Decentlegroomplease: You've identified why some low cost airlines (easyJet, buzz and Ryanair) score over the major airlines and Go. BA and other majors as well as Go normally insist on a Saturday night stay for their cheap flights, otherwise you're assumed to be a business person on business expenses and have to pay business-type fares.

My wife and I are travelling to Zurich in a couple of weeks, out one day back the next, for £57.50 each (including £20 Government tax) using easyJet. BA's fare from LHR for the same dates is £487.60 each! Eight times as much!

For my money, easyJet and buzz are ahead of the others, partly because they have no Saturday night restriction and partly because their websites are user-friendly.

For reasons outlined above, Ryanair are difficult to use, while Go wouldn't enter the frame for me unless a weekend away is included or they are the only operator on a particular route.