World's Best Low-Cost Carriers

South America

BRA

South America's second best low-cost carrier began operations in 1999 out of São Paulo, Brazil. Unlike its competitor Gol, BRA (Brasil Rodo Aéreo) flies both inside and outside of the continent.

Gol
This Brazilian carrier, known as Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes (Gol Intelligent Airline), operates solely within South America with 47 single-class Boeing 737 aircrafts. Aviation Week and Space Technology rated Gol the best-performing airline in the world among companies in the revenue category between $1 billion to $4 billion.

North America

Frontier Airlines
Frontier began in 1994 out of Denver and is now the second-largest carrier out of Denver International Airport. It continues to prioritize domestic flights, though it also flies to eight destinations in Mexico and two in Canada. The carrier also bills itself as "a whole different animal," displaying more than 50 different animal photos on its aircraft tails.

Southwest
Southwest began as a small Texas airline with only three jets in 1971 and ignited the low-cost-carrier revolution. In July 2007, it took 100,276 trips, bringing its tally to 667,823 to date.

JetBlue
North America's best low-cost carrier was founded in 1999 by David Neeleman and launched its first flight in 2000. JetBlue set an industry first by offering 24 channels of live satellite TV on every seat back in each of its aircrafts.

Middle East

Jazeera Airways
In 2004, the Kuwait government permitted the establishment of nongovernment airlines. A year later, Jazeera burst onto the scene. As a Kuwait public shareholding company, Jazeera boasts a new fleet of Airbus A320s with leather seats and the Jazeera Plus cabin for business travelers on a budget.

Air Arabia
In 2003, Air Arabia became the first low-fare airline in the Middle East/North Africa region. It is known as the United Arab Emirates' national budget airline and, in April, announced plans to build a 300-room hotel at Sharjah Airport.

Australia/Pacific

Freedom Air
The oldest of the top three best low-cost carriers in the Australia/Pacific region is owned by Air New Zealand and based out of Auckland International Airport. It has parted with all meals, mileage benefits and entertainment on board to keep costs down when flying within New Zealand and Australia.

Virgin Blue
In 2000, Richard Branson's Virgin Group founded Australia's second best low-cost carrier. The airline now has a fleet of 53 Boeing 737s and was voted the 2007 Best National and Best Regional Airline at the Australian Federation of Travel Agents' National Travel Industry Awards for Excellence. Virgin Blue will launch an international airline, V Australia, for flights between Australia and the U.S. in late 2008.

Jetstar Airways
Taking the crown as the 2007 best low-cost carrier in the world, the Melbourne-headquartered Jetstar operates in Australia and Singapore. It's owned by Qantas, though managed separately, and features a StarClass premium cabin with access to the Qantas club lounge in Australia and destination ports.

Africa

1time

This carrier flies solely within South Africa, offering only the bare necessities. Since hitting the skies in January 2004, 1time has aimed to surprise travelers with low prices. Its name is a South African colloquialism meaning "for real!"

Mango
Ranked South Africa's second best low-cost carrier, Mango is an offshoot of South African Airways and is government-owned. Its October 2006 debut brought the number of carriers in this tight market to four.

Kulula
This quirky South African carrier took off in August 2001 and has extended its services to travel-related products, such as car rentals, and adventure experiences, such as sky diving and hot air balloon rides. In March, it announced that it would host a party for competitor Mango, if it ever makes a profit.

Asia

Oasis Hong Kong Airlines
Oasis, one of the newest low-cost airlines on Skytrax's list, makes long-haul trips accessible to those on a tight budget, with daily nonstop trips between Hong Kong and London. Passengers can fly in economy or business class on one of the airline's five Boeing 747-400s, which will grow to 25 by 2010.

Tiger Airways
Tiger Airways took to the skies in 2004 and now operates from bases in Singapore and Melbourne to 18 destinations. The carrier uses only Airbus A320-200 aircrafts, keeping costs low.

Air Asia
The Malaysian carrier that boasts "now everyone can fly" was the first low-cost carrier to offer a text-messaging service to search for the lowest fare and book flights in 2003. It also plans to be the first in Asia to use On Air mobile communication in 2009 for in-flight cellphone connectivity.

Europe

NIKI
The Austria-based NIKI is named for its founder, former Formula One driver Niki Lauda. Unlike many conventional low-cost carriers, it provides sandwiches, soft drinks, magazines and newspapers free of charge.

easyJet
Ranked third worldwide, easyJet began with two routes and now, 12 years later, flies 35 million passengers a year on 318 routes. The signature orange-colored airline favors informal company culture, banning ties for all employees except pilots.

Air Berlin
Europe's top low-cost carrier was founded in Oregon in 1978 and launched its first flight in 1979 from Berlin to Palma de Mallorca. The carrier announced last month that it has ordered 25 long-haul Boeing 787 Dreamliners, with an option for 25 more.

Source: Forbes