AIR SOUTHWEST  Passenger Reviews and Customer Trip Reports

AIR SOUTHWEST review :  11 October 2008 : by P Jamieson

Customer Rating : 1/5

I checked in to the flight at Glasgow airport at approximately 1600, bound for Plymouth. Upon boarding the aircraft at 1730 the Pilot informed us that there would be a change to the route for ‘Operational Reasons’. The flight would now be routed via Leeds Bradford, Bristol and Newquay before eventually landing in Plymouth approximately one hour later then scheduled. Prior to arrival in Bristol the Pilot informed us that those passengers bound for Plymouth would have to change aircraft, as a direct flight to Plymouth was available. Passengers scheduled to fly to Newquay were to remain on the aircraft. Upon landing at Bristol we were moved from the aircraft to the departures lounge. Immediately on arrival in the departures lounge we were told that we would now be boarding a new flight that would depart Bristol at 2135 (one hour later) and would operate via Newquay. Prior to boarding the new aircraft at 2135 it was announced that the aircraft would only stop at Newquay due to adverse weather conditions and that ground transportation would take us the remainder of the journey to Plymouth. The flight itself to Newquay was far from comfortable, with the Pilot himself admitting that we may have to divert to Exeter if he could not land successfully in Newquay, owing to the poor weather. Furthermore the condition inside the plane was poor, my overhead light was cracked and held together by sellotape and the seat pocket was filled with rubbish. The flight eventually landed in Newquay, we were transferred to a coach and finally arrived in Plymouth at approximately midnight. (4 hours later then scheduled)

AIR SOUTHWEST review :  29 September 2008 : by A Loveday

Customer Rating : 5/5

Bristol to Leeds Bradford. I was impressed and flight crew are some of the nicest I have come across. Both outbound and return flights were on time, despite thick fog in Leeds. Few more routes and you got it cracked - just hope with the current gloomy economy Air Southwest manage to keep flying.

AIR SOUTHWEST review :  23 September 2008 : by T Jeans

Customer Rating : 5/5

MAN-NQY. Can't fault this flight. On this route, you are transferred at Bristol to a Leeds originating flight. Very well handled, but not great for the mobility-impaired. Excellent cabin crew who genuinely took an interest in their passengers, and more than made up for the basic drinks service. Flights to NQY always seem full, and you can see why.

AIR SOUTHWEST review :  28 August 2008 : by A Bailey

Customer Rating : 4/5

Gatwick to Newquay - check in to after security in lounge 6 minutes! Departed on time arrived on time, full flight, reasonable buy on board, friendly and smart crew. Another good flight on Air Southwest.

AIR SOUTHWEST review :  13 August 2008 : by James Fox

Customer Rating : 3/5

I have made several flights on Air Southwest in the last year. None have left on time, which has been inconvenient but not disastrous, but the feature on every flight has been the complete lack of communication from the airline. No guidance has been given as to whether the delay would be half an hour or four hours. On one occasion we were boarded on to a plane flown by a different airline, Titan, a 737 which was unable to land at Plymouth. The good news was that the crews were all pleasant and could speak English, unlike Ryanair.

AIR SOUTHWEST review :  7 August 2008 : by David Perman

Customer Rating : 5/5

LGW-NQY-LGW I fly this route on a regular commute to and from work on Monday mornings and Friday evenings and in 3 months have had little difficulty. Dash 8 aircraft used on this route are excellent, plenty of leg room. Cabin crew friendly and helpful.

AIR SOUTHWEST review : 2 August 2008 : by S Janes

Customer Rating : 4/5

NQY-LGW-NQY Excellent flights both ways from Newquay to Gatwick and then a month later from Gatwick to Newquay via Plymouth. Crew were very pleasant. Seats comfortable. Both flights were on time. Would certainly use this airline again as it is so much easier to travel this way from Cornwall to Gatwick than going by car or train.

AIR SOUTHWEST review : 7 July 2008 : by T Brumfield

Customer Rating : 1/5

I too was on a Dublin to Plymouth flight which was cancelled and a different aircraft took us from Dublin to Cork and then to Newquay and a minibus to Plymouth. Technical faults happen but the total lack of communication was a pain. Added to that, I had a business class ticket and none of the promised services were provided - I got a free glass of orange juice on board (the most expensive glass of orange juice ever at around £175 extra?) Very poor response to complaint. However, I have travelled with them to Gatwick a couple of times with no problems. Hope they get their act together soon or I can see Plymouth's airport closing due to lack of customers.

AIR SOUTHWEST review : 18 June 2008 : by Lorraine Doyle

Customer Rating : 1/5

Air Southwest does not seem to accept negative fee back too well. I wrote a letter some weeks ago complaining of my 9 hour delay from Newquay to Dublin and back - no explanation whatsoever! Anyone else experienced the same problem??

AIR SOUTHWEST review : 17 June 2008 : by R Milne

Customer Rating : 1/5

Arrived at Gatwick for Air Southwest flight to Newquay only to be told that the flight had been cancelled - and the only alternative was by coach. My 50 minute flight turned into seven hours. On my return flight from Newquay airport, noticed that there was a one hour delay to flight - I went through to departures - one hour delay only to be told that the plane had been cancelled and the alternative was a 16 seater mini bus. I have emailed Lyn Jones at Air Southwest but have had no reply which doesn't surprise me at all. I certainly would not recommend Air Southwest and wouldn't use them again myself.

AIR SOUTHWEST review : 10 June 2008 : by M Clarke

Customer Rating : 1/5

LGW-NQY. Flight overbooked. Apparently not usual for this airline. BA check in staff negotiated a seat on later plane (presumably at some other passenger's expense) and got me and another similarly afflicted lady in the BA lounge for our five hour wait. Return flight on Tuesday 28th and the next one were cancelled.

AIR SOUTHWEST review : 3 June 2008 : by Steve Garrett

Customer Rating : 1/5

LGW to Plymouth, 31 May 2008. Arrived at Gatwick this morning to be politely informed by handling agents that the flight to Plymouth was cancelled. Apparently, the aircraft had gone 'technical'? I was able to find out that the flight was less than half full and I suspect that it was cancelled for financial reasons. My 50 minute flight turned into a 5 hour bus journey. When I called the airline in Plymouth for help, they could not guarantee that the next flight would operate and were quite evasive with their answers and in addition, I was told to call a premium rate number to arrange an alternative booking. No help from the airline at Gatwick at all. BA act as handling agents and that is the end of their remit.

AIR SOUTHWEST review : 3 June 2008 : by F McLaughlan

Customer Rating : 3/5

NCL to Plymouth - Arrived at the airport in plenty time, 1 customer in front and had to wait 25 minutes. Not the fault of AirSouth West, the passenger carrying a baby had two pushchairs, three bags and unwilling to pay for the extra baggage. Once checked in, flight departed on time and arrived 10 minutes ahead of schedule. Nice touch not having to pay for putting luggage into the hold.

AIR SOUTHWEST review : 30 May 2008 : by N Fotheringill

Customer Rating : 4/5

GLA-PLH-GLA. The flight goes via Newquay and Titan Airways 737 had been sub-chartered to operate the service. 737s are unable to operate into Plymouth so we had to disembark at Newquay and complete the journey by bus. Despite this we arrived in Plymouth just an hour late - the bus ride through Cornwall was actually rather pleasant! Some passengers were moaning but Air Southwest had done their job with minimal inconvenience. The only criticism could be with the wrong information by the ground handling agents at Glasgow. The return flight to Glasgow operated as normal, a short ten minute hop to Newquay followed by an hour and a half to Glasgow. The Dash 8 is comfortable enough though a bit noisy (the early versions are not fitted with the noise suppression of the -400 series) and the service was perfectly acceptable.

AIR SOUTHWEST review : 7 May 2008 : by C Lee

Customer Rating : 5/5

LGW-NQY. Arrived in with BA from Salzburg, and transfered to Air Southwest evening flight to Newquay. There is no agreement for codesharing at the moment, but there is on domestic to domestic flights - so I had to recheck in. Crew seemed chatty as I boarded. Very loud take off as ever on the Dash 8. Cabin snack service shortly after take off, well priced cup of tea and flapjack for only £2.

Air Southwest review by R Curtis

16 April 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Have flown several times MAN-BRS and back, and never had any real problems. On two occasions I've booked for the Saturday 10:00 departure on Friday night, and apart from the check-in staff having to 'phone someone else to check another computer, this has not been a problem. Manchester is an interesting airport - they don't seem keen on allocating gates until aircraft are on the ground, so sometimes the quoted boarding time comes and goes with no word, and announcements can be a bit sparse, but this seems to be common for all flights out of Terminal 3. The last time I went down, there was a delay of approx. 20 minutes at Manchester - the incoming flight was late - and we were only told after going to the gate. I'm not sure if the staff at MAN are Air Southwest, or employed by some third party, but more information would be nice. Otherwise, every flight has been fine - the staff are always pleasant, and the journey is quick. BRS is ok - check-in and ground services are supplied by British Airways - and being a smaller airport arriving is very easy, and departing is pretty simple too. I notice other people have had problems with cancellations and serious delays, and from the comments Air Southwest sound pretty much like every other airline in those situations, but hopefully they'll continue the service level I've been able to experience so far.

Air Southwest review by J Williams

25 February 2008  Customer Trip Rating : n/a

LBA-NQY cancelled due to fog and rebooked at no charge on a later flight. The flights departed and arrived on time and cabin crew were professional. Being a turboprop plane, the flight is noisy. I have travelled with Air Southwest to Newquay 4 times in the past 12 months and other than several slight delays departing Newquay - the airport cannot handle any more than 2 flights leaving simultaneously - recommend them.

Air Southwest review by Christian Hodson

24 February 2008  Customer Trip Rating : n/a

I make frequent trips to Bristol from MAN to visit family and in the past have had to endure tedious journeys by train via Birmingham and even more horrendous journeys by road. As long as you are able to book in advance and make use of the £29.99 one way fares this is the way to travel. Check-in at MAN is advertised as opening 2 hours before the flight departure, but I was able to check in earlier than this for my last flight. The flight takes about 50 minutes and for such a short trip the service is friendly, professional and onboard drinks / snacks reasonably priced. I would agree with previous comments that the ride could be a little white knuckle if the weather is not great but I have been fortunate to have had clear skies and a nice view over the South West of England on the approach into Bristol. The only downside is that if you have to book a last minute ticket the prices are extortionate, regardless of how busy the flight is.

Air Southwest review by Andrew Wilson

15 August 2007  Customer Trip Rating : n/a

LBA-NQY-LBA flight a couple of times now and can recommend this airline. It beats the 5 or 6 hour slog on the motorways. The aircraft are ageing but appear well cared for with spotlessly clean cabins and comfy leather-look seats. Legroom not a problem. Cabin staff are pleasant and efficient. Only caveat - if you don't like turbulence this may not be for you - have had one or two white knuckle approaches/landings to Bristol and LBS!

Air Southwest review by Brenda McMillan
7 November 2006

This morning I arrived at the Southwest check in desk in Manchester Terminal 3 at 08.13 for the 08.45 flight Cardiff to find there was no one to check me in. The sign above the desk still said check in here for CARDIFF. I knew it was tight in timing, but there had been an accident on the M56 that delayed me and according to my E-confirmation my final check in time was 30 minutes before the flight left. On checking with the desks next to Air Southwest they said the lady had left the Southwest desk 10 minutes earlier. They kindly called someone who said the flight had not yet closed. They then made a further call and relayed that while I could go to the Southwest office in Terminal 1 and try to check in there Southwest where about to close the flight and I would be too late to get on it. This is the most bizarre concept of customer service I have heard of. The staff at the adjoining desks where all friendly and supportive and seemed embarrassed by the information they were relaying to me. I travel on business two or three times a week and this is the only time I have come across such a situation. I work for a large Bank and have already been assured that my organisation will get a refund for the ticket but would that be the case if I was an independent traveller? I have used Southwest several times before and had some measure of goodwill towards them - which has evaporated over this incident.

Air Southwest review by Gavin Stewart
12 October 2006

FA's great. Friendly, relaxed, happy. Feel a bit sorry for them sometimes. Increasingly, seems to be just one FA on some legs juggling many duties. Really quite entertaining, watching the poor girl sprint back and forth, yet still with great attitude. Come on Air Southwest, fares are not exactly super-cheap - stump up and put some more FA's on! Never had a problem, usually on time, cabin seats very comfy.

Air Southwest review by Glen Rennie
27 September 2006

Air Southwest 12:45 hrs departure from London Gatwick to Plymouth City on 23rd Sept 06 (returning the next day). Arrived in good time (two hours before departure) and proceeded to check-in which after a twenty minute queue was completed by friendly and chirpy British Airways staff. Continued through security and into departures area for something to eat. I kept watching the flight screens as my departure time came - and went - without any gate number or information and just as it reached my departure time it changed to "delayed to 13:45" (one hour delay). So back to the bar I went until 13:15 when I checked the screen again and it now said "delayed to 14:10" (one hour and twenty minutes delay). So back to the bar once again. At 13:50 I checked once again and this time it said "Will board gate 55" so off I went to the gate where we were called to board at 14:15 with no apology or information about the reason for the delay. The aircraft was clean and tidy and while I couldn't spend more than an hour or so in one I have no problems with the seats on Dash 8 aircraft. The captain made his announcement with a welcome, an apology and some route/weather information which was clear and concise. However, no real reason was given for the delays and he then dropped another delay on passengers by telling us of a "slight change of plan" for the flight! It was meant to fly Gatwick - Plymouth - Newquay but for reasons that he could not or would not tell us we were to fly Gatwick - Newquay - Plymouth adding further delay to my arrival in Plymouth. The flight itself was smooth enough and (as always) the cabin crew were friendly, efficient and welcoming. Air Southwest usually charge for refreshments but because of the delay one free drink was being offered - a nice gesture but I would rather have been on time! I finally arrived in Plymouth at 16:00 (two hours and fifteen minutes late) having taken the scenic route via newquay and not actually been told why! The whole journey from check-in to arrival took over five hours by which time I could have been there by train at half the price! This airline started well (see the first ever Air Southwest post - made by myself in 2004) but recent experience has proved that they are loosing it! The staff are great but the time keeping and customer information is appalling! In my first post I said "I just hope that they can maintain this high level of service as they expand and grow in the future" - it would appear that they could not!

Air Southwest review by John Fricker
22 September 2006

Newquay to Cardiff (continues to Manchester). The airline's Bombardier Q300 used on the outward flight seemed noisier than the Flybe Q400 I had previously flown in. The return flight was quieter. These are, however, cosy little planes with good legroom. Delays had accumulated throughout the day to delay the return flight by an hour, but this was only displayed about 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time. The 06:30 departure and 20:55 return to Newquay during the week make a day trip to Cardiff or Manchester possible.

Air Southwest review by Andrew Bryant
6 September 2006

Have used this airline several times, MAN-BRS and LBA-BRS... used to be an excellent service, but standards have slipped or they just don't care when things go wrong. Cancelled flight from LBA-BRS in March (apparently due to weather problems, but other flights to/from LBA/BRS and NQY were flying OK!), and that was after the flight showing as on time only 50 mins before it was due to depart. Offered a seat on the next "available" flight, 24 hours later (how nice!), or a eventually a seat in a taxi to Bristol after about 2 hours of non-communication and no issue of refreshment vouchers. Declined the taxi (regular user of Leeds taxis and would never get one that far!), got the on-time excellent service of the train the next morning. Needless to say Air Southwest refused anything but a refund on the original air ticket (which took about 6 weeks!). Gave them one more chance and had a flight from MAN-BRS booked in July, turned up at MAN an hour early only to be told it was cancelled with NO explanation, but we could go on the later flight (3 hour delay), but we had to go immediately to departures. Have a feeling they cancelled due to underbooking (approx 10 pax). I will NEVER fly with them again, whats the point - I flew to save 2-3 hours but can't take the risk of being late and out of pocket again! The on board staff are good, but the LBA and MAN ground staff do not have a clue, nor do their Customer Service who quite frankly need to learn to read complaint letters properly also.

Air Southwest review by Tim Key
26 August 2006

Bristol to Norwich, and have nothing to complain about, flight left on time, comfortable seats, friendly crew and a good all round service. It sure beats a 4 to 5 hour drive.

Air Southwest review by Mike Kendall
1 July 2006

BRS-LBA-BRS. What a gem of a local airline this is!! No queue at check-in in either direction (flights handled by BA at BRS) and prompt baggage collection both ends. Comfortable leather seating with masses of legroom (more than Flybe). Flight attendants are cheerful, polite and professional. Older Dash-8 aircraft but very clean and well looked after, would recommend last four rows 10-14 for quieter flight - row 11 has legroom of BA euro club proportions as its an emergency exit! All this for UKL 38 return! They also serve Plymouth gin which is a recommendation in itself! Long may they prosper.

Air Southwest review by John Davies
18 June 2006

Instead of taking the train from Penzance I flew on business for the first time to Leeds/Bradford on Monday June 5th and returned on 7th June. I'm mailing to say that I welcomed the high standard of care and attention provided by the cabin staff to passengers, and in particular to elderly people travelling on their own. This, I know, is no small thing because I have on a number of occasions travelled with my (just short of ninety year old) mother-in-law on airlines that are much less helpful and welcoming. Helping old people retain their dignity in whatever context is a worthwhile thing!

Air Southwest review by Stuart Rudrum
12 June 2006

Norwich to Bristol return. Both flights left on time, comfortable with plenty of leg-room. The plane was about just over half full in both directions. There was little waiting to check-in and hold luggage was quick to arrive for collection both ends. Flight Attendant was very professional, cheerful and helpful. We will certainly fly Air Southwest again. It was very convenient, journey time was about 50 minutes,(driving would have taken 4- 5 hours) reasonably priced and the aircraft was clean.

Air Southwest review by Anthony Hending
15 May 2006

31 March. Arrived Newquay Airport at 06:25 for 07:20 departure to London Gatwick. One minute after being told to go to departure area, the flight was totally cancelled with no offer of a later flight. My wife and I had to endure a stressful road journey to Gatwick in a Transit van "with windows", along with nine other disgruntled passengers. The five hour delay meant we had to stay overnight in London at a cost of over two hundred pounds, including extra travel etc. Air Southwest reluctantly offered us a £26 refund each ( which took four weeks to get ) but charged us £30 each from the remaining air fare price for the transport to Gatwick. Would we use them again? What do you think?

Air Southwest review by Anthony Matthews
6 May 2006

Cardiff - Newquay. My first time on this new service from Cardiff. Inbound flight from Manchester 90 minutes late (blamed on air traffic and ground crew problems) - a further delay at Cardiff (blamed on ground crew). Arrived at Newquay 2 hours late for a rather special occasion. Not a good introduction. The Dash 8 was very noisy on take off, but very comfortable leather seats with plenty of leg room. Great views en - route. Return flight on same day 30 minutes late leaving Newquay. Pleasant cabin crew. Not impressed with the delays in both directions - I'll probably give them a second chance, but they must be able to provide a reliable service, or they'll go the way of many others and lose customers if delays like mine are repeated.

Air Southwest review by Steve Robinson
6 May 2006

Bristol to Norwich - excellent service. Only about 19 people on the flight so loads of room. Back from Norwich - plane left 20 mins late due to late inward arrival from Bristol. Ground crew at Norwich didnt seem bothered and didnt make an announcement, but apart from this minor problem everything was excellent. Crew very pleasant and seemed to take a pride in their work. Beats 5 hours on a train with a journey across London.

Air Southwest review by Keith Wood
2 May 2006

Plymouth - Manchester. Check in easy and swift - Plane left and arrived on time. Ground/cabin crew pleasant and helpful. Plenty of legroom. Would certainly recommend to friends. Quicker and cheaper than the train. A throughly enjoyable experience

Air Southwest review by Martine Brangan
2 May 2006

Dublin - Newquay return April 2006, with elderly disabled mother in wheelchair. Do take the assistance offered when boarding as Dash 8 has very difficult first step. The aircraft, although a bit noisy, is extremely comfortable and roomy and has lovely panoramic windows. The most wonderful thing about this low cost airline is the staff, who are the most friendly of any airline I have travelled. We had a very unpleasant encounter with the heavy security in Newquay Airport, and Air SouthWest staff upset at how passengers were treated and gave us a complaint form to fill out. They gave us a pack of goodies to take home for the trouble of filling out this form. The attention to safety is great too, and done with the utmost courtesy.