Review: TAROM Domestic Flight Bucharest to Cluj-Napoca

This review covers my domestic Romanian flight on TAROM from Bucharest (OTP) to Cluj-Napoca (CLJ) on an Airbus A318.

Travelling to Cluj

To start off my trip to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, I first had to make my way from Bucharest to Cluj-Napoca, as it was from here that I had found a cheap flight to the Belarussian capital of Minsk, from where I would eventually continue to Central Asia.

I usually opt for the night train on this route, as it’s generally the most convenient and certainly the most relaxed mode of travel.

In case you want to learn more about Romanian trains, do check out some of the earlier reviews I wrote about domestic sleeper train journeys, such as the Bucharest to Satu Mare train or the Bucharest to Sighetu Marmației night train.

However, this time around, flying was by far the best option.

As I still needed to do some work and pack my bags in the evening, there was no way I could make it in time for the departure for my night train.

Since I also wanted to enjoy a full day in Cluj, taking a morning flight was the only realistic option.

Domestic Romanian flights

Domestic hops in Romania can be cheap, especially if booked in advance.

Romania’s flag carrier TAROM operates the bulk of the domestic flights, although low-cost airline HiSky also operates a few main routes such as Bucharest to Cluj-Napoca and Bucharest to Timișoara.

Unless the schedule and price compel me to choose otherwise, I always opt for TAROM because I can earn Flying Blue miles and XP, which help me maintain my frequent flyer status.

For my TAROM flight from Bucharest to Cluj I only paid €40.

Bucharest Otopeni Airport

Although the security lines at Bucharest Otopeni Airport normally move relatively fast compared to other European airports, it was madness on the morning of my flight, with everything moving at a snail’s pace.

As there is no fast track or priority security line available at Bucharest Otopeni Airport, I had no choice but to join the slow shuffle, which ended up taking a good 40 minutes.

Upon clearing security, you need to turn left for the domestic terminal, or right towards passport control and international flight departures.

The domestic terminals at Romanian airports are absolutely bare-bones, so you really don’t want to arrive too early for your flight.

This is even the case at Bucharest Otopeni Airport, the country’s hub for domestic flights, as there are just two small shops and an overpriced café.

Boarding

The domestic terminal of Bucharest Otopeni Airport only has bus gates.

Boarding commenced rather abruptly, with the gate agent disregarding priority boarding for SkyTeam Elite Plus frequent flyers.

An old-fashioned airport bus brought us to the TAROM Airbus A318 which would operate the short domestic flight across Romania from Bucharest to Cluj.

I’ve flown on a TAROM Airbus A318 many times before, including in business class on a flight from Paris to Bucharest.

The aircraft TAROM uses for domestic flights can vary depending on the route and the current fleet utilisation.

Besides the Airbus A318, TAROM also operates Boeing 737s (the -700 and -800) as well as turboprops (ATR 72s) for domestic routes.

Bucharest Otopeni (OTP) to Cluj-Napoca (CLJ)
TAROM – Flight RO641 – Airbus A318
Plane registration number: YR-ASB
Economy class – Seat 2F
Departure: 6.50am – Arrival: 7.45am
Flight time: 0h55m – Distance: 192 miles

TAROM Airbus A318

The TAROM Airbus A318 has seats in all-economy class configuration with three seats at either side of the aisle.

TAROM doesn’t offer business class on its domestic flights.

However, if TAROM assigns one of their aircraft with proper business class recliner seats like the Boeing 737-700 to a domestic route, you can often select one of those seats free of charge and fly in comfort (without receiving actual business class service during the flight, of course).

When online check-in opens, you can select a seat onboard the aircraft free of charge, although SkyTeam Elite Plus frequent flyers have also the option to do this before the check-in window opens.

I had assigned myself seat 2F, the bulkhead window seat on the starboard side of the plane.

Departure

Even though the flight between Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca is blocked at 55 minutes, in reality it takes closer to 30-40 minutes to complete the flight, as it’s just a short hop across the Carpathian Mountains and over the Transylvanian plateau.

This summer morning in June certainly made for an absolutely gorgeous day to fly, and the visibility was great.

On-board service

There was a meal, or more accurately, a snack service on my domestic TAROM flight from Bucharest to Cluj, with each passenger receiving a plastic bag containing two raisin pastries.

Drinks were also served, and I went for a glass of orange juice.

However, please note that since my flight, TAROM has discontinued complimentary food and drinks in economy class on both international and domestic flights.

The airline now has a buy-on-board service in economy class.

Landing in Cluj

The flight went by fast, and almost immediately after crossing the Carpathians, we began our descent towards Cluj.

There were some lovely views over the hilly Transylvanian countryside during our final approach towards Cluj-Napoca Airport.

In the end, we landed 10 minutes early in Cluj.

With all passengers swiftly disembarked, our airport bus headed towards the small domestic terminal.

Into the city centre

The airport in Cluj is not far from the city centre.

On average, it takes just 20 minutes to reach the city centre from the airport, with little difference in travel time between the bus and a taxi or rideshare (Bolt or Uber).

This time, I chose to take the bus, which at just 3 RON (less than €0.60) for a one-way journey, is highly affordable.

The airport bus stop is located at the main road right in front of the terminal, with buses departing approximately every 10 to 15 minutes.

You can buy your bus ticket at a vending machine at the bus stop or simply tap your bank card on the payment device inside the bus.

In just 25 minutes, I found myself standing on Piața Unirii, the central square of Cluj.

Conclusion

Taking a domestic flight is the fastest way to travel across Romania and can be affordable if you don’t leave booking your ticket to the very last minute.

That was certainly the case with my TAROM flight from Bucharest to Cluj, as I only paid €40 for this short domestic hop.

Do keep in mind that the domestic terminals at Romanian airports are basic, so avoid arriving too early before your flight.

It’s also important to remember that there are many alternatives to taking a flight when traveling within Romania.

Although I wouldn’t recommend long-distance buses as they’re highly uncomfortable, trains are a great alternative to flying in Romania.

This is particularly true for night trains, given their affordable prices for couchettes and private sleepers, as well as their time-effective schedules.

Trip report index

This article is part of the ‘Back to Central Asia: Travels Through Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:

1. Review: TAROM Domestic Flight Bucharest to Cluj-Napoca (current chapter)
2. Cluj-Napoca: A Travel Guide to Transylvania’s Vibrant Capital
3. Turda Salt Mine and Gorge: An Easy Cluj-Napoca Day Trip
4. Hiking Through the Turda Gorge
5. Review: Business Lounge Cluj-Napoca Airport
6. Review: Turkish Airlines Economy Class Cluj-Istanbul-Minsk
7. Minsk, Belarus: Chasing Soviet Ghosts in One of Europe’s Last Dictatorships
8. Review: Turkish Airlines Business Class Minsk-Istanbul-Almaty
9. A Visit to Almaty, Kazakhstan’s Vibrant Economic Capital

** rest of the chapters to follow soon **