SkyEurope

Upside
Central European bases connect across much of Europe. Assigned seating. Europe's youngest fleet of planes, operating Boeing 737-700 Next Generation aircrafts with comfy, leather seats.

Downside
Financial trouble in 2007 hasn't yet settled.

About
Slovak budget airline SkyEurope is one of only two major low-cost carriers emerging from one the EU's 2004 accession countries (the Polish WizzAir is the other.)

With bases in Bratislava and Vienna, SkyEurope is especially good for connections to Croatia, Romania, and Bulgaria—as well as Slovakia, where it flies to Poprad/Tatry and Kosice in addition to Bratislava. After a big contraction in 2007, which saw the airline eliminating Budapest and Krakow as bases, it can't be said that SkyEurope is one of Europe's first tier low-cost carriers. That acknowledged, its anchor in Central Europe makes it a key player.

SkyEurope is the only publicly listed airline in Central and Eastern Europe quoted on the Stock Exchanges in Vienna and Warsaw (since September 27, 2005).

Baggage
The 'Sky' does have a limit, but thankfully, they don't charge unless you hit it.

* Carry-on: One piece of hand luggage and personal items.
* Checked: Each checked bag is assigned a fee (€7 if checked online, €15 if check through the call center, and €20 if checked at the airport). The limit to each bag is 20 kg. Over 20 kg, €8 per kilo. Baggage cannot exceed 32 kg.

Seating
Check in is 40-minutes prior to departure. No exceptions. And, seating is mostly first-come first-serve though you can set seat preferences online (aisle, window) at the time of booking. There is a €5-10 check-in fee.

Tip
Do not book if you are on a tight schedule (especially in Bratislava).