Airline review: Flights with this budget carrier can cost less than an Uber

The flight

Transavia France flight TO3548; Boeing 737-800 economy class; Paris to Corfu; departs 3.35pm; flight time 2 hours, 45 minutes (take-off is delayed 20 minutes). This flight is seasonal (April-October).

A Transavia Boeing 737-800 coming in to land at Corfu.Credit: iStock

The loyalty scheme

Flying Blue. Points are earned on Transavia flights and on Booking.com hotel stays booked via Transavia.

Carbon emissions

The tally is 0.317 tonnes a passenger flying economy class. Passengers can contribute to reforestation projects through Transavia’s CO2 impact program. The low-cost airline, owned by KLM, aims to use more Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) each year. A fleet of fuel-efficient Airbus A320neo aircraft is on order.

Check-in

I arrive at Paris Orly just under two hours ahead of scheduled take-off, instead of the recommended three hours. I checked in online from the hotel, so I already have a boarding pass, but now I have to check in again at a kiosk to print bag tags, then join another long queue to weigh my suitcase. It’s three kilograms over the 20-kilogram limit. After a reshuffle of books and shoes from checked luggage to hand luggage, I join yet another queue to weigh it again. The clock is really ticking now, and after finally making it through security, I race to the gate. But I have to wait at the gate for a bus transfer to the aircraft. Convinced I’m going to miss the flight, my heart races and I think through a contingency plan of last-minute accommodation and re-booked flight. I vow never to do this to myself again. In the end I do make it, but I’m one of the last to board and my adrenals get an unnecessary workout.

The seat

Inside the all-economy B737-800 cabin.Credit: iStock

The seats (all economy class) are in a 3-3 one-aisle layout. I’m in the aisle (4C). Bright Kermit-green leather is a colourful departure from the grey or navy on most aircraft. With a 29-inch (74 cm) pitch and 17-inch (43 cm) width, the seats offer standard space and comfort.

Baggage

I paid €40 ($66) during online booking to check in one 20-kilogram suitcase. Every passenger may bring one piece of hand luggage weighing up to 10 kilograms free of charge, but only the first 70 (of 189) are guaranteed on board. As I am one of the last to board, my cabin wheelie is taken from me at the gate and placed in the hold (no extra charge). One small personal item a passenger is always allowed in the cabin.

Entertainment

There’s nothing except an in-flight shopping catalogue.

Service

So French, so chic. Dressed in navy and bright green, the French crew offer warm, attentive service. They hand out free activity packs to children and help less-mobile passengers place items in the overhead lockers.

Food

It’s a user-pays system, with a selection of sandwiches, pasta dishes and sweet and savoury snacks for sale at reasonable prices. The €5 wine isn’t bad at all. My gripe is with the ice cube scarcity – just one cube served with my full-size can of mineral water.

One more thing

Dynamic pricing on Transavia flights from Paris Orly to many European destinations means advance fares start from just €24 ($40), less than you’d pay for the Uber to the airport.

Price

On this route from €71, economy one-way*.

The verdict

I arrive in one piece for under €150 and my luggage does too. As we start to descend, a child in front looks out the window and squeals, “La mer!” (the sea) and I share her excitement. This time it’s about the destination, not the journey.

Our rating out of five

★★★½

The writer travelled at her own expense. See transavia.com

*Fare based on best available at the time of publication for travel when the route restarts in April 2024 and subject to change.