airBaltic

✅ Trip Verified | Helsinki to Prague via Riga. My Horrific Experience With Air Baltic On 26 June, I, my wife and my 4-year old son were to take an Air Baltic flight from Helsinki to Prague via Riga. The stopover in Riga was to be for about 30 minutes for changing flights. The Helsinki-Riga flight started late by about 15-20 minutes, which meant that the transit time was reduced to 15 minutes. To their credit, the Air Baltic crew at Helsinki and on board told us that the Riga-Prague plane will wait for us. Halfway through the Helsinki-Riga flight, the crew announced that the Riga-Prague plane was to take off from Gate C5 at Riga airport. The flight landed at Riga airport around 5:45 pm. While quickly moving out, we double checked with the air hostess that our Prague flight was to depart from Gate C5, and she confirmed the same. The moment we reached the airport, we scrambled to get to Gate C5 which was nowhere near. After running and panting for about 10-15 minutes with a 4-year old kid, we finally reached Gate C5. However, it was closed and there was no Air Baltic staff there. We thought we must have missed the flight. We then thought of finding the Air Baltic customer care and inquire about the next steps. Just then, I saw that the flight information screen flashed the gate for our Prague flight B6. Shocked, we scrambled again and ran almost a kilometre to reach B6, where an Air Baltic attendant was about to close the gate. Fortunately, we managed to catch the flight at the last minute. We couldn't help thinking how insensitive it was for the airline to run with so much miscommunication with its passengers. The huge inconvenience we faced could have simply been avoided had we been told the right gate on board. For some weird reason, Baltic Airline only allows 20 kg check-in luggage per person, whereas the majority of other airlines in Europe provide a 23 kg limit. Now we had purchased three full tickets, which entitled us to 60 kg in total. We had two check-in pieces of luggage, each weighing slightly over 20 kg, but cumulatively weighing much less than 60 kg. The airline said we will have to pay an additional luggage fee of 50 euros per bag since they were overweight per "per bag" limit. Now I don't know if other airlines to follow the same policy, but it seems purely silly because by packing a little more in two bags, we were saving for the airline the space for one full bag. The plane would have carried 45-46 kgs instead of 60 kgs which we were allowed - so I don't understand what purpose does "per bag" policy serve. In any case, this added to our overall terrible experience with Air Baltic.

✅ Trip Verified | Riga to Zurich. I had a carry on luggage of 8kg and bought 3kg of duty free goods at Riga airport. They weighed everything combined and had to take away my luggage and charge me 60 euros as the weight exceeded 8kg. There is no free water served on these flights. A disgrace of a company, to be avoided at all cost!

✅ Trip Verified | Riga to Düsseldorf. Got charged 60€ extra because my backpack was a bit too heavy for hand luggage! So I "had to check it in as a normal bag, it costs 60€, no debate!" I will try to prevent flying with airBaltic in the future! Better use Ryanair or Wizz Air, they don't try to charge you 60€ extra for backpack that is a 'bit too heavy'!

✅ Trip Verified | Riga to Bordeaux. Terrible airline, worst service ever, humiliating experience! Don't recommend anyone this airline, but especially if you are musician. Stay away from them.

✅ Trip Verified | I am very disappointed about both flights - from Riga to Frankfurt and return. On both flights they changed my 5 years old daughter's seats, so we needed to wait when they change our seets, but we still could not sit all family of three together (on both flights!). And on return flight they took away my bag from cabin because there was not any free bag space on plane. So now I am sitting with some stranger next to me who is not my husband and I don't have my bag with me. That's good that some nessesery items I have in my daughters bag. I feel really angry and disappointed! And plane is still not going, there is still delay.

✅ Trip Verified | This flight was a part of ticket sold by KLM and it was operating from Amsterdam to Tallin by airBaltic. Ground staff was very friendly and helpful. I've got a good place in the plane and we take off on time. However service on board was only paid which is unacceptable and low-cost airline. In my opinion airline shouldn't refuse you at least glass of water to avoid dehydrate. Water should be minimum. However me and my luggage got on place on time, so the goal has been achieved.

✅ Trip Verified | Moscow to Paris via Riga. I am very upset with the attitude of the airline. I missed my flight because of a huge queue at the control. The woman who was supposed to help passengers was just standing there announcing that “gate closes in 4 min”. When i approached her to help me skip the line she was rude and said that it is not her job and continued announcing that the gate closes in 2 min. Finally I came to the gate when it was already closed. The next flight I was offered is leaving in 10 hours. I didn’t even get a hotel and have to stay for 10 hours in the airport with two 5 eur vouchers for meal

✅ Trip Verified | Barcelona to Moscow via Riga. Barcelona-Riga I was charged 30EUR extra to do check-in. Apparently, I must do check in online with extra charge of 8EUR. In the airport they did not accept to do 2 payments of 15EUR with my card neither, they sent me to pay by cash and they did not care that I did not have cash with me. It was my first time with this company, never again!

✅ Trip Verified | Gatwick to Riga. Comfortable plane and excellent take off and landing. But, cabin service was extremely poor - attendants simply failed to offer any food or beverage. Could not understand announcements in English. And airbaltic is the first airline I’ve ever known not to offer free water to customers. Absolutely shocking.

✅ Trip Verified | I flew from Zurich to Riga with an A220, the flight was slightly delayed due to other aircraft. The airplane was clean and the cabin staff very helpful and friendly, unfortunately no internet access on the flight. I commend this company, which is developing.