Air Berlin

✅ Verified Review | I flew round trip from Boston to Stockholm. Extremely disappointed with Air Berlin. When I checked in at Boston airport and I was told that one of my connecting flights did not exist any more. I never received an advance notice making me aware of this. Instead of 2 flights, I had 3. The new flights were booked too close to each other. We barely made the flights, but our luggage didn't make it to our final destination. Our new flight back also required 3 flights, all extremely close to each other. I called customer service to see if they could change us to a better route. I was assured that since we were flying Air Berlin the entire way, our luggage and we would make it to our final destination together. (We were shuffled to another airline on our way over.) Unfortunately, all of our returning flights departed late and our luggage was lost a second time. Also, two out of three flights back didn't have soap in the restrooms. That wouldn't have been a big deal on its own, but just added to our list of frustrations with Air Berlin. I will not be flying with them again.

✅ Verified Review | This was my first time flying with Air Berlin on a trip from Chicago to Salzburg and a return flight from Prague to Chicago. It was the worst airline experience I have had in about 20 years of frequent flying. Here are some key reasons: Customer Service is non-existent. No one ever answers their phone number and their online service always returns an error message. I tried for two weeks both online and on telephone with one simple request, to upgrade my seat on my return flight (in other words, pay them more money!). One night, with Expedia on the line with me, we waited on hold for 95 minutes and I finally fell asleep at 1am. Also, with one exception on return flight, every single Air Berlin person I dealt with was not only extremely poor at customer service, but even rude. One flight attendant was just mean to the person in front of me who asked if they could give them their trash. Another flight attendant was rude when I asked a simple question at the counter. Another in baggage claim area in Berlin was rude. Their seats in economy are smaller than any other airline seat I have experienced. I had an eight hour flight with the seat back in front of me literally 10 inches from my face. I am 5 feet 5 inches and my knees hit the seat in front of me the whole time. Be aware they will charge you $60-100 extra just to pick a seat - any seat, including economy - in advance of your flight. The WIFI does not work. I paid for WiFi going over and back and was never able to get on it. The flight attendants were no help whatsoever and were again rude when I inquired The worst part was that I experienced two delayed flights - one from Berlin to Salzburg and one from Berlin to Chicago. Both were handled terribly. When I arrived late in Chicago to make my connection to MSP, I literally ran to the gate and got there in time to get on the flight, but Air Berlin without my consent or knowledge had changed my flight to a flight 4 hours later instead and American Airlines would not let me get on my original flight. When I called Air Berlin to complain about this while sitting in ORD for 4 hours, I again waited on hold for 2 hours and finally decided they did not deserve any more of my time or effort in giving them feedback. They probably won't even read this or care, but I wanted to alert other travelers - avoid this airline!

✅ Verified Review | I fly a lot, actually I'm one of those who commute every week. I find its hard to say I will never fly this airline again as: 1) I have to be flexible with the availability and 2) it would probably delete all options as there will most likely be unfortunate circumstances one time or another. Air Berlin is in a league of its own. The flights are usually delayed out of Budapest and not that its great, but its doable. But what I don't get is the incredible lack of communication. No one informs the 20 some passengers that the connecting flight will be there waiting. They don't at all care about the stress the passengers are in. Side note: If you are unlucky to be parked in another terminal (20 minutes left to your departure), they will not take any effort whatsoever in informing you where to go or even update the screens signalling delays. Then you're hit with a one lane open security control, again they don't care if the flight you're about to take is leaving in 5 minutes its slow. Yesterdays flight, once we got in the bus, the driver hacked this thing causing most of us to almost fall over and then once out of the bus, they refused to open the doors cause there was another group let in from another plane in the connecting terminal. Now we were running extremely late and running to the gate. All gates had the destinations show on the screen as is usually the case, except for the one going to Stockholm, so we ran up and asked and were brushed off. They tell us to go outside and what do we find? A bus parked right by the gate a plane right in front of us and one far to the right and again, nothing is marked. I mean, when you fly Ryanair or Wizz Air or any of these cheepy ones, its all marked. Why is this so difficult to figure out? Well obviously it is not, it is due to the lack of care. They think their passengers are a painful must. No communication whatsoever. All this anxiety and stress for the passengers, especially when you're taking the last flight out is unnecessary. Last time I flew them, my luggage got stuck in Berlin for 4 days. I have one more ticket in my pre-purchased pile and then that's it. Never again. All the issues with Air Berlin could be mitigated with care and communication. But I guess they have so many they don't have to worry about it.

✅ Verified Review | Boston to Copenhagen via Dusseldorf. Excellent outbound flight with efficient and personal service by cabine crew. Seamless transfer in Düsseldorf. Return flight with same route. Delayed departure but on time arrival. Outstanding purser but desinterested and demotivated cabin crew, at least mine. Counterpart had to check all passengers in biz class while the one assigned to me sat in one of the passengers seats for the last part of the flight. Overall, I would recommend this business class, good service with reasonable prices.

✅ Verified Review | Orlando to Munich via Düsseldorf. The worst airline ever. Going back to Orlando, they first delayed by an hour, then an additional half hour, before I knew what was happening, 4 hours later and still at the gate. The staff was unprofessional, they seemed annoyed at customers asking them about the delays.

✅ Verified Review | Overall a great service from Berlin to Chicago with Air Berlin. Full recline seats. Purser took much care. The meals where in very good quality and served in a good way. Wine corresponded perfectly. The entertainment could be a little more extensive and the remote was a little cumbersome. But overall service was great!

✅ Verified Review | San Francisco to Berlin was good, attentive staff. The arrival in Berlin was dismal. Baggage was slow even with "priority", the plane lands and a bus takes you to the terminal. The trip from Berlin to Paris, scheduled for noon or so was resceduled to 6pm for unknown reasons since they don't tell you, so I requested and got a flight for the next day. Arriving at the same terminal, the route to the gate was up 30 feet of stairs, into an upstairs tunnel, down 30 feet back to the terminal without conveniences but lots of duty tree. Then back into a bus, carry bags onto the plane this time with bags because I assume luggage service at CDG equally bad. They need a better terminal!

✅ Verified Review | Berlin to Frankfurt. I have used Air Berlin for the first time and the last time. They overbooked the 8.50am flight, AB6577, flying from Berlin to Frankfurt by 10 seats. They bumped us and told us they could not book us another flight the same day. They offered us a 2nd class train ticket and told us to take a bus to the train station. They did not offer to pay for a hotel if we flew out the next day. Overall the personnel were matter of fact. "This is our company policy. Take it or leave it. But don't make me repeat it." I don't know how airlines can get away with selling seats multiple times. It's not worth it to fly Air Berlin to save a couple of Euros. Next time we choose an airline that knows what quality service is.

✅ Verified Review | Paris to Krakow via Berlin. On May 19 my partner and myself were supposed to flight Air Berlin from Paris to Krakow via Berlin with a first flight leaving Paris at 3pm and an arrival in Krakow scheduled at 6.40 pm. The initial flight has been delayed by nearly 2 hours and we missed the connection. Nothing has been arranged to put us on another of the Air Berlin flights to Krakow on the evening the same day or early morning the next day. When we arrived at Berlin around 6pm we had to queue for 2 hours and 45 mns at the Company desk, where finally at 9.30 pm we were placed on a flight to Stuttgart at 8.20 am the next day with a connecting flight there. We arrived at 6.20 am at the Airport on the 20, to discover that our flight to Stuttgart had been cancelled! There was an earlier flight to Stuttgart but they refused to take us while they had vacant seats! We had then again to queue two hours at Air Berlin desk and finally got bookings for flights to Krakow via Munich leaving Berlin at 7 pm. We arrived in Krakow at 11.05 pm the 20th May, thus 32 hours after the scheduled departure from Paris. And to add insult to injury, it is impossible to get from the Company reimbursement of the expenses I had to bear during this unexpected stop of 24h in Berlin! This company is a shame!

✅ Verified Review | Flight from Berlin to Paris was delayed 1.30 hour. I only received a bottle of water and 2 cheap biscuits as compensation although I missed my last train and therefore had to pay €50 for a cab. First time I booked Air Berlin but won't recommend to anyone.