The Best Low-Cost Airlines in the World (2026 Ranking)

AirAsia is the best low-cost airline in the world for 2026. Skytrax named it the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline at the World Airline Awards in London on September 18, 2026, its 17th win in a row.

The other big global ranking disagrees on the winner. AirlineRatings.com put Hong Kong’s HK Express first in March 2026 and AirAsia third. Average the two lists and AirAsia still comes out on top, with Singapore’s Scoot a clear second.

That average is how this page ranks them, as of October 2026. The table shows both source ranks, so you can see where the passenger vote and the expert review agree, and where they split.

Rank	Airline	Home base	Skytrax 2026	AirlineRatings 2026	Average
1	AirAsia	Malaysia	1	3	2.0
2	Scoot	Singapore	2	5	3.5
3	flynas	Saudi Arabia	8	6	7.0
4	HK Express	Hong Kong	14	1	7.5
5	easyJet	UK	13	8	10.5
6	Vueling	Spain	3	19	11.0
7	Ryanair	Ireland	11	11	11.0
8	Jetstar	Australia	Not in top 20	2	11.5
9	Jet2.com	UK	12	12	12.0
10	airBaltic	Latvia	20	4	12.0
11	Eurowings	Germany	4	Not in top 20	12.5
12	Iberia Express	Spain	5	Not in top 20	13.0

1. AirAsia

AirAsia is the only airline in the top three of both lists. Skytrax has named it the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline every year since 2010, and AirlineRatings placed it third for 2026.

It also beats most full-service airlines. AirAsia finished 26th in the Skytrax World’s Top 100 Airlines for 2026, the highest of any low-cost carrier and one place behind Delta Air Lines.

The network is the selling point. From its main base at Kuala Lumpur’s KLIA Terminal 2, its Fly-Thru service sells connecting flights on one booking, with bags checked through to the final stop on most routes. AirlineRatings singled out Fly-Thru when it ranked AirAsia third.

Every fare includes 15 pounds (7 kg) of carry-on: one cabin bag and one small personal item. The short-haul fleet flies the Airbus A320 family, including the Airbus A320neo, and in May 2026 AirAsia ordered 150 Airbus A220s.

One caution: the airline is under financial strain. The group reported a net loss of 831 million ringgit for the second quarter of 2026 after fuel costs rose 66%, and is seeking up to US$1 billion from debt markets.

2. Scoot

Scoot, Singapore Airlines’ low-cost subsidiary, is second on Skytrax and fifth on AirlineRatings. It is the only other airline in the top five of both lists.

Skytrax also named Scoot the World’s Best Long Haul Low-Cost Airline for the sixth year in a row. Widebodies are the difference: Scoot flies 24 Boeing 787 Dreamliners alongside 30 Airbus A320-family jets and nine Embraer E190-E2s, a 63-aircraft fleet as of May 2026.

It is generous where budget airlines usually are not. Every Scoot fare includes up to 22 pounds (10 kg) of cabin baggage, a carry-on plus a personal item, which Scoot points out is 3 kg more than most low-cost carriers allow.

3. flynas

flynas is the surprise of the list. The Saudi airline placed eighth with Skytrax, which also named it the Best Low-Cost Airline in the Middle East, and sixth with AirlineRatings.

It is growing fast. flynas carried 15.8 million passengers in 2025, up 7%, to 80 destinations in 38 countries, from six operating bases in Saudi Arabia.

Its July 2026 Airbus order raised its commitment to 20 Airbus A330-900 widebodies, a clear sign it plans longer routes. Today the fleet is mostly A320neos, with two A330-300s.

4. HK Express

HK Express is AirlineRatings’ World’s Best Low-Cost Carrier for 2026, but Skytrax voters ranked it only 14th. That split is why it lands fourth here.

AirlineRatings admitted it was not the obvious pick. HK Express forgoes Wi-Fi and inflight entertainment, and the reviewers chose it for its cabin crew and what they called the best onboard menu of any low-cost carrier, built on Hong Kong street food.

Cathay Pacific owns it outright. At the end of 2025, HK Express flew 44 Airbus A320 and A321 jets to 37 destinations and had carried 7.9 million passengers that year.

Watch the fare you book. The Ultra Lite and Essential fares allow only one small personal item, up to 16 x 10 x 8 inches (40 x 25 x 20 cm), and an extra bag found at the gate costs HKD 800.

5. easyJet

easyJet ranked 13th with Skytrax and eighth with AirlineRatings. It is Europe’s most balanced big budget airline: never the top pick, never far down either list.

Scale is the strength. In the year to September 30, 2025, easyJet carried 93.4 million passengers on 1,202 routes with 356 Airbus aircraft.

Its free bag is roomier than Ryanair’s: one under-seat bag up to 18 x 14 x 8 inches (45 x 36 x 20 cm) and 33 pounds (15 kg).

Ownership is about to change. easyJet’s board has recommended a £5.7 billion cash offer from private equity firm Apollo, with shareholder votes expected in November 2026 and completion by the end of March 2027.

6. Vueling

Few airlines split the two rankings more. Skytrax voters put Vueling third in the world and named it the Best Low-Cost Airline in Europe, while AirlineRatings ranked it 19th.

Vueling belongs to IAG, the group behind British Airways and Iberia, and is based at Barcelona El Prat. It carried 38.2 million passengers in 2025 with an all-Airbus A320-family fleet.

That fleet is about to change, but later than planned. Vueling’s first Boeing 737 MAX jets have slipped to the first half of 2027 because of a seat certification delay.

7. Ryanair

Ryanair placed exactly 11th on both lists. For an airline people love to complain about, that is a stronger result than its reputation suggests, and Skytrax also named it the Best Low-Cost Airline in the UK for 2026.

Nothing in Europe is bigger. Ryanair carried 208.4 million passengers in the year to March 31, 2026, and calls itself Europe’s largest airline group.

Its 647-aircraft fleet included 210 Boeing 737-8200 “Gamechangers” at that date, a high-density version of the Boeing 737 MAX 8. Ryanair says they carry 4% more seats and burn 16% less fuel than the older jets.

The base fare includes one small bag, up to 16 x 12 x 8 inches (40 x 30 x 20 cm), that fits under the seat. A 22-pound (10 kg) cabin bag costs extra.

8. Jetstar

Jetstar is the one airline that ranks very differently depending on how far you fly. AirlineRatings put it second overall and named it the Best Low-Cost Long Haul Airline, while Skytrax left it out of its main top 20 but ranked it second for long haul.

The long-haul product is the reason. Jetstar’s 11 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners offer inflight entertainment, seatback power and a 30-inch seat pitch, which AirlineRatings called a more attractive option than other low-cost long-haul carriers.

Jetstar is part of the Qantas Group. In the year to June 30, 2026, it carried 16.7 million domestic passengers in Australia and 8.8 million internationally.

9. Jet2.com

Jet2.com finished 12th on both lists. It is a leisure airline rather than a pure commuter carrier, flying holidaymakers from 14 UK bases, the newest of them London Gatwick, opened in March 2026.

It includes more than most. Every Jet2.com flight comes with 22 pounds (10 kg) of hand luggage plus a small under-seat bag.

One common mix-up: the 49-pound (22 kg) checked bag is included only when you book a Jet2holidays package. On a flight-only fare, hold bags cost extra.

Jet2 carried a record 20.83 million passengers in its latest financial year and calls itself the UK’s third-largest airline by passengers flown.

10. airBaltic

airBaltic is AirlineRatings’ number four, which singled out its free Wi-Fi for every passenger, an extra few budget airlines offer. Skytrax ranked it 20th and named it the Best Low-Cost Airline in Eastern Europe.

The Wi-Fi is Starlink, first flown commercially on a Riga to Munich flight in February 2025. airBaltic is also unusual in flying a single type, the Airbus A220-300, from its hub in Riga.

It ranks here with a caveat. airBaltic filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 2026 and says flights continue as normal, but it plans to cut its fleet from 54 A220s to about 36 by the end of 2026.

11. Eurowings

Skytrax voters rank Eurowings fourth in the world and the best low-cost airline in both Germany and Western Europe. AirlineRatings left it off its low-cost list entirely, which drops it to 11th here.

It is the Lufthansa Group’s short-haul budget arm. Eurowings carried 23.7 million passengers in 2025 with 98 aircraft, flying to more than 150 destinations.

12. Iberia Express

Iberia Express ranked fifth with Skytrax and does not appear on the AirlineRatings list. Its best argument is reliability: Cirium found it the most punctual airline in Europe in 2025, with 88.94% of 37,119 flights on time, its third year running at the top.

Owned by Iberia, it flies an all-Airbus A320 and A321neo fleet from Madrid-Barajas, mainly within Spain, to the Canary and Balearic Islands, and to European cities.

Just outside the top 12

Spain’s Volotea (sixth with Skytrax, average 13.5) is next in line. Breeze Airways (seventh with AirlineRatings) and Transavia France (seventh with Skytrax) tie on 14.0.

Vietnam’s Vietjet did not make the blended top 12, but AirlineRatings named it the World’s Best Ultra-Low-Cost Carrier for 2026, ahead of Wizz Air. If the lowest possible fare is all you want, those two are the specialists.

What the base fare actually includes

Rankings judge the whole trip, but the cheapest ticket is where low-cost airlines differ most. The free carry-on ranges from a cabin bag and a personal item to one small bag under the seat.

Airline	Free carry-on on the cheapest fare
Scoot	Cabin bag plus personal item, up to 22 lb (10 kg) total
Jet2.com	22 lb (10 kg) hand luggage plus a small under-seat bag
AirAsia	Cabin bag plus personal item, up to 15 lb (7 kg) total
easyJet	One under-seat bag, 18 x 14 x 8 in (45 x 36 x 20 cm), up to 33 lb (15 kg)
Ryanair	One under-seat bag, 16 x 12 x 8 in (40 x 30 x 20 cm)
HK Express	One personal item, 16 x 10 x 8 in (40 x 25 x 20 cm), up to 15 lb (7 kg)

The best low-cost airlines in the US

No US airline makes the blended top 12. The best American result is Allegiant Air, 10th in the Skytrax world list and its Best Low-Cost Airline in the USA for 2026.

Skytrax’s North American top five runs Allegiant, Sun Country, Southwest, Air Canada rouge and Frontier. AirlineRatings ranks a different US airline highest: Breeze Airways, seventh in the world, which became an all-A220-300 airline when it retired its last Embraer E190 in September 2026.

The US budget field has also shrunk. Allegiant completed its takeover of Sun Country on May 13, 2026, though both still fly under their own brands, and Spirit Airlines stopped flying on May 2, 2026, a collapse traced in our Frontier vs Spirit comparison.

Reliability is the weak spot. Among the 10 US marketing carriers in the DOT’s full-year 2025 data, Allegiant was seventh for on-time arrivals at 74.46%, and Frontier was last at 70.68%, against an industry average of 76.42%. The full picture is in our ranking of the worst US airlines.

Why the low fares hold up at all is a separate story: how ultra-low-cost airlines make money from fees rather than tickets.

If assigned seats on Southwest are new to you, here is how Southwest boarding works now.

The best low-cost airlines for long-haul flights

Long-haul budget flying is a separate contest. Skytrax’s 2026 top five is Scoot, Jetstar, LEVEL, Discover Airlines and Air Canada rouge, followed by ZIPAIR and Norse Atlantic Airways.

For US travelers, the routes matter more than the rank. ZIPAIR flies from Tokyo Narita to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu and Houston, and Air Premia (10th) flies from Seoul to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu, Newark and Washington Dulles.

Lufthansa Group’s Discover Airlines links Frankfurt with Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Orlando, Philadelphia and Tampa. Transatlantic budget options are thinning, though: Norse’s only transatlantic route for winter 2026-27 is London Gatwick to Orlando, and LEVEL suspends Barcelona to Boston and Los Angeles from October 25, 2026.

Skytrax vs AirlineRatings: which list to trust

Use Skytrax to learn what passengers think. Its survey covers more than 300 airlines and includes value for money. European carriers such as Vueling and Eurowings place far higher in that vote than with the AirlineRatings editors.

Use AirlineRatings to learn what you get on board. Its editors score the product itself, which is why Wi-Fi, food and long-haul seats lift HK Express, airBaltic and Jetstar.

The airlines both lists agree on, AirAsia and Scoot above all, are the safest bets. The same blended method ranks the full-service carriers in our best airlines in the world list.

FAQ

What is the best low-cost airline in the world?

AirAsia is the best low-cost airline in the world for 2026. Skytrax named it the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline on September 18, 2026, for the 17th year in a row, and AirlineRatings ranked it third. AirlineRatings’ own winner was HK Express, but averaged across both lists AirAsia comes first and Scoot second.

What is the best low-cost airline in the US?

Allegiant Air is the best low-cost airline in the US according to Skytrax, which named it the Best Low-Cost Airline in the USA and in North America for 2026. AirlineRatings ranks Breeze Airways highest among US airlines, seventh in the world. No US airline makes the global top 12 when the two lists are combined.

What are the best and cheapest airlines to fly on?

AirAsia and Scoot are the two low-cost airlines both major 2026 rankings place in their top five, so they offer the best mix of low fares and a good flight. For the lowest fares alone, AirlineRatings named Vietjet the World’s Best Ultra-Low-Cost Carrier for 2026, ahead of Wizz Air. Check what the base fare includes, because on Ryanair and HK Express it is only one small bag.

Is Southwest a low-cost airline?

It depends on who is asking. Skytrax still ranks Southwest as a low-cost airline, third in North America for 2026, while AirlineRatings lists it as a hybrid airline alongside Delta, United and American. Southwest now charges for checked bags and has used assigned seating since January 27, 2026.

What is the best low-cost airline for long-haul flights?

Scoot is the best long-haul low-cost airline according to Skytrax, which gave it the title for the sixth year in a row in 2026. AirlineRatings gave its long-haul low-cost award to Jetstar, whose Boeing 787s offer inflight entertainment, seatback power and a 30-inch seat pitch.

What is Discover Airlines' safety rating?

Discover Airlines holds the top safety score of 7 out of 7 from AirlineRatings.com. It is the Lufthansa Group’s leisure airline, and Skytrax ranked it the fourth-best long-haul low-cost airline in the world for 2026.

Is Spirit Airlines still flying?

No. Spirit Airlines stopped flying on May 2, 2026, when it began an orderly wind-down of its operations, and its remaining assets are being sold in bankruptcy.

Which budget airline has the worst on-time record in the US?

Frontier Airlines had the worst on-time record of the 10 US marketing carriers in the Department of Transportation’s full-year 2025 data, with 70.68% of flights arriving on time. The industry average was 76.42%, and Allegiant came seventh at 74.46%.