Ryanair’s cheapest option, for people travelling light, allows you to take a small bag that can fit under the seat in front of you. The second tier allows you to also bring a 10kg luggage on board and stow it in the overhead locker, while the third tier allows you to check in a 20kg bag.

The fourth, most expensive, tier includes a small cabin bag and 10kg cabin bag, but no checked-in luggage.

However, it also comes with certain perks such as access to the fast security lane, priority boarding, and the comfort of being able to change flights with no fee.

KM Malta’s cheapest option is identical to Ryanair’s in terms of baggage, ie. you can only bring a small bag on board.

While its second tier also includes 10kg luggage, you won’t be able to take it on board with you but must check it in.

The third tier is identical to Ryanair’s, which means it includes a small cabin bag, a 10kg cabin luggage and 20kg check-in luggage. However, the fourth tier is more generous than Ryanair as it includes all three bags (small bag, 10kg cabin bag and 20kg checked bag), as well as perks such as priority boarding and a potential full refund.

Also unlike Ryanair, KM Malta has a business class option with four tiers, all of which include a 10kg cabin bag and meals on board.

On the face of it, the policies are pretty similar, although KM Malta does allow you to upgrade more than Ryanair.

Flight prices vary according to destinations and times but, at first glance, KM Malta is very competitive with Ryanair.

For example, in the above screenshots (both representing flights to London on the same dates), Ryanair charges double the amount KM Malta does to upgrade your flight to the second tier.

However, the new Maltese airline’s second-tier policy could come as a frustration for passengers.

In practice, it means you will have to spend more time waiting to check in your luggage before departing and for it to arrive after landing. You could also lose some peace of mind upon landing which comes with knowing with certainty that your luggage hasn’t somehow been misplaced.

On the other hand, KM Malta has maintained some of Air Malta’s key slots and will fly to more central European airports than Ryanair does. For example, if you’re travelling to London, KM Malta will take you to Heathrow or Gatwick, whereas Ryanair only flies to Luton or Stansted. So while you might save some airport waiting time with Ryanair, commuting to Central London will be significantly faster with KM Malta.

And considering the dire straits Air Malta ended up in and the years of uncertainty that preceded it, any inconveniences could prove to be a small price to pay in return if Malta can have its own, financially sustainable national airline.

Will you be using KM Malta Airlines?