7 things that surprised me when I flew on Europe's budget airlines

As soon as the word "cheap" is attached to the word "airline," people get nervous.

It's understandable - America's budget airline companies tend to get horrible reviews for everything from last-minute cancellations to relentless nickle-and-diming.

So when I tell friends and relatives that I regularly fly cheap airlines when I travel around Europe, I am prepared for their immediate concern. "What do you mean that your round-trip flight from Edinburgh to Rome only cost you $100?" they ask, terrified at the thought of all of the shortcuts the airline must be making to keep prices so low. "Is that even safe?"

In all of my experiences flying with low-cost European providers - notably, Ryanair and EasyJet - I have (usually) been pleasantly surprised. Here are some of the things that shocked me the most.