On - time arrivals, friendly staff, free in - flight meal, low prices
Disadvantages:
Luggage was knocked around quite a bit
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
This summer, I decided to fly from Gatwick to Alicante with XL (Excel) Airways. I had heard mixed reviews about them, but due to the price we decided to book anyway.
Directly from the XL.com website, return flights for three adults came to £183.00, which appeared to be the cheapest flights we could find. It must be noted, however that the price came up to over £400 in the month before flying so booking early is essential.
As the price was so low, we expected Excel to be a typical “low cost airline”. We were quite wrong! In addition to the flight, you received 20kg of hold luggage for each person, real paper tickets that are posted to you and an in-flight meal. Most other airlines will only give you 15kg in the hold – some even charge extra for luggage!
We arrived at Gatwick airport very early in the morning, three hours before the flight (due to increased security). At this time, there were only 2 check-in desks open for all Excel flights that morning. As time progressed, the number of desks open started to increase!
The flight boarded 45 minutes before the departure time. We flew on an XL.com branded Boeing 737-800. The staff were very helpful and welcoming. The take-off was about 10 minutes late, as someone had checked in but not boarded the flight; therefore their baggage had to be removed. At the start of the flight, we were offered “sleep kits” (or something with a similar name!) They cost £5 each and included a blanket, eye mask and a few other bits. These were the only blankets available – so remember this if you're booking a longer flight. The prices of food and drink were in-line with most other airlines.
The landing in Alicante was on-time. It wasn't a very smooth landing but not the worst one I've had. Baggage reclaim was very quick, however it appeared that our brand new cases had been knocked around quite a bit (they were dirty on the outside).
The return flight was pretty much the same. We left Alicante early and arrived at Gatwick on time.
The outbound meal was a breakfast: sausages, puréed tomatoes, hash brown, egg, roll, butter and orange juice. Inbound, we had a lunch meal which consisted of: sausage, mashed potato, carrots, peas, gravy, roll, butter, crackers, cheese and a carton of water. This was my first in-flight meal so I cannot compare it, however it filled me up (and I'm normally quite a big eater!!) As part of the in-flight meal, you were also provided with a complimentary cup of tea or coffee.
Overall I couldn't really fault the airline. I would definitely fly with them again provided their prices stay low!
More details
Class flown most frequently
Economy
How often do you travel with this airline
First time
Where did you book
Directly with this airline
Safety
Very safe
How well does it cater for disabled people
Very well
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