airBaltic

TLL-RIX-KPB economy. High overall price despite being advertised as low cost carrier. €190 for one way. Staff young and fresh but quite comfortable and fast few smiles could be added though. Legroom is good enough for a short flight. Delay in RIX for 30 min. Overall I would fly with them again. Food looks goods but prices seem to be outrage us.

SVO-RIX-SVO. I liked both flights. The crew was friendly and efficient. All flights on time. The food which was on sale on-board was very good! Legroom was a bit insufficient for me but I guess it's an OK situation for a low-cost airline.

RIX-AMS. Completely inadequate experience and will never use this airline again. In Amsterdam there was a massive queue - I arrived 2 hours in advance but despite that I noticed everything was moving so slowly at the airport simply because not enough desks were open. Being concerned about missing my flight I walked up to the desk indicating I was worried to miss my flight and was told not to worry. When it was finally my turn to check in I was told I was too late for check in and they cancelled my ticket. When confronting them with the situation that I was assured not to worry they started laughing and was also told that they would not reimburse the money - ended up flying Lufthansa instead.

TLV-RIX and RIX-AMS. Flight crew professional and efficient. We didn't try anything off the menu but it looked okay if maybe a little meager in portion size. Be careful if you're flying through/from RIX as they check all your hand luggage for size and weight.

London Gatwick to Palanga via Riga. I did know about baggage costs and paid for this online and had no problems at check in. The service on board was not something I required but staff were courteous and attentive. The planes were clean and fairly new and comfortable. All flights were on time except my return from Palanga to Riga which was delayed by fog in Riga. Overall my experience of Air Baltic was quite reasonable. Pre booking meals can be cheaper than buying once aboard and it is always possible to take your own food and drink on board to keep down the costs if this is an issue.

Riga to London Gatwick. The flight was busy but on time. Cabin crew in general friendly but could do with a bit of less attitude. The aircraft was new and clean. Have to pay for food and hold luggage separate. The in-flight menu was excellent and food was very reasonably priced and tasty though drinks were little pricey. Tickets can be expensive if not purchased well in advance.

RIX-CPH on airBaltic. Check in and security was a breeze. No proper restaurant airside. Boarding efficient. The new Dash-8 was spotless. Everything went fine. Coffee is overpriced at €225 and it is instant coffee! Service otherwise ok (actually there is no service).

Dushanbe-Riga-London Gatwick. This is a long flight (5 hours to Riga) with a chaotic check in at Dushanbe where most passengers seemed to have to go out of the check in area to change money to pay for hold baggage which they thought had been included in their ticket (including me). Luckily had the middle seat free between myself and fellow passenger so lack of seat space was not as acute as it could have been. Did not buy any food on the flight from Dushanbe to Riga/London. Riga-London was OK. Although arrivals at Gatwick was packed was able to use IRIS automated immigration barrier to avoid the wait. There is very limited choice if travelling to/from Dushanbe - basically it's either Air Baltic or Turkish Airlines. If the travel dates coincide with Turkish Airlines I would go with them rather than Air Baltic.

While booking electronic ticket on Internet for my father I made a mistake writing my first name instead of his. I discovered it immediately after the booking and called the sales office in Lithuania asking to change the name. They said this would costs around euro 80. This is more than the price I paid for one way ticket Vilnius-Copenhagen. No account given to the fact that I acted promptly. When I asked whether I could turn to somebody elsE at the company I was told e-mail of the customer service office. I sent them a polite e-message and probably a dozen of reminders but never received an answer. The customer service appears to be as bad as at the worst low-fare companies. My advice If having possibility use other companies.

The check in at Riga is unacceptably slow chaotic and overcrowded. If you check in at a machine you have to join a long queue to hand in your baggage. Their attitude is unhelpful and unfriendly. Meals and drinks in flight are not free glass of water is extortionate - about five times the cost of a small bottle - and that is just for a glass.