If you traveled in Europe from one European city to the other, you probably traveled with one of the 2 largest budget airlines in Europe: easyJet (OTCQX:ESYJY) or Ryanair (NASDAQ:RYAAY).
Source: Wikipedia
Although generally disliked for its strict rules and harsh policy, both firms are immensely popular among European citizens who want to travel from one (holiday) place to the other. Only operating in Europe, both are significant players in the airline industry: even when measured globally.
Source: Wikipedia
A history lesson - easyJet
easyJet (1995) is a low-cost airline carrier operating only in Europe. The company operates approximately 600 routes across more than 30 countries, with its fleet of over 200 Airbus aircraft. As of 2013, it has around 8300 employees.
Destinations
Source: www.easyjet.com
Destinations are a mixture of holiday locations scattered across the continent. Mostly located around the sea, with a few more business-related locations, such as London and Paris.
Ryanair
Ryanair (1985) operates a similar low-cost service, serving point-to-point routes in Europe. The company offered approximately over 1,600 scheduled short-haul flights per day, serving around 160 airports largely throughout Europe, with an operating fleet just a little bit below 300. Similar to easyJet, it has around 8300 employees.
Destinations
Source: ryanair.com
Locations do not differ that much in comparison to easyJet. A noticeable difference would be the preference towards Eastern Europe.
Strategy - A little different
In regards of the phrasing "true low-cost", Ryanair always considered itself as the true low-cost airline, a phrasing it is very fond of.
Source: Ryanair and The Airline Analyst
It's an important part of the reputation and marketing strategy of Ryanair to be named the low-cost carrier of Europe.
However, as voted by the public, cheap doesn't always come along with the tag "convenient".
Source: Google Trends
Anyone who has ever
