I’ve flown Air Berlin several times now, and I have to admit the airline confuses me. Its prices are often excellent, especially if you book during a sale (offerings such as 2-for-1 tickets can often be found on their website). The website is functional, allowing smooth and easy purchases and online check-in. On board, passengers are treated to free drinks, snacks, and magazines, even on very short flights. No luggage charges. Seating is assigned (you can choose your preferred seat when you check in online), and no one has ever hassled me about the size or weight of my carry-on. Basically, it’s everything the full-service airlines used to be, before they all turned into fee-grubbing customer-hating cesspools.
So what’s the catch?
So far I haven’t been able to find one. I’ve even called their customer-service hotline, only to find it staffed with competent, friendly people who demonstrated problem-solving skills. Sure, there are a couple small, nit-picky things I could mention (a small fee for using a credit card on the website, for example), but given the state of most other airlines these days, they hardly seem to matter.
Air Berlin flies from a ton of German cities to destinations all over Europe, plus a few farther-flung places (such as New York and Phuket).
What’s your experience with Air Berlin? Are any other airlines (low-cost or otherwise) worthy of praise these days?
I've always had good experiences with Air Berlin, so much so that when I had to choose a credit card (why must one pay for a credit card in DE grumble, grumble), I chose theirs.
However, as the D'dorf market contracted and they had less competition, I did notice their prices going up from D'dorf. 🙁
When I have to come back to DE for work, I still choose them over German Wings…
When my wife was in the corporate world and flying HAM-MUC at least twice a month, she was Lufthansa Senator Club member since Lufthasa was company policy. Now that she has her own business and flies to Munich only twice a year, she takes Air Berlin and avoids Lufthansa like the plague.
The only thing wrong with Air Berlin is they phased out DBA's chocolate hearts when they took over DBA. 🙂
I fly AirBerlin and enjoy it.It's my favorite easy airline. I flew it last month and expect to use it again in October, twice.
I got a chocolate heart last month, btw… My younger loves them.
I read about a year ago that Air Berlin was on the "watch list" of airlines expected to go out of business within the next year, so I avoided them. They do fly to quite a few places from Basel. Maybe we'll have to give them a try.
Personally, I like British Airways. However, they don't seem to be doing too well at the moment, do they?
We flew AB from Erfurt to Teneriffa a few years back. No meal on a 4-hr flight, but otherwise they were great. The most amazing thing was that SMOKING WAS ALLOWED. Can you imagine? I was absolutely shocked. The flight attendants went up and down the aisle literally every 10 minutes or so, admonishing people not to leave newspapers or trash on the floor, presumably because of the fire danger. I'm dying to know if anyone else has experienced smoking on Air Berlin flights?
I forget to tell you the answer to your question: The catch is 22.
P.S.: Please d'ont forget to send me this free flying extra ticket which you promised to me for helping you with this secret inside blog marketing stuff for Air Berlin and all…or.. shouldn't I have mentioned it?….
Heather – I haven't had the chance to fly German Wings yet. I wonder how it stacks up.
PapaScott – Air Berlin still gives out chocolate hearts (on domestic flights, I think), but they're not very good chocolate. Were the DBA ones better?
G – next time you can have my chocolate hearts, too. 🙂
TBF – definitely give them a try. You remind me of all the people I know who won't fly Alitalia because it's so gosh darn precarious… guess I like to live on the edge like that. 🙂
Michele – Too funny – I can't even remember the last time I was on a plane with a smoking section. I don't think Air Berlin allows it anymore, but then again I've never been on a long flight of theirs. And I'm surprised they didn't feed you at all – even on our short flight to Stockholm we got sandwiches. Perhaps they've perfected their business model a bit in the past few years.
Jens – send it over! I'll take a ticket to Thailand, please.
Thank you Jul for the nice post about Airberlin, one of the excellent airlines we follow with our digital photography library. You might find it is interesting to know the company was founded on July 11, 1978 by an American (a former Pan Am captain) as an American airline called initially Air Berlin USA in West Berlin (Tegel Airport) when Germany and Berlin was divided. Later it would become a German airline with German ownership and the "USA"portion was dropped in the name.
Bruce Drum
AirlinersGallery.com
I admire you guys who can fly low-cost airlines fearlessly! I've overcome most of my fear of flying over the years but still couldn't step on a plane wondering what the catch was…my freaked-out brain is telling me that the catch is something like: outsourced maintenance guys, overworked pilots…. I hate that my fear costs me a few extra EUR all the time, but man. I still can't do it.
Hi There!
The Air Berlin catch in my opinion is the 1 piece of luggage check in rule – as it seems I always have 2 pieces of checked luggage! But, that said, to pay for a 2nd suitcase is only 25E so it's not that bad! And the prices can't be beat!
Congrats on being included in Chantal's blogging for business article!
Toma
CN – I figure it's still safer than riding in a car.
Antiques Diva – I guess paying for a second suitcase would be annoying on a long-haul flight. But, sadly, it sounds like most other airlines are pulling out luggage fees, too, sometimes even for the first piece.
I dig AirBerlin, too. We most recently flew them to Budapest without issue. We flew GermanWings once from Munich to Hamburg and then a few days later on to London (Gatwick? Stansted? I've forgotten) and the experience was just about as good. I was dismayed when That Queer Expatriate warned us last year (or was it this year?) that they'd probably go under in the economic crisis, but pleased to see that they've expanded to international service in the time that we've been living here in Europe. Flying them from Nürnberg to just about anywhere is a breeze, and flying from Nürnberg is pleasant and hassle-free for us, too.
I am a big fan of Air Berlin and check them first when planning travel but I have also grown an affinity for Lufthansa – the online check-in/seat selection, print your own boarding pass, and special line to drop bags for online check-in has been flawless so far and the service is stellar (coffee stations and free newspapers and friendly, helpful staff….heaven)
I loathe traveling to/from the States anymore but might try it again with either Air Berlin or Lufthansa.
Great post!
Have you ever flown Czech Airlines? Does it suck?….
Never flown Czech Airlines. If you find out whether it sucks, let me know!