Skift Take
Airlines in Europe and the U.S. may have underestimated the threat posed by short-haul, low-cost operators. There's not much they can do about that anymore. But as more low-cost airlines look to add long-haul flights, expect legacy carriers to respond aggressively.
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Last week we released our annual travel industry trends forecast, Skift Megatrends 2017. You can read about each of the trends on Skift, or download a copy of our magazine here.
Download Your Copy of Skift Megatrends 2017
Conventional wisdom suggested it couldn't be done.
Yes, for decades, low-cost operators have disrupted the airline industry, attracting customers with low prices and few frills. For years, established carriers failed to respond to threats posed by airlines like Southwest, EasyJet, and Ryanair. But even after realizing what the upstarts could accomplish — Ryanair is now the largest airline in Europe — many airline executives figured it was an isolated success. Low-cost airlines, they said, would thrive only on short routes. Passengers wouldn't want to fly them across oceans.
But a few innovative airl
