Cheap Flights to Europe: What You Need to Know

One of the biggest complaints about ultra-low-fare carriers is that they tend to have more delays and canceled flights, according to industry experts.

"There are inherent risks when you choose to fly on a smaller airline, since these carriers tend to have fewer resources—such as spare aircraft and crews—when schedules are disrupted and there are lengthy delays or flight cancellations," says William J. McGee, aviation adviser for Consumer Reports.

If the airline cancels your flight, you have a few options.

"If we cancel due to schedule changes then we must let our passengers know with at least 14 days' notice," said Wow Air spokesperson, María Margrét Jóhannsdóttir. "In those cases we offer passengers the possibility to move their flights to the next scheduled flight, get a refund or change to another location," she said.

"If the cancellation is due to another reason, such as irregular operations, where we have, for example, passengers that have already checked in or are just about to, then we offer three options: a full refund and cancel travel; change booking to next available flight, or change booking to a later date of their choice," Jóhannsdóttir said.

Wow Air flies from Reykjavik to Pittsburgh four times a week, so if your Wednesday flight is canceled you'd likely have to wait until Friday. But if that flight is full, you'll have to wait until the next flight with available seats.

Condor says that since it only flies a few times a week it generally would delay—but not cancel—a flight.

Susanne Rihm, a spokesperson for Condor, says less than 1 percent of its flights experience delays of more than 3 hours. Norwegian and XL didn't respond immediately to a request for comment on this story.

Travelers with tight schedules might feel more comfortable with carriers offering more regular service, Hobica says.

"If your British Airways flight from London to Seattle is canceled, you'll likely be rebooked on another flight just a few hours later," he said. "If you're worried about missing an important meeting, which airline would you choose?"  

Still, no matter what airline you're flying, there are certain protections for stranded passengers flying a European airline or on routes from, to, and within the European Union, McGee said.

"[Travelers] are protected by EU's passenger rights regulations that mandate compensation and assistance. These are the same basic rights Consumer Reports is fighting for here in the United States," he said.

Those rights protect you if you're stranded anywhere in the world. 

"If you're flying from L.A. to Tahiti on Air France, an actual route you can take, and you are stranded there, the airline will have to pay for your accommodations, food, and phone calls under the EU rules," Hobica said.

Source: Cheap Flights to Europe: What You Need to Know