Trip Report: airBaltic - Tallinn to Stockholm; Stockholm to Riga (June 2022)

   Trip Report: airBaltic - Tallinn to Stockholm; Stockholm to Riga
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I was planning my trip around Europe and needed to fly between Tallinn (Estonia) and Stockholm.  There were a couple of options available but the one that worked for me was airBaltic in the evening.                                                                                                                                                          airBaltic is an airline based in Riga, Latvia and is a low-cost hybrid carrier.  They are low-cost in that they only operate one type of aircraft, Airbus A220, and they charge for extras like seat assignment and baggage.  They are a hybrid because they offer business class and partner with many airlines and that can include complimentary luggage.  They are also hybrid because tickets include one carry-on and one personal item.  I had heard of airBaltic as they were the primary customer of the Airbus A220 which is a new plane model that is a 2-3 seat configuration.   airBaltic operates mostly a regional network within Europe with additional flights to Central Asia and Dubai. 

I had 3 flights with airBaltic and they were all a bit different. Flight 1 was Tallinn to Stockholm, flight 2 was Stockholm to Riga, and flight 3 was Riga to Munich.  All of these were booked differently so flight 1 was the complete low-cost experience as it was ticket only, no additional seats nor luggage was purchased.  Flight 2 included checked baggage so it was termed as 'Economy plus' but the plus did not include seat reservation nor priority boarding as some other low-cost carriers include in this bundle, it only included 23kg of checked baggage.  Flight 3 was in partnership with Lufthansa so I booked the ticket on Lufthansa and the first leg was operated by airBaltic.  Although each flight was booked differently, the operating aircraft was the same on each flight, the check-in process was the same, and the on-board experience was the same for each flight.

As I had mentioned, airBaltic is a low-cost hybrid airline.  Your booked ticked includes a hand-carry

and personal item, everything else needs to be purchased including checked baggage and seat assignments.  There are categories that include checked baggage but that is all they include and no other amenities are included.  It was very easy and efficient to book the travel through airbaltic's website and through the process you can add extras like seat assignment or checked baggage for a fee.  After your booking and days leading up to your flight you will get messages from airbaltic asking if you want to prebook/purchase a seat or prebook/purchase a meal.  You are able to check-into your flight 36-hours in advance (more if you have prebooked your seat) and during that process you can also preselect your seat.  If you do not select a seat then you are assigned a random seat at check-in and there is no option on the site to change the seat (the only option is to ask at the airport at the check-in desk).  

For one flight I had personal item only while my other 2 flights I had checked baggage so for those I had to stop at the check-in desk.  The service both on the ground and on-board was not great, not bad but not great.  They would answer a question if you had one but not proactively offer assistance or notice that a guest needed assistance.  For two of my flights, I was able to arrange a different seat assignment at the check-in desk and that was done with no hesitation.  Boarding is supposed to happen 30 minutes prior to the flight but everyone of my flights were delayed.  That would not be a big deal but in each instance the gate agents made no announcement nor was there any information provided; the only notice would be an email from airbaltic after the time had passed notifying you of the delay.  This email was the only communication from either the ground staff, gate agents, or airline regarding any delays.  When we were finally ready for boarding, it was everyone all at once; those who needed assistance came first and after that it was everyone on board with no boarding groups or other order.

Each operating aircraft was exactly the same - an Airbus A220 with a 2-3 seat configuration.  Both the

outside and the inside looked relatively new and the planes looked in good shape.  The seats were basic in that up top had a place for magazines, below was a tray table, and below that two small back pockets on each side of the tray table holder that could hold a cellphone.  The tray table had an interesting design in that the table was not connected to the back of the seat in the conventional way but rather connected to the seat through a pole that went down the middle of the back of the seat.  It was an odd design and felt very Soviet-style design.  Up above were airvents, lights, call bell, and above each row was a tiny screen that looked like a sideways cellphone.  This screen showcased the safety video, the details of the flight, any safety announcements, and advertisements for airbaltic destinations.  AirBaltic also advertised their destinations in their onboard magazine which was in the backseat pocket along with the safety card and airsickness bag.  The magazine also contained the menu for the buy on-board meals and drinks.  The seat pitch was average and the seat pitch was also average for a low-cost; I have been on tighter seat pitches so for low-cost the seat pitch was the standard average.  I am 6'1 and I had enough room so that my knees did not hit the back of the seat in front of me.  Most of airbaltic flights are 1-2 hours so the seat is comfortable for that; my longest fligth with them was 2-hours and the seat was comfortable enough for that but beyond that I think the seat would become uncomfortable.

Onboard service included a buy on-board service.  Nothing was given for free, not even water, so everything had to be purchased.  There was no wifi, no stream to your device, nothing so you had to bring your own entertainment.  And bring a lot of entertainment because airBaltic has a liberal on-time departure time; I had 3 flights and none took off on-time.  Each flight was delayed or late by at least 30mins with an average delay of 45-60mins - this added to the time in seat because you would board late and then sit there with no communication and then all of a sudden there would be pushback and you would depart.                                                                                                                                      Overall, it was an interesting experience with airBaltic.  They have carved out an interesting niche for themselves with Riga as a hub and using the Airbus A220.  Having only one type of aircraft you definitely know what you are getting when you step onboard so that is convenient.  The low-cost model saves the passenger money when the ancillary fees are not included but once you start adding checked baggage and seat selection the ticket prices add up.  Would I fly airBaltic again?  I would not hesitate to fly them short-haul, point-to-point, for 1-hour flights and if I do not have to connect nor check a bag.  I think they are a good regional airline and are a good 3-star trip.