Air Arabia
 Jul 18th, 2007
Advantages:
Cheap no frill airline covering the Middle East, N Africa and Sub - Continent
Disadvantages:
Taxes often more expensive than the flight
Recommendable:
Yes
Detailed rating:
Food Quality
Customer Service
Punctuality
Space
Value for Money
more
  lillygirl
About me:
Member since:03.07.2007
Reviews:5
Review rated by 7 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
Air Arabia is one of the first 'no frills' airlines to be launched in the Middle East and currently flies to over 30 destinations in the region, including some in N Africa and the sub-Continent. Their current hub is Sharjah, one of the 7 Emirates making up the United Arab Emirates. Known more for it's neightbour of Dubai, Sharjah is one of the smaller Emirates but easily accessible to all of the UAE.
The launch of this airline has revolutionised cheap air travel in the region and for people coming from elsewhere, it means that it's now possible to cheaply visist a number of countries without having to pay top notch fares on airlines like Emirates, Gulf Air and Etihad. It's simple to book online and print off your reference number. Some of the destinations are flown to a couple of times a week, but other more popular routes, such as Bahrain, has 2 flights daily from the UAE.
Destinations: Ahmedarbad (India), Aleppo (Syria), Alexandria (Egypt), Almaty (Kazakhstan), Amman (Jordan), Assuit (Egypt), Astana (Khazakhstan), Bahrain, Beirut (Lebanon), Chennai (India), Chittagong (Bangladesh), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Damascus (Syria), Damman (Saudi Arabia), Doha (Qatar), Istanbul (Turkey), Jaipur (India), Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Karachi (Pakistan), Kathmandu (Nepal), Khartoum (Sudan), Kochi (India), Kuwait, Latakia (Syria), Luxor (Egypt), Mumbai (India), Nagpur (India), Peshawar (Pakistan), Muscat (Oman), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Sana'a (Yemen), Tehran (Iran), Thiruvananthapuram (India) & Yerevan (Armenia) Price: Like many of the no-frill airlines they advertise a flight for as little as 20 pounds, but of course that is a single and frequently the taxes are more then the actual airfare! But I have always found them to be about 50% less than the price of one of the bigger airlines. They also sometimes offer flights for as little as 20p and you can subscribe to their news email.
Sharjah Airport: Is a small airport, similar in size to perhaps Leeds / Bradford airport so as a result you can be checked in and into the departure airline in a few minutes. I have always found the ground staff very polite and helpful. There are plenty of taxis outside and long term parking is available at about 10 pounds a day. There is a small duty free (with alcohol even though Sharjah as an Emirate is dry) and a Costa Coffee in the departure area. Service On -Board: There are no different classes available on board and the seat is 32 inches, so plenty of room. Drinks and food can be bought once you have taken off and simple itens like sandwiches and spring rolls are available, all at reasonable prices. (I can't comment on the food any more as I didn't actually eat it). The staff we efficient and friendly and everytime I've flown with them the flights have been on time.
Baggage allowance: Is a staggering 30kg's on most flights (bar flights within the GCC when it's 25kg). As with most no-frill airlines they don't offer a frequent flyer scheme. They have also recently launched a holiday program which has some incredible offers for flights and 3 or 4 nights in 3 or 4 star hotels. Again though be sure to check the taxes they add on.
In summary I think Air Arabia have things right. All the flights I have done have been under 2 hours so the lack of entertainment and food service is not an issue. Flying from Sharjah is hassle free, providing you leave enough time to reach the airport as the traffic towards it can be congested. It enables you to travel cheaply within the region and effectively hop from county to country at an affordable fare.
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by (86%):
by (14%):
02.09.2007 17:47
Having written several airline reviews since discovering this site recently it is nice to read a quite recent (and very good and useful) one by someone else - thanks
19.07.2007 22:42
Very interesting review ♥Beth