Slideshow: 10 Low-Cost Airlines That Won't Make You Fear For Your Life

10 Low-Cost Airlines That Won’t Make You Fear for Your Life

With airlines seemingly always in the news — especially after numerous recent scandals — it's understandable why one would be nervous to fly through a low-cost carrier. To help consumers decide what flights to use when traveling around the world, outlets such as Airlineratings.com, Skytrax, and the Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre (JACDEC) compile lists of the best (and safest) airlines in the world. Airlineratings.com and JACDEC use certifications, crash records, and past history to evaluate which airlines will be deemed safe, while Skytrax uses consumer-based reviews on customer satisfaction to determine which airlines are the best.

After reviewing these lists, we chose to leave some airlines off of ours due to more recent events that may make a consumer question their reliability — such as AirAsia, which was dealing with several safety investigations at the end of 2016, and Flybe, which has been dealing with several safety-related issues this year. Airlines that did make our list? United States favorites like Jet Blue and Virgin America.

Aer Lingus

Aer Lingus is an Irish airline that accommodates all budgets, as their website states, "from simple, no-fuss fares to super-flexible tickets with all the frills." The airline is ranked as one of the safest airlines on Airlineratings.com, with no fatal accidents since 1968.

Azul Brazilian Airlines

This domestic Brazilian airline scored a perfect 7 for safety on Airlineratings.com. Azul is one of the largest and most competitive airlines in Brazil, yet is also a low-cost carrier.

Easy Jet

One of JACDEC's top 30 safest airlines for 2017, and in the top 5 Skytrax World Airline Awards for Best Low-Cost Airlines, EasyJet will give you peace of mind when flying at a low-cost price. Past passengers have preferred EasyJet to the company's low-cost competitor Ryanair, as they offer more flights and desirable perks — like the option to switch to an earlier flight for free.

HK Express

Amenities on this airline won't necessarily wow you, but if you're looking at low-cost flights you probably don't care too much about the bells and whistles. Regardless of services, the airline is safe. As their website states, "[HK Express] has been accredited by IOSA, the IATA Operational Safety Audit...[and] are also members of the Flight Safety Foundation."

IndiGo

Although they may not have the best track record of all the airlines on this list, IndiGo is a reliable airline to use for cheap flights between India's major cities. After several incidents in 2014, the country stepped up their inspection program. Regardless of these past issues, Skytrax consumer reviewers named the airline the Best Low-Cost Airline in Central Asia/India for its seventh year in 2016.

Jet Blue

Since their inception in 1999, JetBlue has had less than a handful of landing incidents that have put them in the media, but none included any serious injuries or fatalities — keeping their safety slate clean. The carrier is also one of the highest-rated United States airlines on the JACDEC airline safety list (at No. 17) behind Delta (at No. 15).

Jetstar Australia

Jetstar Australia was created to bring the opportunity of travel to those who can't afford regular ticket prices. They don't have tons of frills — you'll have to pay extra for legroom and long-flight meals — but they fly domestically and internationally at incredibly low fares.

Norwegian

Coming in at No. 28 on JACDEC's 2016 airline safety ranking, Norwegian is the only low-cost airline in Scandinavia that serves most countries within Europe (according to Airlineratings.com). They also fly to Bangkok and the U.S.

Virgin America

Since 2013 Virgin America has been continuously ranked the No. 1 U.S. airline in the Airline Quality Rating report. AirlineRatings.com also rated it a 7 out of 7 for safety, with an equally high rating for product services. All around, a great flight experience that won't break the bank or contribute to travel anxiety.

WestJet

For a low-cost airline, WestJet is particularly impressive for its roomy seats and array of in-flight entertainment options. The Canadian airline has never had a fatal accident in its history, and flies to countless destinations in the Caribbean and North America.