Sunwing Airlines Passenger Reviews and Sunwing Airlines Customer Trip Reports

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SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  24 September 2012 by Ronan Eudes    (UK)

We eventually made it to Toronto from London Gatwick on the 1st September 2012, after a lengthy 19hrs delay. Once onboard, no one was in a celebratory mood for a complimentary champagne (which was bypassed by the crew). The service was poor and amateurish, with a let's get on with the job attitude that you usually get on low cost Airlines. On return, notified by email 10hrs earlier of delay, night at a hotel with $25 each in vouchers for dinner and breakfast! Arrived in Gatwick in the middle of the night on 11th September. The flight experience was this time much more enjoyable, thanks to the great team of South American flight attendants who had a cheerful, professional attitude. Champagne was offered and all the usual food and nibbles. The in- flight entertainment/movies were displayed on a low resolution, 10 year old flat screen, constantly blurred by the on board electronic flight devices. Taxi supposed to have been booked for most of us to get to Central London, when we arrived no rep from Sunwing in sight. To sum it up: avoid the Transatlantic flights with Sunwing to and from London, this is like playing Russian roulette!

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  18 September 2012 by G Collins    (Canada)

I travelled with my mother to Barcelona on Sunwing for the first time on September 1. We paid extra for the Elite Plus package; however, the only portion of this package that was included was the extra leg room. The flight was 2 hours late in leaving Toronto which departed at midnight. Sitting in the Elite section there were two washrooms of which one was out of order and the other was filthy. In fact the whole section was dirty. We were served a horrible pizza pastry filled with 4 cheeses that was disgusting and the breakfast selection consisted of a piece of French toast with cherry sauce or omelette. The trip home was exhausting. We were scheduled to leave Barcelona on Sunday at 4pm. Upon arrival at the airport about 12.30 we were advised that the flight would not be leaving until Monday at 8am and that we would be transported by bus to a hotel and picked up by bus at 3am Monday. We arrived at the airport around 3.30 am and were advised that the flight was estimated to leave at 8.30 am. We were loaded onto the plane around 8.30 and did not take off until approximately 10.15 am while awaiting permission for take-off from traffic control. The food was a little better but not even close to okay as far as airline food goes. Service and attitude was poor. It took 25 minutes for an airline attendant to answer my call for some water.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  17 September 2012 by Elizabeth Dubois    (Canada)

Our flight from Paris to Toronto was delayed 28 hours, with little or no explanation. Went to Amsterdam to refuel and pick up passengers, a stop that was supposed to be one hour. We sat on the tarmac for three hours, not allowed off the plane because of security. We were told they were waiting for a receipt for the fuel, give me a break!! Then we diverted to St Johns Newfoundland because the crew had worked past their allotted hours, we had to wait for a new crew to be flown in from Toronto. We were there, waiting in long line ups, to re-check baggage onto the very same plane for 4.5-5 hours. It was so stressful and tiring. We arrived in Toronto Sat Sep 8th at 8.30 pm instead of Fri Sep 7th at 4.45 pm.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  12 September 2012 by G Watson    (UK)

Flew to Toronto end of August returned September. Outward flight OK - no more or less than you should expect from a cheap airline I suppose. However, the return flight was delayed almost 16 hours. I tried to upgrade by phone the day before but "system doesn't it allow it less than 72 hours before flight". However, the system apparently does appear to allow it at the airport as I purchased an upgrade there, but then had to wait an hour to pay for it whilst the one girl dealt with a large family and then couldn't get the credit card machine to work for the people in front of me. I certainly don't find a 16 hour delay acceptable and the difference between the upgrade and economy is minimal. Food is dire (eat before). I guess if it's travel cheap or not travel at all, then this is your airline. Otherwise, think again.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  11 September 2012 by H Colver    (USA)

Flew Toronto to Barcelona, paid for elite plus. "Elite Plus" seats were last row in section, no extra legroom and did not recline. Response from Sunwing representative on board was to request that other passengers seated in the exit rows volunteer their seats - very unprofessional and awkward for other passengers. End result: to minimize embarrassment for all. We did not receive elite plus seats or service. Repeat issue on return flight. Sunwing responded following numerous emails after 3 months with an offer of partial refund. Will never fly Sunwing again, aircraft is beyond weathered, customer service sub par and overall experience significantly detracted from an otherwise excellent trip.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  6 September 2012 by P Russell    (UK)

Flew Gatwick to Toronto 12Aug returned 23rd Aug, I had read the reviews on here and expected all sorts of horrors. Well I have to say I need not have worried as the flights, and the service were all excellent. Crew were friendly and helpful, food was ok, punctuality perfect. OK, it was a little untidy at times, but as a low cost airline what do you expect? Perhaps as I have used British low cost airlines I was used to the kind of service on offer, however with Sunwing you got a seat allocated and we had plenty of leg room, and there was enough baggage allowance unlike, UK low cost carriers. We did upgrade and had priority boarding and pre-allocated seats both ways. I would fly them again and recommend them.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  6 September 2012 by E Drew    (UK)

London to Toronto in August 2012. The way out was perfect - as all reviews said the in flight entertainment is pretty non-existent, but departure was on time, the food was good, staff friendly, and we were given a glass of champagne and wine with the meal. On the way back however, the flight was due to leave at 10pm, but was delayed until 5.30am. The stop in Glasgow was also frustrating as we were required to leave the plane and go through security. There was also a problem with duty free bought at Toronto airport, as were told we must take all belongings with us when we left the plane in Glasgow. Many people took duty free items with them, but were then not allowed back on the plane with them due to the restriction on liquids in hand luggage. Apparently the staff at the duty free shop should have put all items in a sealed bag, which would have meant they could go through security. Because they hadn't done this it meant some people were forced to leave their purchases in Glasgow. Not Sunwing's fault, but worth noting if you are flying this route. Because of the lengthy delay (which seems to be a frequent occurrence) I won't be flying Sunwing again. It's a shame they aren't able to be more reliable, as the flight itself would have been amazing value for money had it been on time.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  31 August 2012 by E Baird    (UK)

This airline is what it is - a cheap flight to Canada. so don't expect BA quality. However compared to Air Transat (who I've flown with about 5 times) they are, service wise, much the same but Sunwing was £600 cheaper for my family of 5. Staff nice and helpful. The seats are tight but that's cheap airlines - pack them in. We did upgrade on the way back to the Premier seats and they did have a lot more leg room. You have to buy your blanket at $6 each so take one if you want one as they were small and rather useless. My son was terribly ill on the plane and the staff were pretty helpful and at my request lined up a wheel chair upon arrival. We did get delays, the first (2 hours) we got notification of at home so that was fine we just left the house a little later than we should have. Second delay was for an hour at the airport which could have been dealt with a little better as we got no information at all, it turned out that they needed to change a tyre. All in all I would recommend Sunwing but remind you that it is a cheap airline.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  31 August 2012 by K Moore    (UK)

Travelled to Toronto from Gatwick, four hour delay going out. Out of date luncheon vouchers given When we went to complain about the vouchers no one to sort the problem out. Return journey offered upgrade at airport, no benefit whatsoever, no priority boarding - only thing different was slightly more leg room. Breakfast was awful. Flight attendants were lovely and helpful. This was my third flight with them and have not previously had problems.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  29 August 2012 by R Crozier    (UK)

My partner and I used airlines to get a 'direct' flight from Glasgow in the UK to Toronto. Two weeks before it left we were informed we would now be going via London Heathrow instead, and would arrive later than originally planned (making a flight connection in Toronto very tight). When I arrived at the airport on the day of the flight we were told it was delayed a further 23 hours. In the end it was delayed another hour or so on top of this. We missed a connecting flight and had to buy new ones at Toronto. Boarding was a shambles as the flight to Heathrow was partly for people only travelling to Heathrow, not going onwards to Canada. The Heathrow only people did not have allocated seats, so naturally sat wherever they felt like. This meant everyone else going onwards to Canada, were confused as they did have allocated seats, but people were sitting on them. Staff did not seem to know what was going on. I have since looked at Sunwing flights from Glasgow to Toronto and it seems they rarely go direct. Sunwing did arrange a local hotel for all passengers the night the flight was delayed. I would never fly Sunwing again, they're not much cheaper, mislead you about the nature of the flight you're booking and generally run an unreliable service.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  29 August 2012 by C Scott    (Canada)

Trip from Puerto Vallarta to Toronto returning August 23, 2012. Very efficient crew, however, very unpleasant! Flight took an extra hour with no explanation. Waited at baggage carousel for over an hour in Toronto, then told to go to a different carousel, this happened twice and still no luggage. Finally told next day that luggage would be delivered and am still waiting! Now told luggage shipped to Kingston and being held over the weekend! Will never travel Sunwing again!

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  22 August 2012 by Brian Hanlon    (Canada)

We have traveled with Sunwing quite a few times in the past but this could be our last! We were on a flight coming home from Los Cabos on Friday June 1/2012. When we arrived we were told there is a 6 hour delay and to go have breakfast and enjoy the resort until notified. The departure time changed many times throughout the day making everything very annoying. It seems that Sunwing knew when approximately when we would be leaving but wouldn't commit to a time. We got the run around all day until we were pretty much told to leave the resort for the airport. Upon arrival more delay and harassment by airport officials. Told we couldn't get off the bus and then told we had to leave the bus. We were then taken to another resort to sit and wait for 3 more hours and back to the airport for another 2 hour wait with no water or food and no air conditioning. We were awake from 5am Friday until Saturday at 8.30am for a total of 27 hours travel time. Even at the airport there was no Sunwing representative when we left. Customer service is going down hill and will reflect in reviews of your travel troubles. When finally on the plane we got a simple "Sorry for the delay". Never again for me.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  22 August 2012 by C Williams    (UK)

We flew from London to Toronto on 22 July, returning 9 August 2012. We had read the reviews, and understood they are a comparatively small airline with limited planes - so when there was a technical problem with planes both ways, we were given a night in a 4 star hotel with sustenance allowance. This added value to our holiday, as we had the latitude (having read the reviews). The ground staff we witnessed were helpful and dealt with travellers in this situation well. The cost of the flights were very competitive, the flight and ground staff were friendly and efficient, and as our holiday was extended - we have no complaints.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  22 August 2012 by Alex Trigg    (UK)

Flew Gatwick to Toronto return on 2nd August, returning 16th August 2012. I had read the reviews on here and expected all sorts of horrors. Well I have to say I need not have worried as the flights, and the service were all excellent. Crew were friendly and helpful, food was acceptable, punctuality faultless. OK, it was a little ragged at the edges (sound quality for film poor, loo's not tided during flight), but as a low cost carrier (family of 4 cost me £2,000 - nearest price with alternative was £2,800) what do you expect? Several Canadian passengers were complaining between themselves on the way over, but perhaps as an Englishman I am used to true low cost airlines. I am 6' 1" and my wife 6', and we had plenty of leg room, and we didn't upgrade. I would fly them again.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  17 August 2012 by Phil Restivo    (Canada)

This airline proves the old saying, 'You get what you pay for'. Trip down south to Dominican Republic and was very disappointed. Flight was on a rolling delay, first 1hr due to plane coming in late, then 2hr delay no pilots, then a 5hr delay due to mechanical. Onboard I could barely squeeze into my seat and when the seat in front reclined his seat back he was literally in my lap. Service was marginal. Return flight delayed 2hrs (not surprisingly) and again marginal service and no attempt to make up the delay to passengers. Next time I will book with Transat or Air Canada and will be happy to pay that extra so I can enjoy the whole vacation from start to finish.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  17 August 2012 by M Newton    (Canada)

From Toronto to LGW June 24th 2012. Plane is a Spanish 767 on contract from Euro Atlantic with Spanish crew. Seats made for someone 5'8" or less. Pizza was baked dry. On return - flight left 4 hours late due to some technical problem. Wanted to upgrade, was told flight was full from Tor. At Gatwick paid $160 for upgrade to elite plus. Flight was half empty and people moved from economy to EP, so waste of money. Food is terrible. Would not fly this airline again.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  15 August 2012 by R Zivku    (Canada)

I paid $100 extra for ticket for a trip to NL Canada, for an elite plus package. Yes there was a special check in line and extra leg room but we were among the last to board because there was no early boarding call for elite, the overhead spot for our Carry on was full so we had to go back 6 rows. No champagne as stated, no movie and as for the meal - a week old sandwich will be better.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  10 August 2012 by Joanne Allison    (UK)

Flew Sunwing for first time and I will be back! £200 cheaper than the nearest competitors Glasgow to Toronto return. Check in was quick and efficient, although not a problem to me, staff were strict about the hand luggage being 10kg. Staff on the flight were friendly and I liked the hot towels. Only problem was the fact that that I did not appreciate that food would not be served until we left Gatwick, so next time I would take a sandwich with me. Great value for money.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  2 August 2012 by Jack Dann    (Canada)

Gatwick to Toronto 28/7/2012. Yes, the planes are a bit old, and the flight did leave an hour late, but easily the cheapest flight to Canada, plane was clean, staff were friendly, food was surprisingly good, drink service was good, free water, juice, coke etc, beer/wine £4/$6. Lands at T1 in Toronto – so easy for connections. Seats are a bit cramped, if you're complaining about the lack of entertainment; bring a book or ipod. Plenty of people on the ground, although a little disorganised. Would fly with them again.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  27 July 2012 by Carol McAndrew    (Canada)

Flight from Glasgow to Toronto (July 22nd) was "delayed" 24 hours. Ended up missing day of work and pay. Flight crew, meals and drinks were good. Just need to improve their reliability and timing. No Sunwing staff to be found on the ground - couldn't speak with anyone. Flight went via Gatwick and London passengers were in our allocated seats - chaos. Good value if had departed on correct day!

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  20 July 2012 by Alexandra Malfatti    (UK)

June 14 I flew to Cancun and the flight was delayed from 5.30pm to 9.30pm. Way home - different story. We were delayed 9 hours in the middle of the night stuck at the Cancun airport. We were picked up from our hotel at 6.30pm and then didn't leave until 3.30am. All they gave us was a 10 dollar food voucher. Then we board the plane and they were horrifically dirty. Now I'm sitting in the airport a month later and booked Sunwing again. A 6.30 am flight to Las Vegas was delayed 13 hours. Now it's 7.30 pm and they just called another delay. We lost a whole day.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  17 July 2012 by R Alexander    (UK)

Cheapest flight in economy for a w/e trip from LON to YYZ during the high season by about 50%. Bought upgrade to elite plus for GBP 90 which was a waste of money. Since both flights half full plenty of space. Flight operated by Euro Atlantic Airways (Portuguese) with a mixed Sunwing/Euro Atlantic crew. Crew just about adequate. For the price the all inclusive food/refreshments 80's style food and drinks a pleasant surprise. Had to pay for a blanket on the return leg. Aircraft (767) clean but very tired with old style big screen inflight entertainment. The feed to the headset was very poor. Seating gives about 34 inch pitch in the 'elite plus' seats and 32 inch pitch in the standard seats. Limited hand baggage allowance of 5 kg so had to check in wheely bag. In summary service represented very good value for money. Might have been a different opinion if the flight was full or late.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  16 July 2012 by J Azevedo    (Canada)

Have flown with Sunwing on 5 trips and each trip back and forth were on time. Last flight - Toronto - Varadero - Toronto, both flights left on time, offered a glass of champagne on the way down. Hot meal both ways, the meal was a standard airline meal. These days you are lucky to receive a meal included in the price of your ticket. Return flight arrived early. Given a free upgrade to elite plus (exit row).

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  16 July 2012 by C David    (Canada)

Our flight to Vegas was to leave at 6.30 am and when we arrived at the airport they told us that it would be leaving at 7.30 pm. We checked the status of the departure on the website and it stated that it was on time. The best they could do was give us a free taxi ride home and back to the airport. We were only going to Vegas for 4 days and lost a full day. Stay away from Sunwing Vacations.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  10 July 2012 by L Gilchrist    (Canada)

I booked with them because they offered a direct flight from Toronto to Glasgow however nine days prior to departure we were re-routed via London Gatwick. Not a huge concern however on landing the flight crew had no idea whether we were to deplane or stay on the aircraft - Boeing 767 with rudimentary in-flight entertainment. Eventually told to get off because the aircraft had to be cleaned which meant we took an exhaustive circular walking tour of Gatwick via a one station security check. When safely on board again we were offered a glass of water during our final leg to Glasgow. Return leg was a worse experience due to a door malfunction at Gatwick, so yet another Gatwick forced walk via the one station security check eventually leading to a three hour delay landing in Toronto. Based on discussions with other passengers I probably got off easy! Some told of overnight delays and mixed messages about the cause of the delays. I believe this is their first year flying transatlantic and I would wager their last!

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  5 July 2012 by E Barnes    (Canada)

Re-routed via Nassau on trip to DR. Airline says sorry but mechanical problems at Nassau. So we ended up being 3 hours late into our destination. On return trip we were again advised of a 7 hour delay. Again problems at Nassau. It ended up being 8.5 hours delayed. We just will not fly this airline again.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  5 July 2012 by J Hanson    (Canada)

Very disappointing. I will spend the extra money to fly a regularly scheduled airline next time. The flight crew were rude and only seemed to care about their own comfort. Delays in both directions. Perhaps okay for short-haul flights but for longer international itineraries, save your nerves, spend some extra money and fly comfortably.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  3 July 2012 by R Proctor    (UK)

Travelled Gatwick to Toronto on 28th of June 2012, despite having booked my seat online and paid an additional £45 ($70). They had not only overbooked the flight but double booked many of the online pre booked seats - many upset customers and staff with a bad attitude. When asked if I would get a refund on the money I had paid (for a seat I did not get) the flight attendant laughed in my face. No air con working on the plane, late leaving, no sound for inflight film, terrible food and late arriving.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  3 July 2012 by J Rodger    (Canada)

Toronto to Glasgow June 20,2012. Supposed to be direct flight but got changed to a stopover in Gatwick. Waited at check in for over 40 minutes, even though paid for so called elite plus service. Gate changed after sitting at original gate. Then told had to go back to duty free to have bags sealed for security inspection at Gatwick. At Gatwick told just to leave duty free on the plane. Scheduled to depart at 9.00 pm, which got informed via email while sitting at airport that it was changed to 10.00 pm. No notification from staff at airport about this change. Then received another email about departure changed to 11.00 pm. Still no notification from staff. Once departed got served pizza which tasted like cardboard. After landing at Gatwick, had to get off plane, go to opposite end of terminal, go through security, back to where we got off and get back on the plane. Then had to sit on tarmac for over 2 hours, all that was offered was a small cup of water or juice. On return flight at check in we were told it would be direct to Glasgow. While waiting at gate we were told we were going via Gatwick. Once at Gatwick it took over two hours to refuel and load passengers, when I saw another airline completely clean, refuel and reload a whole plane in less than an hour. As this excuse was given in previous reviews, it must be a standard excuse. For an airline that has just started to fly to European destinations - not a very good start.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  3 July 2012 by Brian Hanlon    (Canada)

We have traveled with Sunwing quite a few times in the past but this could be our last! We were on a flight coming home from Los Cabos on Friday June 1/2012. We were initially told to be at the hotel Riu check out by 7am. When we arrived we were told there is a 6 hour delay and to go have breakfast until notified. The departure time changed many times throughout the day. It seems that Sunwing knew when we would be leaving but wouldn't commit to a time. We got the run around all day until we were told to leave the resort for the airport. Upon arrival more delays and harassment by airport officials. Told we couldn't get off the bus and then told we had to leave the bus. We were then taken to another resort to sit and wait for 3 more hours and back to the airport for another 2 hour wait with no water or food. We were awake from 5am Friday until Saturday at 8am for a total of 27 hours travel time. We should have been left at our original resort until they were sure of a departure time. Even at the airport there was no Sunwing representative. Customer service is going downhill. When finally on the plane we got a simple "Sorry for the delay". Never again for me and all I talked to on the bus and plane.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  2 July 2012 by K Loney    (Canada)

I had the worst travel experience with Sunwing Airlines. I experienced extreme delays going to the Bahamas and on my return trip to Toronto. I will never fly with them again. I was upset by the lack of communication provided to the passengers as well as the their lack of compassion and unwillingness to make the situation right after we were treated so horribly.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  2 July 2012 by Z Campbell    (USA)

Atlanta, GA to Cancun, Mexico. My wife and I had an all exclusive weeks vacation in Cancun. We were to depart ATL around 3.55pm. After our plane came in and was taxied out empty, we were told our plane had been struck by lightning on the previous flight. As this was a chartered flight, we and all the passengers had to wait approx 9 hours in Hartsfield Jackson airport until they could fly another plane in from Canada. Sunwings reimbursment was a US $20 dollar a person food voucher in airport, which doesn't get far with airport food, and once we boarded at 1.30am, a $75 voucher to fly Sunwing in the future. No thank you! This was a charter flight from ATL to Cancun and we will never fly this airline again. The voucher isn't worth the paper it was printed on.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  29 June 2012 by J Cameron    (Canada)

Delay out going, delay incoming, lost a full day going Toronto to Glasgow. Booked our seats going out and for the return trip, which they changed from seat #4 to seat #20, called customer service told by robot rep that everything is subject to change - they take our money for seats we cant have. Our flight out of Glasgow was to leave by 12.30pm on the 24th but didn't leave until 2.30am on the 25th, we both missed an entire day of work, all we got for the delay in Glasgow was a 10.00 pound voucher for food at the airport. It was 4.50 for two coffees, how they thought it would stretch to food and a drink for the entire day is a joke. 150.00 dollar voucher for a future trip, I can tell you not one passenger on that flight will ever use, myself included. The food on board was very bad, on the trip back no breakfast, just juice and a packet of nibbles.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  27 June 2012 by Scott Hall    (Canada)

My flight was due to take off from LGW at 12.20pm. I was told it was going to be two hours late. Then another two hours late. When I mentioned to them that the same thing had happened to my relative who flew four days before and that in his case they delayed the flight by 24 hours simply because there were so few passengers, the faces of the staff members dropped. They assured me that this was not the case. A quick google search told me the plane was there at Gatwick and had been all the time. In the end we flew out at 12.20 the next day. Exactly the same as what had happened to my relative four days earlier. The only concession they gave was a £10 food voucher and that was it. A truly horrible experience.

SUNWING AIRLINES customer review :  26 June 2012 by C Cowie    (UK)

Complete shambles going and coming. Constant e-mails changing flight times, 16 in total but some passengers had no communication and spent needless hours sitting at the airport. Even after boarding spent hours on the tarmac waiting for paper work. On the return flight from Toronto to Glasgow they were forced to provide hotel rooms and voucher meals as flight delayed till next day, in total 15 hours late getting to Glasgow. Felt sorry for others that had to go on to Gatwick. Told lies about the cause being the weather, it's a shame really because the crew worked really hard and the food was edible which makes a change. Was so worried paid extra for better seats which some folk were allocated at no extra cost. The form we got offering 150 dollars off a future flight went in the bin, nothing would make me use this airline again and many more felt the same.