Review: Air Serbia Economy Class Belgrade to Bucharest (Airbus A319)
In this review we take an Air Serbia flight in economy class on an Airbus A319 between Belgrade (BEG) and Bucharest (OTP).
Air Serbia flight
After a visit to the surprisingly good Air Serbia business lounge (which can also be accessed for a relatively minor fee if you are flying economy) it was time to catch my flight back home.
As it would be my first ever flight on Air Serbia I was looking forward to the experience even though intra-European flights are not the most exciting ones.
For my Air Serbia flight from Belgrade to Bucharest I only paid 40 euro, which was quite a steal.
I was therefore quite curious whether the service on board Air Serbia would match the Ryanair-like price or would actually be something to write home about.
Whilst I was walking to the gate I stumbled upon an interesting exhibition about the history of Belgrade Airport which featured a lot of cool old aviation pictures.
Another interesting sight were some Chinese travellers walking around in full hazmat suits apparently still thinking that COVID is as lethal as Ebola.
Boarding
Before you can reach the actual boarding gate you still have to pass security.
At Belgrade Airport, there is a security point with X-ray baggage scanner at each individual gate, so do take this into account when catching your flight.
However, this will all be a thing of the past soon as there will be a single central security point for the entire terminal when all the airport renovation and construction works are finished.
While I was waiting at the gate I noticed to my surprise that an Air Serbia Airbus A319 was parked at our gate, which was strange as the flight to Bucharest was supposed to be operated by a much smaller ATR 72 turboprop.
It turned out that there was a last-minute equipment change and our plane was upgraded from the ATR 72 to an Airbus A319, which surely is an improvement in comfort.
Belgrade (BEG) to Bucharest (OTP) on Air Serbia
Flight JU642 – Airbus A319 – Seat 1A
Plane registration number: YU-APC
Departure: 1.15pm – Arrival: 3.40pm
Flight time: 1h25m – Distance: 286 miles
On board the Air Serbia Airbus A319
The Air Serbia Airbus A319 has a 3-3 seat configuration with three seats at either side of the aisle.
If you fly the Air Serbia Airbus A319 in business class, you will therefore just have a normal economy class seat although the middle seat will remain empty for your comfort.
However, as my flight between Belgrade and Bucharest was originally set to be operated by an ATR 72 (for which Air Serbia does not sell business class tickets) the Airbus A319 was all-economy class too today.
Air Serbia’s economy class doesn’t differ much from other European legacy airlines.
Although my Air Serbia Airbus A319 (tail number: YU-APC) was showing its age it being almost 17 years old, it had the advantage of having well-padded seats which are simply way more comfortable than the slimline seats used on more modern planes.
I had managed to reserve seat 1A in advance and was happy to see that despite the equipment change my seat reservation remained intact.
It turned out that I had entire row 1 to myself – which was certainly a much-appreciated surprise.
I certainly couldn’t complain about the amount of legroom in my bulkhead seat.
Given that the aircraft was upgraded from a turboprop seating about 70 passengers to an Airbus A319 seating 136, it meant that all passengers profited from quite some extra space as entire rows remained empty across the plane.
Departure
We pushed back from the gate on-time as the captain announced a flight time of just under an hour to Bucharest.
Given that we were now flying a jet engine aircraft instead of a slower propeller plane, we would obviously arrive at our destination much earlier.
Although the windows were a bit dirty and photographing was tricky, the views upon departure from Belgrade were simply great.
From the plane window I could easily spot all the main Belgrade landmarks such as the communist-era apartment blocks of Novi Beograd, the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers, Kalemegdan Fortress, the Church of Saint Sava and the football stadiums of Partizan and Red Star Belgrade.
In-flight service
Air Serbia has a hybrid on-board service in economy class which similar to LOT Polish Airlines.
A pack of chocolate biscuits and bottled water were freely distributed to every economy class passenger, which I thought was a nice touch.
Besides the complimentary snack and water, there was also a buy-on-board menu for those who want to buy another snack or (alcoholic) drink.
Amenities
There aren’t any other special amenities when flying Air Serbia on the Airbus A319.
The Air Serbia Airbus A319 doesn’t have seatback screens, is not equipped with WiFi internet and doesn’t even feature power sockets or USB charging ports.
Make sure that your own electronic devices are fully charged as otherwise you just have to do with the views from the window or the Air Serbia in-flight magazine as your sole entertainment options on board.
On a different note, the service by the flight attendants was friendly throughout the entire flight.
Bucharest arrival
Some fabulous winter sunset colours brightened the sky on approach to Bucharest Otopeni Airport.
In the end, my Air Serbia Airbus A319 landed some 30 minutes before its scheduled arrival time.
Unfortunately, we parked at a remote gate, so it took a bit of extra time before the bus finally arrived and everyone managed to disembark.
Conclusion
Flying Air Serbia on the Airbus A319 is a nice throwback in time which depending on your point of view is either a positive or a negative thing.
On the plus side, the economy class seats on the Airbus A319 are comfortable and have a decent amount of legroom.
Air Serbia still gives you a complimentary snack and drink in economy class on short-haul flights, which is another nice touch.
However, don’t expect any modern luxuries on board the Airbus A319 such as WiFi Internet and power sockets.
If you can do without, Air Serbia is a pleasant company to fly with and I wouldn’t hesitate to seek them out again if the price is right.
booked an Air Serbia flight with a two hour transit. As I arrive at the gate, I learn the flight is delayed by more than 2 hours. The exact delay is unknown. I am given a 10€ voucher and a belgian number which is out of service. I am then given a Serbian number which I call several times before getting someone on the phone. This person asks me questions then tells me to wait… Never to return again! I hang up after 5 costly minutes and call one last time unsuccessfully before giving up. Will ask for a refund which (from the comments I read) I fear I might never get. I probably missed my flight to Greece. I doubt Air Serbia cares at all. Despicable customer service. Avoid at all cost.