A round trip to Romania for less than €100 for two? I tried with Blue Air... and I didn't regret it!
Paris-Bucharest for €19… Mission impossible? However, this is what the Blue Air site displays on its home page. And since we go to Romania on average twice a year, I can tell you that the first time, it challenged us!
Neither one nor two, I click on the flight reservation tab, which asks me for my itinerary and my departure dates.
First precision, and not the least, the departure is from Paris-Beauvais, the low-cost airport of the capital… but which is still an hour by train from the Gare du Nord. No problem for us since at the time, we lived in Beauvais itself.
So I enter my departure dates, confirming that I want to leave Beauvais and land in Bucharest.
Second precision of the same ilk:the landing takes place at Otopeni, the equivalent of Beauvais, therefore necessarily far from the center. But it is the principle of low-cost:we are necessarily a little further than the classic airports!
I validate my reservation, which displays 76€90 for two round trips (I don't know when pennies were added to the overall sum, but we're still not far from 19€ per flight...)
Check my Baggage? For What?!
The site then asks me if I want to check in a bag. The company asks me 20€ for that. I refuse... and will bite my fingers on the day of departure, since we will have to pay 30€ at the airport to move our suitcase. I did not know at the time that only hand luggage (one per person) is free. Paying in advance therefore allows you to save €10 if you absolutely have to take checked baggage. It's not nothing!
But all that, I don't know yet when I validate my order! I click on “validate payment”. And bad surprise when choosing the payment:I have to add 16 € to pay by credit card... But I don't have many other choices! I therefore confirm a payment of €92
It's the start!
On the day of departure, despite the unpleasant surprise of the extra baggage charge, everything went as planned. Presentation of printed tickets (pay attention to billing if you do not print them from home!), baggage check-in, passage through the boarding area, no problem. You may be surprised by crossing the track on foot (remember, it's low-cost!), but nothing more.
On the plane, basic drinks are unlimited. For everything else, of course, you have to take out your bank card. Sandwiches, cupcakes or soft drinks are extra. But I've planned it out and no one looks at me when I take out our impromptu picnic on the plane!
We continued to fly with Blue Air the whole time we lived in Beauvais, and did not have a single bad surprise.
The round trip to Bucharest with a classic company is on average 150 euros. Departing with Blue Air, the return flight is 38 euros, to which are added 16 euros in payment fees and 20 euros (17 in low season) for checked baggage.
The ticket is therefore 74 euros, or even 54 if you only take hand luggage. Equivalent to a minimum saving of 76 euros per ticket ! The sum is far from negligible, for equivalent services.
That's €608 for two trips a year! Pretty good!
