In the good old days before the advent of the budget airlines there was little choice of airlines and prices could be prohibitively expensive. Basically you had the choice of British Airways or Iberia and they offered flights at the same price.

These days things are different though. While you can certainly choose to fly on the traditional airlines – and they offer more facilities, especially if you travel business class – they tend to remain more expensive than the no-frills airlines, although not always. Part of the success of Barcelona as a short stay tourist destination was that its post-Olympic renaissance coincided with the introduction of the low-cost business model to the UK and Ireland, meaning that the destination was both attractive and travel affordable.

Probably I don’t need to say that the first place to start looking for flights to Barcelona is online, but the internet certainly makes it quick and easy to compare different fares on different airlines. Check each of the airlines in turn, remembering to take account for any additional charges they make. Ryanair in particular is notorious for offering flights for zero cost, only to add on taxes and other fees later.

In addition to Ryanair, the best known budget airline offering daily flights to Barcelona is Easyjet, which operates from various airports. Both companies have taken a significant share of the UK market and it could be argued that they have found a completely new market for low cost travel. Apart from additional fees, you need to watch for charges for baggage and checking in with Ryanair as they push passengers to travel hand baggage only and although you may be able to transfer your flight to a different date – for a fee – it is unusually to be able to get a refund if you cancel.

In addition to the low fares the budget airlines often offer special super low cost promotions as they constantly try and pick up new business. These promotions involve offering reduced rates for a set period of time, so even though the tickets already start cheaper than a major airline, you can still save even more money if you take advantage of the many promotions that are offered by the different budget airlines.

Another benefit to travelling with a budget airline is that their aircraft fleets are modern. As they have expanded so rapidly they have needed ever increasing fleets and therefore have had to keep buying more planes.

In order to actually find the best flights you will need to compare different airlines. Try to compare at least five different airlines if possible. You should also pay attention to the time that you are booking. If you book a mid week flight it will cost less than a weekend flight. Also, if you book well in advance it will help you to save further money. Of course, you can also look for last minute deals at your local travel agency. They will not have budget airline flights but they do often offer excellent rates for last minute flights.