. >> reporter: commercial airline pilot james schilling says low cost does not mean low safety. >> lowmake their living at trying to keep the tickets as low as they can. but everybody, whether you're a low cost carrier or one of the international major airlines you have a minimum standard that you have to meet. >> reporter: low cost carriers like ryan air, easy jet, jetblue, spirit and southwest airlines have good safety records with no fatal accidents. >> they don't look at near-miss accidents. they don't look at the kind of accidents that potentially could occur, the statistical studies have limitations. >> reporter: some argue it's not who you fly but where you fly. africa had the worst safety record. for every one million flights, 6.83 had a catastrophic end. experts blame weak government safety regulations. in the u.s. only .20 ended with a crash. >> there are places throughout the world where safety and security is not as good as it is here in the united states. >> analysts say these carriers are able to keep prices low by charging flyers for everything from baggage to seat choic