tdbates78 Posted December 21, 2017 Share Posted December 21, 2017 We are considering another trip to Europe for this spring. Wow Airlines keeps coming up in my fare searches and the round trip prices are hundreds of dollars less per person. I went directly to their website and I chose "Wow Plus" as it seems like a better deal since it allows a personal item, carry-on and one piece of checked luggage per person. So even with choosing Wow Plus the prices are still half the price of the next lowest price. I know this is a no-frills airline. We don't fly first class so I think it would be okay, but I don't know much about the airline. Any experiences flying with them? We would be flying with our 8 year old travel-enthusiastic daughters. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted December 21, 2017 Share Posted December 21, 2017 We flew them last year to Iceland and Paris. Great experience. It was “no-frills†but the people were all super friendly and helpful. We only paid for one person to have extra baggage and the rest of us just did the basic baggage. It was plenty and in a way it was a good way to help us to pack light. You each get a carry-on bag plus a “personal itemâ€. So we each had a backpack or small carry on rolling suitcase and then an extra bag. For me it was my purse, for dh a small backpack and then each kid had a small string bag. It was plenty of luggage space. We bought snacks in the airport or before we left. There were free drinks on board, which we didn’t expect. And the food actually wasn’t that expensive when I looked at the menu. Or at least as expensive as I thought it would be. We also downloaded movies onto our devices before going so the kids could watch a movie in flight. The seat size and leg room seemed similar to other flights we’ve taken. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YaelAldrich Posted December 21, 2017 Share Posted December 21, 2017 Be aware that customer service is minimal and they seem to leave from the gate early. We ended up with a surprise guest who was trying to get back to Israel but went to the bathroom at the beginning of the loading process and got left behind. She didn't get any help for three days. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted December 21, 2017 Share Posted December 21, 2017 We flew with them to Germany. It IS low frills, but it was a good experience. I would recommend them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdbates78 Posted December 21, 2017 Author Share Posted December 21, 2017 (edited) Thank you for the responses. We are pretty low-maintenance travelers. We arrive at the gate plenty early and, at least on an overseas flight over, we just sleep and don't really eat much of the airplane food. I imagine on the way home we would eat before departure and bring some snacks. I'm looking at flights from BWI to Reykjavik or London. Good point on only upgrading the tickets for one person. We would only need to check one large suitcase for the four of us as we typically rent places through VRBO or Airbnb that have washers, so the other three tickets could be basic. Edited December 21, 2017 by tdbates78 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted December 21, 2017 Share Posted December 21, 2017 TripAdvisor.com is THE travel web site. I suggest that in your spare time, you read a bunch of the Reviews on this URL: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Airline_Review-d8728919-Reviews-Cheap-Flights-WOW-Air Then, if you book with them, have a safe trip and enjoy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted December 21, 2017 Share Posted December 21, 2017 I haven't ever done it, but have thought about it. Hmmm. We have lounge access so eat meals before or grabbing things would be easier. We already have a spring trip to Europe booked, but maybe later. I think I would do it with all these great reviews. Besides lots of airlines are doing the basic economy anyhow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 (edited) Be aware that customer service is minimal and they seem to leave from the gate early. We ended up with a surprise guest who was trying to get back to Israel but went to the bathroom at the beginning of the loading process and got left behind. She didn't get any help for three days. I think all's well if all goes well. Dd flew Wow to Amsterdam. Well, she was supposed to fly Wow. She screwed up the dates and only realized really last-minute that the flight was leaving a day earlier than she thought (she'd been looking at the arrival and change in Iceland dates instead of departure). We did rush to the airport and got there in time for boarding (watched people getting on for like 1/2 hour) but since they'd closed the desk upstairs, no way to get processed to get on. And no one from Wow to talk to. All the people doing the boarding were not from Wow, but subcontracted from some Turkish airline that happened to have people in the airport. Would not let us through to get on plane. Tried to call Wow customer service to reschedule, but they were closed for the weekend (!!!). Did get in touch the next morning - would not rebook, had to buy a new ticket, and on the next available flight a WEEK later. It was only a 2-week trip! Ended up buying a one-way on Icelandair for the next day (more for one way than the whole round trip). She still took Wow home (other half of ticket), no problems. So... yeah, great if everything goes smoothly. Edited December 22, 2017 by Matryoshka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 Forgot to say, but usually getting in a sale is about the same as paying the fees on the other airlines. Now if you are the east coast that isn't always true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 I think it's still early to compare prices with other airlines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 I saw this today 50% off base airfare for two days only. For the half-priced flights, you’ll need to act quick. The 50% promo code WOWXMAS is valid only for new bookings made between 7:00am ET Friday and 7:00pm ET Saturday. In order to take advantage, you’ll need to book a round-trip ticket directly with WOW for travel between December 27, 2017, and May 15, 2018. You must enter the promo code WOWXMASwhen searching. https://thepointsguy.com/2017/12/wow-air-christmas-fare-sale/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luuknam Posted December 24, 2017 Share Posted December 24, 2017 Ended up buying a one-way on Icelandair for the next day (more for one way than the whole round trip). That's not surprising at all - I had a visa problem and couldn't get on my Icelandair flight back home last December, had to reschedule for the next day, and it cost more than the roundtrip had cost too. And that was with their special "rescheduling" prices... not sure if it would've made a difference vs just buying a one-way ticket, but they were going to call me a no-show in just a few more minutes (I'd already stood there for over an hour trying frantically to sort out the visa problem, but the Canadian visa application website was down, and then had a bug when it was back up, etc), so I didn't have time to look up the difference. Last minute prices suck. I could've saved like $50 if I'd stayed in NL an additional month, because flying mid-January is cheaper than mid-December. Yeah, no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted December 24, 2017 Share Posted December 24, 2017 What's funny is when you land in Reykjavik and exit the plane, they have you walk through the gift shop. So that's the first thing you see at the airport. Don't know if that was intentional, or what. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted December 24, 2017 Share Posted December 24, 2017 What's funny is when you land in Reykjavik and exit the plane, they have you walk through the gift shop. So that's the first thing you see at the airport. Don't know if that was intentional, or what. Positively intentional... The airport owns the gift shop and everyone marches through the gift shop and they increase sales. OP: On the best day, you can probably have a wonderful flight on WOW airlines or any of the higher cost airlines. On the worst day, any of them can be horrible. IMO, the airlines with older aircraft fleets (mean aircraft age) are more apt to have delayed or cancelled flights due to operational reasons. An airline with a much newer fleet will have fewer operational problems. The Ticket Counter personnel in an airport, if there is for example, one flight a day, such as Avianca from Orlando to Bogota, will only have the Ticket Counter space for a few hours. We saw that when we were told Avianca would be in a certain position at the Ticket Counter, and yep, that's where they were when they opened for people to check in for the flight back to Colombia. It is quite possible that those people would then go to the Departure Gate and work the flight there, until it "pushes back" from the Gate. Someone mentioned that their WOW flight left early and someone was not in her seat (she used the restroom while the aircraft was on the ground, much better to use the restroom inside the airport terminal before going to the Boarding Gate) and someone else got her seat. Also someone mentioned about a flight leaving early. Latin American airlines, for example, due that, commonly. Avianca had signs in the Boarding Gate area, "Door closes 20 minutes before departure". If one is not in the Boarding Area when they are supposed to be there, the flight can easily leave without them. We have 2 very low cost airlines here in Colombia. One of them, Viva Colombia, has operated for many years, with older aircraft. I think they expanded too quickly and they got so screwed up that they cancelled many flights, and service to 2 cities, including the one we live in (Cali). We have never flown with them and probably never will. There is another airline, a "Virtual" airline, operated by COPA, an excellent airline based in Panama. If I understood all of the add on costs (think SPIRIT AIRLINES) and the total price was right, I would certainly consider going with them. I would be interested in knowing the mean age of the aircraft in the fleet of WOW. And, if their aircraft are registered in the USA, that would be "a plus" for me. Avianca aircraft are registered in the USA, which means the registration number begins with an "N". You should ALWAYS read the fine print, before clicking to buy. You should probably assume that if they cancel a flight, or, if there is a long delay, that they will not "Endorse" your ticket to another airline and send you to some other airline. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted December 24, 2017 Share Posted December 24, 2017 I read this Wikipedia page about WOW Airlines: I like the fact that they operate AIrbus aircraft. I prefer those, but I am also positive that Boeing aircraft are topnotch too. Different kinds of aircraft, but they both get you to your destination. I worked on Avionics for a Boeing Civil Turbojet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOW_air If the information on that web page is correct, at this time, they only have 17 aircraft in their fleet. In general, that would *greatly* increase the chance of the passengers being delayed, for a LONG time, or stranded, if there is a severe mechanical problem or flight cancellation. That would apply to any airline with a very small fleet. If the information on that URL is correct, they have 10 aircraft on order. If those are Brand New, that will be great for their fleet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted December 25, 2017 Share Posted December 25, 2017 Looking more at the Wikipedia web page, with 2 major U.S. Flag airlines in my employment history, and part of that time in the Scheduling Department of one of those airlines,, unless WOW was the only carrier going to where I needed to go, I would probably pass. They have 17 aircraft and serve 38 cites according to that web page. At least one of their smaller aircraft is "wet leased" from another company (the other company, Avion Express, provides crews and maintenance for an aircraft that is wet leased). Their service to LAX and SFO is run by Air Europa, the 3rd largest carrier in Spain. I wonder who does their maintenance.? Any airline spread thin like that, if they have an aircraft they need to take out of service, probably does NOT have a spare aircraft sitting in their base that they can send to replace an out of service aircraft. You may have read stories of people being stranded, by scheduled airlines, and by Charter airlines, who are spread thin. If your travel dates are very flexible and their fares are incredibly low, after adding in any "extras" you might need, then go for it. Probably everything will go perfectly. But, be prepared, if you get stranded, to purchase a ticket on another airline, to get where you need to go. One of their Airbus A320-200 aircraft is shown to be operated by Avion Express. That company is apparently based in Lithuania. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avion_Express One thing I like about Avianca, the largest airline here in Colombia, is that they have a large and very young fleet. I suspect they have 1 or more "Spare" aircraft sitting in Bogota, most of the time, intentionally, in "the pattern", in case something goes awry with another aircraft. That can prove to be very helpful... I also like the fact that their aircraft are registered in the USA... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted December 25, 2017 Share Posted December 25, 2017 Oh and heads up, they serve stinky fish...I mean REALLY stinky fish. So if you have a major aversion to stinky fish...heads up.... :laugh: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 They are having a great sale $69 fares to Iceland and $89 to Europe https://thepointsguy.com/2018/01/wow-air-brings-back-69-flights/?utm_source=TPG+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=80ca14a840-TPG_Daily_News_MC&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2b0b8ee2b7-80ca14a840-44673361 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.