One of the mysteries of flying long distance at lowcost is why some routes do better than others, Why, for example, are transadantic routes from Europe more suited to low-cost airlines than routes to Asia and Australasia?
First, some history. Low-cost transatlantic flying has been around for decades. In the 1970s I worked in the travel trade and sold many seats on what were then branded as ‘quasischeduled charter airlines’. These were numerous. Most operated between the UK and North America. Indeed, transatlantic low-cost flying can trace its history as far back as 1948 when Iceland's Lofileidir (the forerunner of today's Icelandair) launched transatlantic flights.
Because IATA rules at that time ensured one airline did not undercut another, Loftleidir circumvented IATA's rules
