Heading to Belgrade on holiday took a bit of research. I stumbled upon Air Serbia and I booked my tickets. This is how my experience looked like.
Air Serbia has a growing fleet and it mostly covers European destinations. However, the company also flies to the US in New York, West Palm Beach, Tampa, Washington, Syracuse, San Francisco, Chicago, and other cities.
If you’re looking to travel further to Asia and Oceania, the company does partner up with Etihad Airways for complete journeys.
In terms of functionality, the company offers everything online. From ticket purchases to managing flights and online check-ins, you can address these steps in your customer’s account. From here, I was able to find out information regarding luggage weight and size limit. It is also where I was able to book premium service such as premium lounge access. This proved particularly appealing on these long trans-Atlantic flights.
Air Serbia Characteristics
Complete List of Extras
My expectations were a bit low before my first Air Serbia flight. To my surprise, the flight was better than expected. Of course, booking my first premium lounge access experience was worth the investment. I was able to relax and refresh after a long drive to the airport.
None of my friends have ever booked this premium service before and I wasn’t sure what to expect. However, once on the flight, I was also able to sit back and relax with my family.
Choose your seat
This service is particularly useful. My partner was a bit worried about flying for so long on a trans-Atlantic flight. I promised her I’d get here window seats and I did. I was able to see a full aircraft plan and I choose the window seat for her.
Help with Oversized Baggage
Air Serbia handles oversized baggage as well. This wasn’t my case by a saw a family with really large luggage paying extra to have it on board. When I asked at the check-in counter, they replied that I was able to do it as well.
If I’d new I can take extra baggage I would have considered it, especially on our flight back to the US since we purchased plenty of souvenirs.
Small Meals
There are a few meals you can choose at Air Serbia. However, you will need to pay for them. As I recall, these meals are mainly available on 8-hours or longer flights. But a friend of mine flew from Serbia to Russia where you only get water and snacks and he was still able to purchase other snacks.
These meals can be paid for in-flight but you may also be able to add them to your flight itinerary from your customer’s account. However, I did not add any meals to my journey as I wasn’t sure what type of food I would crave on the flight day.
In-Flight Sweets for Celebrations
It was about 3 hours into the flight that a flight attendant came out with a birthday cake to one of the passengers. I then asked around to find out if it was a person she knew. It turns out it’s a service Air Serbia offers. If you want to celebrate your birthday or your flight partner’s birthday, you can choose from a few types of cake to order while flying.
Priority Boarding
While I was single, I never understood priority boarding. It seemed like an unnecessary pack. However, on my flight to Serbia, I saw families boarding ahead of everyone else as they purchased priority boarding packages.
Those with kids were particularly happy they didn’t have to wait 30 to 40 minutes more to board the plane. I can certainly understand the difficulty of flying with kids. However, Air Serbia offers this add-on to anyone looking to get on the plane faster.
Priority Passport Control
Passport control can take time as well. With certain deals, you’ll be able to skin the ques to get out of the terminal quickly. After discussing it with my partner, I decided not to purchase this plan as we were going on holiday and we didn’t have any reason to rush our way out of the airport.
Online Check-In
Online check-in is also available at Air Serbia. If you only carry hand baggage, you don’t need to go to the check-in desk with this service. Otherwise, you’ll need to check your baggage at the check-in desk. But those traveling with a small backpack went straight to the boarding gate, which I found very practical and time-saving.
Sports Gear Transportation
I’m sure a person in sports. But I haven’t had the chance to travel with my golf clubs. It wasn’t the case for other travelers. On our way back to New York, I saw a couple traveling with their large sports gear bag. They went to the check-in office with any type of baggage for the check-in process.
Book Extra Seats for Added Comfort
Air Serbia has this option for its New York flight only. There are 4 seats in a row in the airplane and you can book the other 3 to have a bit more breathing room. Even if you are traveling alone, you can reserve those seats as if you would be traveling with a group of 3 friends.
I find it particularly useful to those who might be afraid of flying. It is one of the services which allows you to relax on such long flights.
Best Price Guarantee
You can purchase tickets directly from airserbia.com. However, there are thousands of agencies and websites selling tickets with the Serbian company. This is why their website has a price match guarantee.
Let’s say you purchase a ticket from a third-party seller and you then find it on the official website for a lower fee. You then qualify to get the difference reimbursed. This wasn’t my case as I signed up for a customer’s account on airserbia.com directly.
Etihad Miles Program
Since they’re working with Etihad Airways, Air Serbia is also part of their miles program. Even the purchases you make such as car rental can be added up to your account. I haven’t seen the full program details to this day. However, if you want to check it out yourself, the program’s details are available at etihadguest.com.
Pros
Cons
Final Verdict
Both flights were smooth with comfortable take-off and landing. Everybody was happy to be traveling with such a professional company.
The company has a good customer care plans. Since it matches the best price you may find somewhere else, I find it an appealing option for those who want to travel to Serbia from the US.
