What is your experience with AirBerlin?
 

Could you please tell me you experience with AirBerlin?

Thanks

I have flown them once but for the life of me can't remember anything to comment!( so maybe that is a good sign) This was years ago but their rates have not been interesting for where I wanted to go in the past few years. It does not have a negative reputation. I don't hear much about them. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

Thanks Linca, you remember what you remember.

I took a couple of short flights with them 2 years ago and was impressed with their courtesy and professionalism, for what I remember as budget flights. I would choose them over Ryan or Easyjet if they were an option.

Very good. Flew last year from Munich to Berlin
And this year from Berlin to Paris.

I flew an Air Berlin codeshare with Niki in June, so don't know if my response is helpful, but with the general framework (booking, etc), everything was easy and no fuss. And Niki was just fine, even gave us our choice of magazines, some sandwiches and amusements for our daughter. I am sure you'd be happy with them based on that experience.

Lavandula

I used them only once but that experience was a really good one. Everything went as smoothly as can be. Unfortunately they have stopped flying that route - Baden-Baden to Vienna - since this summer.

Good airline. Fly them probably 20 times a year on domestic or intra-European routes.
Only difference to "flagship carriers" is the single class system. All economy, mostly 737s or similar with 3-3 layout.
Legroom as limited as anywhere.

You always get free drinks, small snack on domestic routes (like small bag or cookies or pretzels), sandwich or similar on routes longer than 2hrs or so.
Short and efficient check-in procedures, short check-in deadlines, checked luggage does not cost extra.
If things go south with one flight, you get re-booked on next etc etc..

In a nutshell, Air Berlin is no low-cost carrier even though the fares can be lower than Lufthansa's. They just don't have the business class on board - except on the long-haul flights. Those latter I have never used yet, but I heard that their biz class there is less comfortable than any "real" business class (but also less pricey).

Flew Air Berlin from Florence to Stuttgart last week, nice small plane with propellers, it was quite shaky going up and the interior noise & vibration hurt our ears but once we've reached the altitude we felt just fine. Landing was much better than take off. Plane was very clean. Free soft drink and snack as well as luggage up to 20kg.

Thank you all. It would be a long haul flight from New York to Berlin. And if the propeller plane shows up I am walking.

You might want to check with whom they code share on flights out of New York.

Like lincasanova, I've flown with them a couple of times but can't remember much. Do remember that one flight was with a code share. Both flights were so smooth, they've disappeared into the far reaches of memory.

I have checked the on-line safety records and they are very good. I will check their code shares.

We have flown many of the European cheap-o airlines but have never used one for a tran-oceanic flight.

They have code shares with a number of other airlines including American, Iberia, Finnair, and British.

We flew them NYC to Dusseldorf (then on to Santorini) a few years ago. They were absolutely fine and I'd fly them again if the route and price were the best.

Thanks everyone. We are going to a wedding in Poland, (if the bride does not run away again) and it will be right over the German border.

Adu: Have a fine trip! Enjoy Poland!

When do you leave? Hope it's not in the winter.

Thanks Easy.

We have been to Poland before but not in this region.

We are waiting Mama-in-law of the future to find the Polish equivalent of the VFW hall for a wedding.

I too sure as hey hope that it is not in winter.

What is also very interesting about all this, is that our family comes from the same area as where the husband to be was born, except when my family was there it was part of Germany. And I want to pay one of his friends to accompany us to that town and see if we can find any records or cementeries. It is doubtful, but certainly worth the time and effort.

The bride is a beautiful and devote Hindu and he is a kind and gracious fellow.

Short-haul is fine. I have flown them a few times and will fly them again.

Long-haul gets mixed to bad reviews. Probably good enough, as long as you keep your expectations low.

Thanks.

My expectations are landing in one piece and getting a soda during the flight.