MALEV HUNGARIAN AIRLINES   Passenger Reviews and Passenger Trip Reports

MALEV HUNGARIAN AIRLINES customer review :  17 March  2010 by S Potts   (Netherlands)

AMS-BUD-AMS return, B737-800 outbound, B737-700 return. We got a sandwich and two drinks rounds, flights on time and an efficient service. The ground staff at BUD were polite and helpful and the cabin crew even smiled! I did have a gripe on the outward journey, and that was that it was not possible to check in online for the AMS-BUD route. Why they restrict this to certain origin airports is beyond me. My colleague booked his flight through the KLM website and was (eventually) able to check in online but I was left trying to negotiate a seat next to him at the airport. I can see no reason for these restrictions. On the return journey, Malév online check in worked better than KLM! The return flight was somewhat bizarre as we were bussed around the terminal to another gate where our plane was linked to the terminal via an airbridge. We boarded by the back stairs. Odd, but maybe there was a problem with the airbridge.

MALEV HUNGARIAN AIRLINES customer review :  15 March  2010 by A Barbulescu   (Romania)

Bucharest to Damascus through Budapest return. Flightson time, service onboard flawless (although cost reduction left a mark on the menu, only 20g of peanuts on OTP-BUD and a sandwich on the 3 hr flight BUD-DAM), Budapest airport clean and not congested, and last but not least a very good price!

MALEV HUNGARIAN AIRLINES customer review :  10 March  2010 by J Tung   (Czech Republic)

Prague/Budapest, Budapest/Warsaw and Budapest/London Gatwick at least once a month. Overall my favorite carrier in Eastern Europe. Check in online was really easy. Budapest airport 2B was fairly empty. If you check in online it will only take you less than 10 minutes to go through security and go to the gate. Boarding on time. Ground staff friendly. It was a new 737-800 plane, clean with plenty of space. We were offered a snack and few rounds of drink. We were well informed about the journey progress and flying map was available on the overhead screen.

MALEV HUNGARIAN AIRLINES customer review :  22 February  2010 by Wiktor Karpowicz   (Poland)

Warsaw-Budapest-Zurich return. Great price and very decent baggage allowance (23 kg). Very helpful cabin crew, however the onboard product not impressive - no newspapers in economy, no free alcohol, restricted catering options. B737 spacious and clean, but Dash 8 Q400s already show their age, have restricted legroom and are extremely noisy, particularly in the middle section. The big problem is their hub - Ferihegy airport, overcrowded and in constant chaos, with restricted facilities and rude staff.

MALEV HUNGARIAN AIRLINES customer review :  17 February  2010 by David Bajomi-Lazar   (Hungary)

I have flown Malev about 40 times in the past ten years. The aircraft are quite new and comfortable. Onboard service has been changing - only a small sandwich and soft drinks are now served on most flights. Malev flight attendants can go from uninterested to extremely friendly, the latter more common. I think that Malev offers good value for money.

MALEV HUNGARIAN AIRLINES customer review :  9 December  2009 by W Staab   (USA)

Budapest-Paris, plane clean, comfortable seats. Check in was prompt, service onboard was polite and professional. Announcements in Hungarian and English (not in French). Served a sandwich (ham or cheese but the ham was bologna), drink run and then later coffee/tea served. Malev now again has printed timetable available which is a plus. Arrival on time and a pleasant flight

MALEV HUNGARIAN AIRLINES customer review :  1 December  2009 by Stephen D'Arcy   (Belgium)

Brussels-Budapest return. Flights on 737-700 comfortable in economy: plenty of room for overhead baggage (less and less the case - sorry, no pun intended! - see my latest review of Brussels Airlines). Pleasantly surprised to be served ham or cheese sandwich, then choice of cold drinks inc. red/white wine, then tea/coffee at no charge. Staff polite and efficient. Malev have several promotions at present, not only on fares (I paid EURO 73 return all-in), but on luxury hotel packages and even a "dental tourism" package - yes, I have signed up for New Year. They offered cut-price mini-bus transfer from the airport to anywhere in ther capital for HUF 2990 return (around EURO 11) - a real plus when your flight arrives after 22.30.

MALEV HUNGARIAN AIRLINES customer review :  15 November  2009 by S Mladenovic   (Netherlands)

AMS-BUD-LCA, Malev is my preferred airline when I fly home to Cyprus from Amsterdam. Check- in in Amsterdam and Larnaca is smooth, transit in Budapest quite efficient, especially in the evening when it's less crowded. The hub in Budapest is undergoing a renovation and looks and smells a lot better than it did a year ago! The flights are comfortable and punctual - food consists of simple, small sandwiches, so bring some extra food! Cabin crew never made a huge impression on me but never made problems either. Excellent value for money but no frills.

MALEV HUNGARIAN AIRLINES customer review :  24 October  2009 by Joerg Lehnert   (Germany)

Berlin (TXL) via Budapest to Odessa. Both flights were on time, luggage arrived and planes more or less clean. Malev has quietly abandoned most of its onboard service for Economy Class passengers on its short and medium haul connections. Of course they did not announce this deterioration. You basically get an orange juice and a tea/coffee. Forget a meal or newspapers. That is acceptable if the flight has a duration of less than 60 minutes. However if you use their Budapest hub for changing planes it will take you much longer than just an hour. Sadly Malev has become a low service airlines, which does not necessarily mean a low cost airline. Would I use them again: only if they are the cheapest.

MALEV HUNGARIAN AIRLINES customer review :  16 October  2009 by Jean Louis Vergaert   (UK)

Budapest to Sofia Business Class : check-in speedy but impersonal. Lounge is acceptable, not luxurious and no free internet, but roomy. We had to board through buses, which adds to the confusion. A comfortable business class cabin, large, comfy seats, and you have a free seat next to you. Orange juice before take-off, main course nothing outstanding. Decent wine served with a smile. Fortunately the arrival at Sofia was to a jetty, so no more chaotic bus ride. It is nothing outstanding, but cabin is very good and there is nothing to complain about.

MALEV HUNGARIAN AIRLINES customer review :  13 October  2009 by T Deasy   (UK)

London Gatwick to Budapest. Staff were friendly (not overly so) and efficient. Plane looked to be fairly new. We got a sandwich tea+ coffee/soft drink/water and Hungarian wine (don't know if you get other alcoholic drinks) free. Nobody hassled us to buy duty free or lottery tickets or any other refreshments like some airlines. You don't have to check in online, if you don't want to. Check in was efficient and staff were helpful. We asked for a window seat and sat together - and got one, no problem without having to pay anything extra. You don't get any extras but what you get is value for money and on time flights.