Airlink

✅ Trip Verified | From the baggage check in, the boarding gates and the flight itself, the staff was so unnecessarily rude. My family and I were last at the gate with 15 minutes to spare before boarding would close, and yet we were met with rude looks and very obvious irritation. I tried to greet the lady and she intentionally ignored me. On the flight two of the flight attendants gave us nothing but attitude and made us feel like we were making their lives difficult when we didn’t ask for anything. The staff desperately need to be trained in customer politeness, otherwise they should not choose such a client-facing career. Everyone is stressed at the airport, a little kindness can go a long way. They acted like bratty teenagers.

✅ Trip Verified | Airlink is a high quality airline. I am content with their service and cannot find any fault in them. Used them on a round trip from Namibia to South Africa. The first scene which stood out to me was viewing the plane in real life with the sunbird logo. The food packaging is divine. They had a real life high quality glossy sunbird image on them. First flight I received the “Scarlet-chested Sunbird”. Second time was the “Double-Collared Sunbird.” The birds are admirable in their colourful feathers and exotic designs. For the menu they began by serving a drink, followed by a sub-lunch with the option of coffee or tea. A few minutes later, air hostesses came around offering a drink one last time before the plane’s descent. I am glad they added coffee or tea to the sub-lunch as the lunch alone is not very filling. My first sub-lunch consisted of: rolled smoked turkey slices, creamy honey mustard pasta shells, butternut and feta salad. For dessert, which was my favourite delicacy of the sub-lunch, was the custard and jelly topped with white and brown chocolate shavings. Not sure whether that’s what it actually is, however that is how I would describe it. Final part of dessert is a gourmet fudge which was over sweetened in my opinion. I have a sweet tooth, however this treat was too sweet. My second sub-lunch, I forgot to capture the menu of the second sub-lunch, however I did snap a picture of the food so here’s me writing the meal in my own words: rice, baloney style beef and corn salad. Dessert was the same as the first meal. Food tasted delicious. I appreciate the sub-lunch not being too heavy. Plus the flight is short-lived, therefore a heavy meal is not necessary. To add, they have Schweppes lemonade on board. The refresher towel which came along the sub-lunch was useful in sanitising my hands and dining tray. The Embraer-190 is small but durable. Return trip I booked a window seat with grand views. It was fascinating viewing the outline of South Africa colliding with the massive blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean, with all the shaping exactly how it’s portrayed in the maps. When flying over Windhoek I gazed through my window and was blown away by the 42 000 feet view of Windhoek’s terrains. Below me was a collection of mountains and shrubs. Airlink is gentle with luggage and cabin crew is polite and hospitable. A free copy of Airlink’s in-flight magazine in the front pocket. There is no in flight entertainment, which is understandable since the flight was short lived. It is worth mentioning if you intend to tag a suitcase along as hand luggage, they will collect it pre-flight and you shall receive it on arrival since the overhead cabins cannot accommodate larger suitcases. Airlink reminded me flying can be an enjoyable experience.

✅ Trip Verified | Very professional and friendly, helpful check-in staff. Flight left Cape Town on time, was amazed that a free dinner (no, NOT a stale sandwich!) and a drink were served (flying time 1:33 hours). Nice crew, pleasant flight, luggage arrived fast in Jo'burg.

✅ Trip Verified | Airlink are a decent regional airline and the staff are pleasant and competent. If you’re travelling in business class on the E190 I’d go for row 2 You get extra leg room or storage space under the seat in front. You can recline the seat without encroaching on the person behind you. The seat has 2 windows albeit slightly misaligned compared to row 1 which only has 1 window. Reasonable snack and a drink. Check in was quick in Windhoek. Downsides no lounge at Windhoek. Buses in departure and arrival with no special transport for C class. Appalling baggage retrieval time at OR Tambo but I don’t know if that’s the airline or the airport.

✅ Trip Verified | Johannesburg to Bloemfontein. I have the worst experience that I have ever had in my life flying any airline. I have been in the same clothes since 4am this morning because of airline's negligence. We have been calling the whole day, we were lied to and told my bag that was offloaded because I was a no show even though I flew on flight that I was booked on. The lady I spoke to in the morning said after she made enquiries, my bag would be on next flight to Bloem that was at 9:20am and would be dropped off at the hotel by 11am, she would contact me. When I realised she had called, we called to check, told another story. I am still being told stories even now, I am filthy, have no luggage, have nothing to wear for the meetings I came for. This is the worst service I have ever gone through and he fact that nobody cares. Only one person tried to be helpful, but poor guy couldn't do anything because he was not where my bag was. Oh my God, this is such a horrible experience.

Not Verified | We transported our pet via Petlounge. Airlink firstly charges double what Comair used to charge and they keep the pet for more than 7 hours. That’s 3 hours before the flight, 2 hour flight time and another 2 hours to deliver the pet to Petlounge. This ‘timing’ is inhumane to any animal. Any human being would not be closed up in a steel box for 7 hours! This service must be improved!

✅ Trip Verified | Very clean, nice staff, on time. If I will compare this airline to European/American 4 star airlines Airlink is much better every way. On such short journey as Johannesburg to Cape Town you will receive a complimentary food, you have checked baggage in price of your standard ticket, you will fly with Embraer with two-two configuration with very friendly and helpful staff (also on-ground). I do recommend.

Not Verified | Johannesburg to George. Thanks for great service and flight. Will definitely use AirLink again. Great lunch and drinks included and friendly staff.

✅ Trip Verified | Windhoek to Cape Town. Unlike the unfortunate passengers from previous reviews, my experience with Airlink was very nice indeed. We left Windhoek on time, arrived at Cape Town 20 minutes early, great! The windy Windhoek lived up to its name, so that the take-off was quite bumpy - as the captain warned us, so we were prepared, but once we left the cloudy area things got much better and calmer. On that short flight we got excellent service - wine, coffee, and light cold lunch which was actually delicious and nothing on that tray was there without a reason. The luggage was on the carousel faster than we got to it, and it was all over a very pleasant experience, thank you.

Not Verified | I would never recommend Airlink if you are on crutches, walking stick or heaven forbid a wheelchair (they would probably take it from you and make you crawl), as the experience my father went through was pure hell and his already injured leg was in excruciating pain after his flight. When my father arrived at the Cape Town airport he asked for his one crutch to be put in the hold as using both on the plane is very difficult, they staff proceeded to tell him he would have to get it checked as abnormal and made him walk across the airport with no assistance, I wouldn't think trying to help someone on crutches that is in pain would be such a hassle. My sister requested my father to be put in a seat where he could stretch out his leg as it pain horribly when he sits for to long, but no they said to her of course and proceeded to put him somewhere where his leg was crushed thank heavens a kind man offered to swap seats so my father's leg could stretch out no help from the air crew though. When he landed this side I picked him up and the crutch that was put into the hold was stuck into the smallest setting, and it was so stuck I even tried to ask the one airport worker if they could help he could not even get it lose thankfully my uncle was able to use his vice to fix the crutch so my father could again use both instead of the one crutch as he only uses one crutch for short times as using only one hurts his leg far to much. My sister complained to Airlink after his flight about all of this and all they said is they offered a crutch and he refused which he did not as he would have loved a wheelchair as he was in immense pain due to all of this. AirLink obviously looks down on the disabled and when sia personally complains they blame it all on the disabled person, this blatant ableism is sickening I always thought basic compassion and some hint of humanity would win out to help someone who is struggling and in pain but I was horribly wrong.