Air Austral

✅ Trip Verified | We booked the return flights for two people last October via Opodo and couldn't go due to the Covid restriction. We cancelled the flights immediately and Opodo helped us proceed. However, the airline company Air Austral did not issue the refund even when they have confirmed the cancellation. And every time we asked about it, they threw the problem to Covid, which is not reasonable. It has been 5 months already that they did not proceed the refund.

✅ Trip Verified | Mauritius to Madagascar via Reunion Island. The flight has been delayed from 4 to 7 and now 9.15 pm, no communication or support from the ground staff. They knew about the delay before the departure from Mauritius but did not inform the customers. Acces to lounge was given only after insistence from us and only to who has asked for it, not to all afected travelers, and no airline representative has spoken to us, as we should be grateful for the lounge access. No alternative connection was offered. Kids and old people were left without even water and waiting confused. Very unprofessional staff and airline!

✅ Trip Verified | Johannesburg to St Denis. Service like it was 30 years ago, professional, attentive, amenity kit handed out on a 3 hour flight, and the quality and quantity of the catering I've not seen for years. Thoroughly recommended.

✅ Trip Verified | I have flown with the airline at least six flights in the last three years. So far, I am pleased with the airline's punctuality and the services of flight attendants on board. Unfortunately, my 2019 flight in 23 June was very unpleasant. Started from at least the 15-hour delay of the flight, and there was not at all any special offer on board. The delay caused me to pay more at the hotel. The latest flight in July was terrible. Boeing 787-8 was booked, but A330 I was in. Headache during the flight , and asked for pills from the attendant but it was ignored. Terrible.

✅ Trip Verified | Paris to Reunion. Air Austral is a fairly good airline. The seat layout of the Airbus A330-200 was 2x4x2. The leg room was not too bad. In-flight entertainment was good and worked well. Cabin service was average but generally fine. The flight was on time.

✅ Trip Verified | La Réunion to Paris. We missed our connection flight because of the delay of the the first flight with Air Austral. The worst thing about was the service of the staff at the airport at CDG. At first they denied to speak English and booked us for a flight 7 hours later, but other travelers were book on an earlier flight with the same destination. Vouchers for food or drinks were also denied although it is EU law. It was the impoliteness and ignorance of the staff that made the experience with Air Austral this bad.

✅ Trip Verified | Reunion to Chennai. We were really disappointed in this Air austral. Around 13 hrs delay, they dint provide lounge, and food to still for 4 hours and then all complaint the ground staff and then they issue a burger and one drinks. All ground staff is not at all responding. It’s really bad service.

✅ Trip Verified | We had to give up our luggage in Paris CDG on the return flight from Reunion, for the onward flight to Frankfurt, although no airport change took place. Reason: The gate for the onward flight to Frankfurt was too far away from the gate where we arrived !! Despite a complaint about the baggage claim in St. Denis, the responsible supervisor decided that. Was an unpleasant and stressful experience. On the one hand, because of the relatively short time window and on the other hand because of the many and sometimes also heavy luggage, which we push forever through Paris CDG and also had to transport an elevator and a bus. Wir mussten beim Rückflug aus Reunion unser Gepäck in Paris CDG erneut aufgeben, für den Weiterflug nach FFM, obwohl kein Flughafenwechsel stattgefunden hat. Begründung: Das Gate für den Weiterflug nach FFM sei von dem Gate, an dem wir angekommen sind, zu weit entfernt !! Trotz Reklamation bei der Gepäckaufgabe in St. Denis hat der zuständige Supervisor so entschieden. War eine unangenehme und stressige Erfahrung. Zum einen, wegen des relativ knappen Zeitfensters und zum anderen wegen des vielen und teilweise auch schweren Gepäcks, das wir ewig weit durch Paris CDG schieben und zudem in einen Fahrstuhl sowie einen Bus verfrachten mussten.

✅ Trip Verified | This airline is shambolic. Our direct flight from Paris to Dzaoudzi was cancelled and another given after 3hours but via Reunion. On arrival in Reunion, shoved in my face a letter of apology. Agents very stand offish. Nothing offered, not even water. Crying babies, elderly customers not taken care of. Just herded like cattle to a small gate area. On embarking from Reunion to Dzaoudzi our baggage could be seen on tarmac but not loaded. Advised Purser and Captain but they shrugged shoulders. On arrival in RUN, a total of 8 hours late with no luggage. On return flight to Paris CDG we were advised maybe a stop in East Africa, then told once on plane, going direct. Served a freezing cold salad as an entree and thats all. A dry baby croissant for breakfast, but were made to feel grateful. We pay for service and products but must be grateful for something! I contacted Air Austral under EU LAW 261/2004 for my refund as laid out under EU Legislation & after 17 emails ignoring me, I contacted a third party attorney. Sure enough they are paying up my refund. I can only say, this airline is awful. They hold you to ransom after you pay your hard earned money, treat you like you are doing them a favour, glare at you when questioned, ignore the law they are contractually bound to, serve you cold salad for dinner, lose your luggage, contact you after 6 months once summoned by a lawyer, tell you where they are taking you with no chance to deplane if you need to change your plan. The situation is their Boeing 787 has many technical problems, the Boeing 777 is too big to land in Mayotte, so instead of being truthful, they just lie. Still, they are supposedly 3star?

✅ Trip Verified | I wasn't a happy guy. There was an outbreak of pneumonic plague and especially in Antananarivo/Tana. So, I changed my return flight to avoid Tana and instead opted for my return from Nosy Be. The agent repeatedly said there would be no change fee due to the plague. Made perfect sense to me. I wanted to avoid a plague area! When I did change they had charged me the €70 change fee and they would not budge. Very bad attitude! The flights are horrendously expensive. I mean, I could fly DUB-MRU (Mauritius) for €700 return and this hop between islands cost me close to €500 return. They seem to have the routes tied up with Air Madagascar, would I be a cynic for thinking there may be a total lack of competition between them? More competition needed her ASAP! A two-star due to the change fee and cost of the flights!