In this day of low airfares and high competition, some airlines advertise "free" or almost free flights, but is this really true? Lets take a closer look.

Low-cost Airlines

Many of the free flights advertised are done so by low-cost budget airlines which are springing up all over the world. While the base price may be free or very low, the total cost always includes the usual array of taxes and charges which vary (sometimes quite significantly) from airline to airline.

For example, a visit to the website of Ryanair (one of Europes main budget carriers) shows many one-way flights priced at less than 1.

London Stansted to Turin, Italy. Selecting the lowest available airfare:

London Turin base price 0.05
Turin London return 0.05
Total base price 0.10!

However charges on top of that price are:
10.17 Government taxes
6.70 Passenger service charge (non-refundable)
6.96 Insurance and wheelchair levy
2.63 Airport tax
26.46 Total taxes & charges
26.56 Grand total

So the flight costs around 30 if you pay by credit card.

Ryanairs big rival Easyjet quote taxes and charges of just 11 on a return trip from London Luton to Turin. This is very low for taxes and charges - but their actual base flight prices are a little higher, with the total cheapest fare coming in at around 40 all in including credit card fee.

It should be stated that these prices, while not free, still provide exceptional value for the traveller. As a comparison, British Airways add on 45.30 in taxes and charges alone for the London Heathrow to Turin return.

Ryanair is looking into more innovative schemes which will reduce the cost of flights further. Perhaps free flights could be a real possibility in the future.

Reducing the amount of check-in luggage will lower operational costs. Ryanair has recently cut fares across the board but is charging a small fee for checking-in each bag.
Funding from regional governments and business to subsidise each arriving passenger, who then come and spend money and boost the local economy. This type of funding has caused controversy at the European Commission and complaints from competing airlines.
Charging for entertainment systems.
Introducing more profitable schemes such as online gambling in-flight. Each passenger would have the ability to play online poker, blackjack and other gaming. This could be quite a revenue earner for the airline as this segment of the economy is currently very popular.

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has talked about passengers actually being paid to fly with Ryanair. So will we see the day of negative base flight prices - and will they be negative enough to cover the taxes and charges and produce a real 'free' flight? With the current high price of oil putting pressure on margins, maybe this is not a sustainable strategy and would only be used as a temporary promotional gimmick.

Airmiles

Can you get 'free' flights using frequent flyer air miles? The first consideration is that you have to actually 'buy' the miles - this is achieved by purchasing flights, goods and services and using affiliated credit cards. Air miles usually cost between 1 and 2 pence to buy.

The best way to accumulate mileage is if you can claim miles on expenses you would have incurred anyway. In addition, finding exceptionally generous mileage deals which do come up on occasion.

Secondly, you would have to redeem your miles in the most efficient way possible. Many air travellers don't even redeem their miles or do so in very inefficient ways.

Another point to consider again is even if you have a generous collection of miles, you will still be hit by the ubiquitous taxes and charges when you do use them - these can be significantly high. So it seems that these flights are certainly not free.

Companion flights

There are certain schemes usually associated with credit cards which will get you 'free' companion flights. These can be decent value for money but you always have to buy the first (full fare) ticket of course. These can be useful if you are travelling for work and are able to bring a partner or colleague along for free.

Courier Flights

These are flights where you act as a courier by carrying time sensitive documents or parcels which can clear customs quickly at the destination. You usually have to pay for your ticket and you get up to 30-70% off the regular fare. Courier flights are becoming less common these days with only a few companies offering them. And free courier flights are very rare indeed - these would only occur if the courier firm was stuck at very short notice.

In summary, and unsurprisingly, nothing in life is really free. Even if you actually work for an airline, any free flights you might get would just be another form of extra compensation. However there are some exceptional deals and techniques out there which can keep down the cost of flying. By applying sound airfare strategies over the long run, you will save more and more money over time. These savings can help you purchase a flight that will effectively cost you nothing.