Air Arabia, whose work reviews are quite diverse among passengers, has become known for its regular flights to the UAE. Most often, people using its services have problems with their luggage. Especially a lot of claims to this company regarding lost things were observed in 2011. Now the situation has improved a lot. Air Arabia reviews are more positive. It is especially advantageous from other air carriers for its relatively low cost of tickets.
Information about the company
This airline was founded almost thirteen years ago - in 2003. Those passengers who are accustomed to flights with luxury services, before using its services, you need to understand that this airline is a budget. Air Arabia, whose reviews are sometimes mixed, chose the concept of low-cost service. Its main bases are located in the UAE (Sharjah) and Morocco (Casablanca).
The fleet of this carrier is made up of the same type of aircraft, thanks to which the company manages to save a considerable amount of money. The air carrier does not incur material costs associated with the need to constantly train personnel and crew to service various types of aircraft. And largely because of this, the price of tickets for Air Arabia is much lower than that of competitors. This domestic policy is causing a variety of reviews. Air Arabia is characterized as a “cheap and cheerful” service provider.
Regular flights
Bilateral flights to the UAE and Morocco are carried out from Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine. This company also produces passenger flights from various airports in Alexandria and Sharjah to the countries of the CIS, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. This airline has the practice of connecting its own flights at the airport of Sharjah (an intermediate transfer from one aircraft to another, flying to the final destination). In such cases, when buying a ticket and registering, the airline system issues boarding passes immediately to the final destination.
If, when buying a ticket, payment was made by credit card and a transfer is planned for the flight, then after arriving in Sharjah you will need to get a boarding pass for the second flight at the local check-in desk, designed specifically for transit passengers.
Connecting Flight Information
Among those who flew on such connecting flights, various reviews remain regarding this practice. Air Arabia, for its part, is trying to minimize the time difference between such flights. But as with any work in such planning, inconsistencies may arise.
Upon arrival in Sharjah, it may turn out that, for example, due to weather conditions, the departure of the next aircraft, which should deliver passengers to the final destination, is delayed or delayed. For this reason, before deciding to fly in this way, you need to understand that for reasons beyond the control of the carrier, you can spend much longer time at a foreign airport than originally intended. In addition, some people find it difficult to navigate at a foreign airport and quickly find a check-in counter for transit passengers.
Despite such difficulties, there are positive reviews of Air Arabia regarding connecting flights. Feedback from customers who have already used the services of this airline, suggests that employees make every effort to comfortably wait. Most often, upon arrival in Sharjah, people who need re-registration are already met by airport staff. If the flight has been delayed, customers can be sure that the second plane departing from the airport will surely wait for them.
The company is very responsible in supporting such connecting flights. Many passengers say that before the departure of the second aircraft, employees go around the airport on their own and look for the names of their customers, which is why they receive their well-deserved positive feedback. Air Arabia understands that such flights can be problematic, so the carrier makes every effort to ensure their proper implementation.
Carrier Specific Features
The use of alcohol is strictly prohibited on board these airlines. This rule applies to absolutely all passengers. Alcohol is not sold on airplanes, which often causes indignation among Russian-speaking passengers and gives rise to negative reviews. Air Arabia is a budget carrier of a Muslim state and does not make an exception even for customers from other countries. This must be remembered, because in case of violation of this rule, passengers drinking alcohol on board may be met by local police officers after arriving in Sharjah.
Air Arabia Reviews
For people who make their first flight in life and are not able to compare the services of various air carriers, flying with the planes of this company may seem quite comfortable. Many passengers at various sources leave quite positive reviews.
Air Arabia copes with its direct responsibilities: deliver a person to the desired destination. The flight is carried out according to all the rules, but no frills. This company is not suitable for people who are used to flying first class, drinking alcohol during the flight and enjoying free overseas delicacies.
Food on board
One of the low-cost airlines that does not provide free meals on board their aircraft includes Air Arabia. Reviews regarding this rule are mixed. Many passengers believe that a light lunch should be included necessarily, especially if the flight takes a long time. Other customers, however, understand that food is not included in the ticket price, which makes an excellent opportunity to save.
For those who fly with children, or just basically want to eat during the flight, there is the opportunity to pre-order and pay for lunch during the booking of tickets. If such an order was not made in a timely manner, then you can order food on board, paying it in cash. But you need to be prepared for the fact that the stewardesses will first feed those who pre-ordered their lunch, and only if there are extra servings left, others can buy them.
Airbus Status
Despite the budget type of company, most customers are satisfied with its aircraft. Many reviews and comments indicate the cleanliness and accuracy of the salons.
An important fact is that the rows of seats are located from each other in quite good condition. This means that passengers do not have to rest their feet in the back of the seat in front of him. Customers who use the services of Air Arabian, say that on the back of the seats there are no electronic screens for individual viewing of films (as in more expensive aircraft), but at the same time they offer free entertainment magazines.
Staff work
Almost all customers leave good reviews regarding the work of the staff. Passengers note their courtesy and good breeding, which the flight attendants of this airline try to preserve as much as possible in the event of any conflict situations.
This distinguishes Air Arabian personnel from our airline employees. An additional pleasant moment is that there is almost always a Russian-speaking employee on board an airplane flying to the CIS countries.
Online Ticket Reservation
To facilitate the check-in procedure, the company announced the possibility of online check-in via the Internet. This innovation was intended to significantly improve the image of Air Arabia. Reviews of ticket buyers from the CIS countries soon changed from positive to dissatisfied. It turned out that such a quick online check-in can only be carried out when boarding flights departing from Sharjah no later than a day before departure.
The resentment of customers was largely due to the fact that on the official website there was no information about restrictions. People have been trying for a long time to fill out an online registration form, the system constantly generated some kind of errors. It all ended with the fact that, having lost a lot of time in vain, people had to go through the usual standard registration at the airport.
Problematic moments in the work of an air carrier
In 2011, a lot of negative reviews began to appear about the work of this company related to baggage loss. Of course, such unpleasant incidents can occur with any, even the most expensive airline. But judging by the numerous complaints of customers, there was a period in Air Arabian when this problem became systematic.
The difficulty was that, for example, having flown to Russia and not having found his suitcase, a person had to look for representatives of the carrier at the airport. He, in turn, had to contact the central base in Casablanca or Sharjah. Naturally, the search for things and their further transfer took quite a long time.
Apparently, the number of negative reviews has become too large, and the company has taken serious measures to eliminate such situations. To date, there are complaints about the loss of luggage during a flight by Air Arabian, but they are single in nature.
Pros in Using Company Flights
Of course, the main advantage of this airline over competitors is the low cost of tickets. This company is ideal for those who consider successful arrival at their final destination the main criterion for evaluating a flight. Passengers who do not expect additional prerogatives and excesses from the flight, as well as those who want to save money, leave positive feedback about Air Arabia (Air Arabia).
Those people who appreciate personal attention from the staff are used to flying in conditions of increased comfort and love that all possible needs and whims were initially included in the ticket price, it is better to choose other, more expensive air carriers.