes in departure dates. Wizzair, a Hungarian low-cost carrier, operates across a wide range of destinations to include many popular cities all over Western and Eastern Europe. Easy Jet and Ryan Air, both reliable UK-based airlines, can also be useful if you are flying to the Continent via London or if you are traveling within the UK. Ryan Air is especially  famous for its ridiculously low fares, such as one pound (or less!) for a one-way ticket–but don’t forget about airport taxes and checked baggage fees. Definitely check their website often if you want to snag one of these incredible deals.

If you are researching cheap airfare within Europe, make sure to subscribe to the various airline newsletters  offered on their websites and you will be kept up to date with the airline’s latest promotions. Low-cost carriers usually operate on a basis of first come, first served with the cheaper seats. As flights fill up, ticket fares increase. There are usually no “last-minute deals” as often advertised by major airlines trying to fill up seats on a flight. Book as soon as you know your dates. However, due to the nature of  low-cost airlines, ticket refunds are not usually given, and there is little to no flexibility when it comes to date or time changes. But, for a small fee, there is often an option to change the passenger name on a ticket. So in the event that you absolutely cannot make a flight for a ticket you have purchased, you may be able to give away or sell your ticket –something not usually possible with tickets bought from a major airline. So, if you cannot use your purchased low-cost airline ticket, find an English language newspaper or web portal for the departure or arrival city in Europe, and place an ad in the classified section for the tickets. You will find that this is a common and feasible option for this situation.

Finally, try this comprehensive website to search all known UK and European low-cost airlines and the destinations they serve: