7 Reasons Why Transavia is our Favorite European Budget Airline
From a No-BS booking experience to fleet modernization, see what sets Transavia apart from the rest.
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It is not often that you fly ‘regularly’ with a budget-friendly airline and they consistently leave a great impression. However, we both noticed that on separate occasions Transavia did so. In the past few months, we’ve flown with Transavia to Egypt, Austria, Spain & Greece and all trips were a great success.
This budget-friendly airline not only saved our wallets but also flipped our expectations of what a low-cost carrier can offer. Here's why Transavia has become our new favorite airline, especially for our upcoming adventures in Europe.
Competitive Prices
Who doesn't love a good deal?
(We do!)
Transavia offers competitive pricing that often undercuts similar carriers. For example, on Hannah’s recent trip from Amsterdam to Innsbruck, she got tickets at nearly half the cost of what other airlines were charging.
Now, when comparing Transavia with true low-cost carriers in Europe, such as Easyjet and Ryanair, Transavia is often slightly more expensive. However, when comparing Transavia to carriers with similar ‘perks’ and services, such as SAS or TUI, Transavia clearly wins this price battle.
No BS Booking Experience
Booking flights can be a hassle, but Transavia’s website is as user-friendly as they come.
It’s easy to navigate, and the transparency in pricing means no unpleasant surprises at checkout. I mean, how often have you selected your flights and thought that you scored a great deal, only to get hit in the face with all kinds of hidden fees? We certainly have… And it’s the worst
Exceptionally Friendly Staff
From the check-in agents to the cabin crew, everyone seems to genuinely smile.
On Mike’s flight to Egypt, one of the flight attendants went out of her way to help other passengers find extra space for their slightly oversized carry-on. Additionally, the cabin crew doesn’t ‘hide’ during the flight, and walks through the cabin now and then to check if people would like to order or request something.
Fleet Modernization
Transavia is currently refreshing its fleet, and that is great news.
They currently fly only Boeing 737s, with an average age of 8 years. In the coming years, they will be slowly replacing these aircraft with the newer Airbus A320s. Not only can the aircraft carry more passengers, and are quieter and more efficient, but they also improve the comfort for the passengers with newer (and wider) seats, more space for the overhead luggage, and USB-C charging in the seats.
Transavia expects to have replaced half of their old Boeing 737s with the new Airbus 320s by the end of next year.
Needless to say, we are both looking forward to flying on one of their newer planes in the future!
Exciting New Destinations
Transavia is also constantly adding new destinations into its network.
For example, this winter season they will be flying to the Gran Canaries and Tbilisi, Georgia! This is some great news for us since we’re actually considering a skiing trip in Georgia for next winter season. However, the were no direct flights from Amsterdam to Tbilisi in that period, until now!
Let’s hope they fly with one of their newer aircraft so that we can try those out 😎
Connections with Flying Blue
Flying Blue is the loyalty program from AirFrance KLM, and since Transavia is part of the AirFrance KLM Group, you also can earn Miles & XP on your Transavia flights.
To earn these benefits, you’ll have to pay a bit extra. Transavia has two fares besides their standard fare: Plus and Max. Besides Miles & XP, these fares also offer benefits such as free checked-in baggage, seat selection, and priority boarding. The Miles and XP that you earn per flight depend on your Flying Blue level.
We recognize that this ‘benefit’ of Transavia is a very specific one to Flying Blue members only, but since we both are, we cannot exclude it from our list 😉
Wrapping Up
In the world of budget airlines, Transavia strikes that rare balance between cost and quality, all while keeping travel light-hearted and friendly. Whether it’s the competitive prices, user-friendly service, or their upcoming fleet modernization, they tick all the boxes for us.
One thing that we must note, is that from the 1st of April 2024, Transavia changed their bagage policy. Before April 1st, you were able to bring bagage in the cabin that could fit in the overhead bins. However, now you’ll have to pay €10 per flight for this luggage.
This was one of Transavia’s strong points in the past, but unfortunately they are changing this. Although this is a clear detoriation of their service, we still feel flying with Transavia is more than worth it.
So, if you have the chance to fly with Transavia and you’ve never tried it coming summer, we’d say, just try it, and we’re pretty sure you won’t be disappointed.
Have you flown with Transavia before? What was your experience like? Or are there other budget airlines you swear by? Drop your stories and questions in the comments below—we love hearing from you!
Been flying transavia quite a few times. As a passenger (and marketer) it feels the right balance between a Low cost and full service carrier, from a product/price and brand perspective.