Choosing a reliable airline is essential when it comes to air travel. One way to improve your experience is to choose the right airline.
In this blog post, we'll take a look at Transavia, one of Europe's leading low-cost airlines. We'll look at its advantages and disadvantages, not forgetting to mention the comments made by its customers.
Transavia review: A heavyweight in low-cost travel in Europe
Transavia is an international airline based in the Netherlands and a subsidiary of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. It is particularly recommended if you want to travel to European countries at reduced fares, especially from Paris Orly airport.
Nevertheless, the airline serves over 100 international destinations, particularly in Africa (Morocco, Tunisia, Cape Verde, etc.).
Whether you're looking to explore the charms of Europe or set off to discover the wonders of Africa, Transavia is an attractive choice for affordable and enjoyable travel.
"Make low-cost feel good": a low-cost airline renowned for its quality
This is the airline's promise. Transavia offers you some of the best deals on your flights in Europe, without neglecting the quality of service and the professionalism of the team on board. This is something its competitors can often be criticized for.
Industry professionals are unanimous in praising the merits of this airline:
- Flight-Report voted Transavia the best low-cost airline of 2016, with an average score of 7.47/10
- Skyscanner awarded Transavia the Traveller Trust Award for the best booking experience
- The airline was awarded the "Customer Service of the Year" label in 2021
- In 2020, the airline was awarded the "Best Retailer 2020" prize by Capital magazine
Great deals with Flying Blue Award Miles
Thanks to the alliance created with the Air France KLM group, you can now collect your miles on Transavia, and benefit from reduced prices when you travel with Air France and Transavia. However, this feature only applies to Plus and Max fare tickets.
Basic, Plus, Max fares: Which formula should you choose?
The different Transavia fares all give you access to different formulas and options to improve your comfort and ensure you travel in the best possible conditions, depending on the services you require.
The Basic Transavia fare
- 1 piece of hand baggage 55 x 35 x 25 cm max.
- 1 accessory max. 40 x 30 x 20 cm
- all baggage must not exceed 10 kg
- you cannot earn Flying Blue Miles
- the Basic fare allows you to change your reservation up to 2 hours before departure. It costs €50 per person per flight to change the date, time, or itinerary of your flight. If the new ticket is more expensive, you will have to pay the difference.
The Transavia Max fare
- 1 piece of hand baggage 55 x 35 x 25 cm max.
- 1 accessory max. 40 x 30 x 20 cm
- one hold baggage item weighing 20 kg
- all baggage must not exceed 10 kg
- the option of choosing your seat
- no fee for changing your ticket up to 14 days before departure; you will only pay the difference in the price of the new ticket if it is more expensive
- active mileage accumulation on the maximum fare
- priority boarding with Fast Track
The Transavia Plus fare
- 1 piece of hand baggage, max. 55 x 35 x 25 cm
- 1 accessory max. 40 x 30 x 20 cm
- all baggage must not exceed 10 kg
- one hold baggage item weighing 30 kg
- a choice of seats, including more comfortable seats with more legroom
- no fee for changing your ticket up to 2 hours before departure, you will only pay the difference in the price of the new ticket if it is more expensive
- active mileage accumulation on the maximum fare
- priority boarding with Fast Track
In-flight entertainment with the Entertainment application
Take advantage of Transavia's Entertainment application for your flight. Regardless of the fare you choose, you will benefit from this service.
Simply download the app onto your smartphone or tablet and log in with your booking number. You'll then have access to a wide choice of films and series to keep you entertained during your flight!
Opinions on Transavia: a company committed to fighting global warming
The airline industry is regularly criticized for its impact on global warming. To counter this, Transavia has taken radical action by becoming the first French airline to use SkyBreathe's cutting-edge solution.
Eco-piloting offers an excellent solution for aviation personnel to reduce the carbon footprint of all flights, creating an environmentally friendly approach. For an eco-responsible holiday, you can trust Transavia.
Other services offered by Transavia
Transavia works with other industry professionals to provide personalized offers to their customers and enhance their travel experience throughout their stay.
- transavia holidays: Get special offers on your hotel
- booking.com: 1 euro spent = 2 Flying Blue Miles collected
- HolidayTaxis: practical and affordable taxi services
- american express: up to 20,000 free Miles for every €1,500 spent in the first 3 months
- It is possible to reserve a seat at the time of ticket purchase, but also at a later date via your My Transavia space. This seat reservation option is available up to 30 hours before flight departure. If you choose not to reserve a seat, you will be able to select from the available seats when you check in online.
Transavia's main drawback: no long-haul flights
Transavia's main drawback is that it does not offer long-haul flights, as other low-cost airlines do. You won't be able to fly to Thailand or the United States from any airport with Transavia, even from Paris Orly or CDG!
In this case, we advise you to turn to airlines such as Air France, for which you can use and accumulate your Miles. Or you could choose Transavia first, then opt for a connecting flight.
With so many positive aspects, this is the airline's main drawback if you are a frequent international traveler.
The quality of the Transavia fleet
The average age of the fleet is 7 years. It is made up of 85 Boeing 737-800s and 4 Boeing 737-700s. After increasing its Boeing capacity, the airline will now be integrating its first Airbus A320neo aircraft.
Customer reviews on the airline company Transavia
With a summary of customer reviews based on numerous sources such as Tripadvisor, flight-report, Trustpilot, and routard.com, you can find out what customers think about the airline Transavia as well as their flight experience.
Punctuality
Transavia passengers greatly appreciate the punctuality of Transavia flights. The airline is appreciated for its reliability, although there are occasionally problems such as flight cancellations or minor delays at the airport.
Most of the time, a delay is no more than an hour. For more information on the delay rate, please note that Transavia has a cancellation rate of only 0.02%.
Pleasant staff
Transavia staff are generally considered to be very friendly and helpful on flights departing from France, according to passenger reviews. Some opinions are more clear-cut for European and North African flights, but overall the reviews are fairly positive.
Customer service
Despite a few negative reviews on the internet stating the poor quality of customer service, travelers are on the whole satisfied with the response and return rate and can find the information they were looking for.
Good value for money
Comments about the price of air tickets are not the most common, but when users do mention it, they appreciate that ticket prices are fairly competitive compared with the competition.
Choice of destinations
Passengers appreciate that the airline meets the needs of as many people as possible by offering flights on routes that are sometimes not very popular (e.g. Paris-Kos; Kos-Paris) but also a very wide choice on destinations that are, conversely, very popular (more than 15 destinations in Spain, more than ten in Greece and Morocco).
A clear, intuitive website
Users appreciate the ergonomics of the website. Simple and practical, the information is clear and it's easy to make a booking.
Luggage
Basic fare passengers appreciate that cabin baggage is accepted up to 55cm in length, which is not the case with most low-cost airlines.
Lack of free service on board
A minority of passengers complained that they were not even offered a simple glass of water during the flight. Several passengers complained that meals were not offered.
You have to pay €2.50 for a coffee and €9 for a meal. This can add to your overall budget on a return flight!
Lack of cabin space
Many passengers complain about the lack of cabin space on Transavia flights. This is particularly true of tall people, who may feel cramped when it comes to unfolding their legs.
Our verdict on the airline Transavia
On the whole, we recommend Transavia for all your cheap flights in Europe, thanks to the quality of the staff on board, the various formulas on offer, the possibility of earning Miles, and also thanks to the partnerships that Transavia has been able to develop.
While there are certain aspects to be noted, such as comfort and catering options, these are fairly predictable given that this is a low-cost airline. All in all, if you want a low-cost airline with a certain level of luxury, then Transavia is the airline for you.
Now you have all the information and answers to your questions you need to make the right choice for your next booking!
