NEWS FLASH
Air Serbia yesterday rolled out its buy on board catering service entitled Elevate Deli & Bar, in line with its new hybrid business model. The new product allows passenger to purchase food and drinks on board flights lasting up to three hours. Payments can currently be made only in cash (either in Serbian dinars or euros). The new inflight catering service is primarily aimed at passengers travelling on Economy White and Economy Blue fares, which offer the lowest possible ticket price, but do not include a meal. Economy Red passengers travelling on short and medium-haul services can pick items to eat and drink from an assigned selection of the Elevate Deli & Bar menu at no charge, as it is included in the airfare. Business Silver customers flying on short and medium-haul services will have a choice of specially-packaged cold meals, including a traditional Serbian meze.
Air Serbia's CEO, Duncan Naysmith, said, “We’re thrilled to unveil our Elevate Deli & Bar service, which provides guests with more menu choice than ever before on Air Serbia’s short and medium-haul flights. We’ve teamed up with some of the best-loved brands in Serbia to bring travellers products that they recognise and want to have onboard. With freshly-prepared food using the best Serbian ingredients, as well as many classic Serbian snacks, we are confident it will appeal to our guests". He added, "At Air Serbia, we are keenly aware that our customers want more choice - not only in selecting what they eat, but being able to pick the fare type which best suits their needs and having the option to purchase access to services such as priority boarding or fast-track through the airport. 21st century travel is all about choice, and Elevate Deli & Bar is another step forward in that direction”.
Inflight catering on Air Serbia’s long haul transatlantic service between Belgrade and New York remains unchanged, with economy class and business class passengers receiving a complimentary meal.
MENUS
For flights under eighty minutes can be viewed here [pdf]
For flights over eighty minutes can be viewed here [pdf]
For flights to and from New York (free of charge) can be viewed here
They should at least offer free water, coffee/tea, like SAS does. They have fully gone EasySerbia.
ReplyDeleteSAS charges for water, only coffee and tea are free.
DeleteSK gives breakfast on flights that depart before 09.00.
DeleteAir Serbia competes directly with SAS on exactly 0 routes.
DeleteAn.11:19
DeleteNot true. On short flights, SAS doesn't charge for water, unless you have both coffee and water, for example. You can have ONE of these 3 drinks for free. I flew SAS domestic flights Oslo-Bergen, Bergen-Trondheim and Trondheim-Oslo few months ago, and it water was on offer alon with coffee and tea, free of charge, on all 3 flights
Charging people to get a glass of water is pathetic! It is such a degradation of flying.
Delete@ 1:53 PM,
DeleteIt's not about competition with SAS, but it's about the fact that a national airline should give you at least a free drink
+1
DeleteCharging people to get a glass of water is pathetic! It is such a degradation of flying.
DeleteThere is no free glass of water on Ryanair and Wizzair. Why didn't you complain about it.
ovi ljudi se drogiraju. aj, razumem da naplaćuju vodu, ali da je naplaćuju 240 dinara, mnogo je. 100 do 150, aj i da razumem, ali 240???
ReplyDeleteJana voda u bioskopu u Novom Sadu je 140 dinara ... just saying :)
DeletePa mi vec nazalost placamo 2.5 eur flasicu vode na beogradskom aerodromu u dutyfree-u i to je jedini opcija da se unese voda u avion. Sada cemo placati i u avionu ako letimo sa AS.
DeleteMene to lihvarenje s vodom i plaćanjem vode u zemljama s dobrom i pitkom vodom iz slavine intelektualno vrijeđa pa uredno sa sobom za sva putovanja imam svoju alu/plastičnu bocu koja ide prazna kroz security i onda je nakon kontrole napunim na slavini. Ne osjećam se k'o ovca jer plaćam 3€ za 0,5L vode, ne moram čekati da mi se netko "smiluje" s čašicom vode za vrijeme leta + ekološkije je od stotina jednokratno upotrebljenih plastičnih čaša i bočica nakon svakog leta. Nije neki trud a bolji je osjećaj. Bar meni.
DeleteGood point M!
DeleteThis should have happened in 2013.
ReplyDelete+1000
DeleteInstead they went for the boutique airline new wings of Europe concept thinking that ex-Yu travelers would chose flights based on metal cutlery instead of ticket price...
SMFH!
Bravo Srbija!
ReplyDelete:)))
Deleteare they taking euros as well?
ReplyDeleteYes
Delete"Payments can currently be made only in cash (either in Serbian dinars or Euros)."
well 2 euros is standard, like Wizz :(
ReplyDeleteCan Air Serbia be considered as a legacy carrier or a hybrid one?
ReplyDeleteStarting yesterday - it's a hybrid. There was never any doubt about it.
DeleteIpak deluje utešno da nisu sasvim low cost, jer na svakog putnika kojeg prevezu u toku dana dođe po jedan zaposleni. Pa koja druga kompanija u svetu nudi takav luksuz svojim putnicima?
ReplyDeletekakve veze ima ovaj komentar sa ovim BoB vestima? dobro nisi rekao kako su ti jednom izgubili torbu ili nesto slicno.
DeleteDodju 2-3 putnika po zaposlenom. Definitivno nisu low cost :)
DeleteBuy on Board prices are more than acceptable. JU will definitely face some issues with passengers with not accepting payments with cards. I totally support this BoB concept, but ticket prices MUST decrease in order to remain sustainable as a company, as ticket prices are absolutely ridiculously high for this hybrid model.
ReplyDeletePayment with credit cards is going to be available by the end of the month.
DeleteSource please?
DeleteSo confusing though... if one knew that by the end of the month one'd get POS terminals, why wouldn't one wait some few more weeks and place a "whole package", and not like this - piece by piece...
@AnonymousMarch 2, 2018 at 3:00 PM
DeleteIn order to do this you should actually be aware that many people would prefer to pay by cards and that cash payments are so troubling when onboard with crews looking for a change.
@Anonymous 12:20 I agree 100%. I totally don't mind buying a wrap or a can of beer on a 2h flight if I feel like it (the prices in the Elevate menu are actually OK) but I do mind paying 200€ for Economy White fare booked well in advance and off season, which can easily become 260€ if you want "extras". I noticed the exception is AMS where they had to do something to compete with Transavia which is probably killing them with their prices. I hope they deploy the POS machines ASAP as I will be the first one grumpy to look for the €/RSD change. :D
DeleteExactly as you stated M.
DeleteIt makes sense to buy a sandwich or a beer if you are paying 9/19/29 fare with Ryan, but it is ridiculous for a legacy carrier that is supported by our tax money to charge us high fares plus these little extras. Looks very cheap!
Btw, AMS fares have been adjusted but they are still keeping higher prices for example on Saturday when there is no Transavia flight.
On what route is Ryan competing with Air Serbia? Besides, local tax money is also supporting Ryan by providing initial subsidy. Once that subsidy goes away and Ryan thinks they can get more money elsewhere, they pack up and leave. See TSR.
Delete@AnonymousMarch 2, 2018 at 10:33 PM
DeleteAnybody mentioned AS competing with Ryan on some route?!
@Anon at 5:33 compared it with Ryan, but FR & JU don't compete at all.
DeleteWell at least JFK remains free
ReplyDeletefor how long, what you think?
DeleteHow can flight attendants tell during service if the passenger is Economy Red or not? Economy Red should get free meal.
ReplyDeleteThe same way they have been delivering special meals up to this day. There is a document called The Passenger Information List that the flight crew needs to get before the aircraft doors are closed. It contains the booking info of all the people on board. Thee ground staff at the gate will just make two or three copies for the cabin crew and they are good to go.
DeleteIn theory yes. In practice people tend to change places to get more space if there are empty rows or sit with friends they met on the gate etc. This will create all sorts of confusion.
DeleteYou can't change seats on JU. There is even an announcement at the start of each flight that this is forbidden and if crew see you moved you have to go back to your seat.
Delete@AnonymousMarch 2, 2018 at 2:21 PM
DeleteReally? Not that I am aware of and that I was ever bugged by the crew for doing so over the past years.
Then you have not flown with Air Serbia in the last few months.
DeleteLast time mid November to/from London. Plane was around 50% full both ways so many people chose to change seats and have more comfort.
DeleteAnyway, confusion on the way. Seen it with Brussels airlines :)
I flew with them in January from Brussels and last month to Brussels. Both times there was an announcement before departure that changing seats is not allowed.
DeleteLast time I flew with Brussels was end of November and do not remember such announcement. Anyhow, with or without announcement changing seats when the plane is not full or putting laptop bags in overhead compartments when there is sufficient space is not something the proper crew will ever oppose.
DeleteUnfortunately, a flight attendant should check the mentioned list and make a plan of distribution of included-in-ticket-price meals... Complete mess!!! JU should start with this model back in 2013, and definitely charge for F&B to all pax on board.
Delete@ AnonymousMarch 2, 2018 at 2:59 PM
DeleteFor goodness sake they obviously started with the announcements recently or this year. Get over it.
I really miss good old JAT :)
DeleteYou can't change seats on JU ??? now that is North Korean style.
DeleteIts normal to move to an empty row.
Not any more. They actually say over the PA "Changing seats is not allowed on any Air Serbia flights".
Deletesvasta
DeleteRidiculous indeed, not to allow you to change seat and take one that is free just because you payed 2 instead of 4 eur during your booking process. This all degrades flying and brand, and actually brings very little revenue for a legacy carrier.
DeleteRepeated use of "payed" as a past tense of "pay" is degrading. BTW legacies are making a ***tload of $$$ on seat selection.
DeleteThis is ridiculous. They are going to police and check boarding passes if you change seat. Are they going to check the passport too, to make sure? Wow, how low can you go?
DeleteThat problem will solve itself during peak season when cabin is 85-90% full. There won't be many available seats to move around.
DeletePeople still move around if they are separated at online check-in. Couples, friends and families want to sit together. Are they going to forbid that too? I've never heard of such policy. Pathetic.
Delete@AnonymousMarch 2, 2018 at 10:44 PM
DeletePreaching to non native speakers for omissions is so no no :)
@Anon at 7:13
DeleteMissed the point. Me non native speaker too.
If you "payed" the attention you would notice frequent negative comments posted against (Air) Serbia by the person using that same (and a couple of other unique) keywords. Easy to automate and track.
Really? What key words?
DeleteThis is a really sad development. They started with good level of service and now degraded the whole thing just to save 2-3 mil a year on food and drinks. This reduction will not save their dubious finances but erodes the brand further on domestic market. Plus the explanation is really funny - they cut service, keep the prices (as we have all witnessed) and then sell it as offering more choice to the customers.
ReplyDeletejealous much?
DeletePeople just dont understand model transition and link it to "sad development".
DeleteAs Serbian citizen/tax payer and frequent traveler I have all the right to think this is a sad development for a public heavily subsidies company.
DeleteNo proof of citizenship or tax payment provided. You have the right to think whatever you want but that won't make you right. Private, public, subsidized, legacy or not, most airlines around the world are installing thinner seats, charging for additional services like baggage or food. Not knowing this trend but trying to post comments on airline blog is really sad.
DeleteNew seats are actually great! Not exactly the best move financially to fit aircrafts with seats twice in 4 years but I feel more comfortable in these. Such a shame they are not keeping this little extras that still make you stand out from LCC. My personal favourite is AirDolomiti which are now part of LH. In line with the LH policy checked baggage and seat selection is charged if you are buying the cheapest ticket. But you still get nicely packed wet tissues, snack, coffee...on many flights between Italy and Munich they have asked me the second time if I would like anything else. Until year ago they were handing in newspapers upon entry in the aircraft (old school) but now have moved to LH digital magazines which is also nice.
Deleteproblem solved. you stick with dolomiti or whatever the name of that airline is, and i will be happy never to step on a lh group (aka "dark side") aircraft ever again.
DeleteDo try Dolomiti, great service!
Deletenot even for free, as long as they are with LH.
DeleteWhy that hate for LH? :)
DeleteI Never fly with Air Serbia again ,!
ReplyDeleteDo not be so harsh on AS. They are struggling and there is obviously no strategy in place. Everywhere they got a competition their prices are reasonable. At the end we will have LCC product for (nearly) LCC prices on these routes.
Delete“...Payments can currently be made only in cash (either in Serbian dinars or Euros)”
ReplyDeleteAre they going to provide receipts for the purchases in cash? ... I doubt. All business travelers would need receipts so they can get reimbursed.
If you do something do it right, or don’t do it at all. Improvisation is worst strategy.
They do give receipts. They posted a video story on their instagram and you could see the crew with little receipt printing devices.
DeleteThat’s good. Better than I thought. Thanks for the information.
DeleteJust a small comparison (it should be OK given the context). United, for instance, have a mobile app that accepts card payments and provides online receipts (yes they were printing them at the very beginning when they introduced their service). As a metter of fact US airliners accept only card payments for on board purchases.
if you read the pdf's it says:
DeletePlease make sure that you are given a receipt for your purchase!
Payment by credit card/debit card is currently unavailable.
ALWAYS KEEP YOUR RECEIPT EVEN IF YOU ARE PROVIDED A COMPLEMENTARY MEAL!
I'd like to know why they insist on pax keeping the receipt. Are they going to browse the cabin, look for leftovers, and randomly check whether you have actually paid your meal? Which you've gotten how, otherwise?
DeleteImagine this situation:
Deletea crew member gets a box of instant coffee and sells it to the passengers. Urging the passengers to ask for receipts is the only way to minimize theft, the same way government is doing with fiscal receipts.
That would be a new low.
DeleteWhy not frisk CC before boarding for contraband in the form of instant coffee?
Anyway, if this is a thing, there is one way of handling it - electronic payment only. No cash. Problem solved.
I am quite dissapointed they didn't introduce full meals, the type they used to offer at the very beginnings. For example, "Traditional Serbian ghocchi with veal" (haha) were actually great. Why wouldn't they load some of those and charge a bit more... For LHR, ARN, CDG routes, it could be really popular. Or even for evening flights from FCO, ATH and so on.
ReplyDelete"Traditional Serbian ghocchi with veal" xD
Delete2 Years ago I flew with Iberia from Frankfurt to Madrid. Ticket (5 months in advance) was almost 200€, no baggage (had to pay extra), no meals on board (had to pay extra, similar prices to ASL). So, stop acting like a haters! ASL is good company and you will see that when they start new cyclus of expansion!
ReplyDeleteYeah right, they are not good but excellent company, you are not fanboy but objective spectator, and money they earn on snickers and beer will make possible new cyclus of expansion, and serbian taxpayers will not be financing them anymore. hau jes nou.
DeleteDude, did you misplace your chill pills...again?
Delete@AnonymousMarch 2, 2018 at 6:30 PM
Delete5 months in advance for non holiday European destination?!
What was the travel period?
It was a holiday for me... November.
DeleteAnd my pills fine ;)
Pa da je bar malo jaci izbor, pa covek i da se ne ljuti. Transavia npr. ima bar duplo vise stvari u ponudi. I recimo na jutarnjem letu od sat vremena, nisam stigao ili mogao rano da doruckujem, hocu da pojedem sendvic uz kafu a ono trt, moze cips. O jelima koja se navode kao tradicionalna srpska kuhinja a veze sa istom nemaju ne bi trosio reci. A prezentacija na slikama, pa cak i za biznis klasu, izgleda vrlo skromno. Totalno razocaranje.
ReplyDeleteE pa namesti da te probudi pola sata ranije, pojedi dobar doručak pre dolaska na aerodrom i nećeš biti totalno razočaran. Što kaže reklama, kad si gladan nisi sav svoj!
DeleteLjudi pa oni su odlepili totalno! zamislite naziv "CRVENO" vino koji stoji u meniju!!?? U nasim krajervima se uvek prodavalo i sluzilo crno vino! Ah da zaboravio sam, ovo je verovatno personalizacija o kojoj pricaju!
ReplyDeleteLepo kažu da će ta veštačka inteligencija i kojekavi opasni gugl prevodioci uništiti civilizaciju! Mada su prilično opasni i oni glupi ljudi koji vide sliku tamne boce vina i natpis Cabernet Sauvignon a ne znaju da je to u stvari crno vino! Ne može svako biti enolog. Drž' se ti piva!
Delete@AnonymousMarch 2, 2018 at 11:28 PM
DeleteSta si tacno zeleo da kazes svojim komentarom? AnonymousMarch 2, 2018 at 7:33 PM je samo hteo da ukaze na glupost u meniju koji su pripremili.
Pitaj gugl da prevede "red vine", odgovor je "црвена вина". Glup je gugl.
DeleteŠta tek reći za one kojima je fitilj toliko kratak da eksplodiraju ako piše crveno a ne crno vino, ne bih se osećao sigurno u avionu pored takvog...
Ko je eksplodirao? Mozda od smeha zbog neprofesionalizma ljudi koji ovo rade :)))
DeleteKo uporno pokusava da ocrni Er Srbiju zbog reci crveno umesto crno je stvarno za smejanje. Ili plakanje. Putuj vozom ili busom.
DeleteNista, plakacemo po autobusima :)
Deletenaravno, BoB meniji po autobusima jasno kazu "crno vino". nema smejanja, nema "neprofesionalizma". srecan ti put!
DeleteHvala :)
DeletePlease get us back old good JAT!
ReplyDeleteYes it was great. Every other fligh cancelled with fleet of 5 functional planes.
DeleteIf JAT in 2012 had 1/3 of AirSerbia subsidies it would have all 14 planes flying! So please stop that cheap propaganda.
DeleteMaybe you should look at how much money Jat did receive. It was quite a lot, it just never got as much attention. I loved Jat but please let's not play dumb. It was a dreadful airline with extremely rude and unpleasent staff, terrbile service and planes which were in a terrible state. It didn't fly to half the destinations we have today, it was also extremely expensive and in summer it was a gamble if your flight would even depart because they had a schedule made for 15 planes operating with 5. This was mostly result of bad political appointed management. I'm not trying to defend Air Serbia since I'm indifferent towards it but I also find it funny when people say that Jat Airways was an amazing airline. It was downright dreadful and ruined the legacy of the old JAT.
DeleteI flew with JAT extensively and never had an issue. Staff onboard was getting older but was not rude; today yes they are looking posh but they have the blunt look of ignorence, try asking something!
DeleteSure. 98% of people that flew with Jat in its last years will tell you how 'wonderful' the staff was. I never encountered ruder people in my life. From crew openly swearing at each other, cheering out loud how they hope the plane will be empty etc... Please.
DeleteI think you´re words are quite harsh towards JAT - it was a decent airline, with decent aircraft. It used to fly to main airports and service was not that bad. Safety was also impeccable.
DeleteJAT and Jat are two different worlds. Jat was a shadow of its former self. It certainly was not a decent airline. And yes it flew from main airports. Half of where you can fly today. I'm not a huge fan of Air Serbia but glorifying Jat Airways when it was a terrible airline in almost all aspects just because you dislike Air Serbia is just wrong.
DeleteI really like both. JAT, because of its reliability, safety and punctuality. Air Serbia, because it covers most Balkan cities, only airline in region flying to JFK, etc.
DeleteJat had a number of challenges and issues. I had numerous experiences with the company and they were mostly OK. Very few bad experiences and lots of fond memories of pleasant, sometimes colorful, but attentive staff both onboard and at airports and representative offices across Europe. They were always there for passengers and always able to find a solution for any problem. At least those are my memories, more good than bad. As anon at 8:19 said they had a number of problems. But that was mostly towards the end of operation, namely in 2012 and 2013. At that is exactly why I underline - even that JAT management with 1/3 money spend on AS project could have made that company much better and healthier. We could have a company which is not low cost, but keeps the number of important routes with frequencies needed to Serbian taxpayers (its owners) and with decent level of ground and onboard service. That restructured company could have found its own place on the market, fly around 1.5 mil passengers a year and survive alongside LCC competition which was very needed in Belgrade. What we got is transfer fairytale that is losing money massively, lots of ignorance and rudeness. And that is why paying for water and snack they call introducing more choice for our "guests".
DeleteI think you are just disaappointed but hey the Air Serbia "fairytale" was just way good to be true. ASL was way too "boutique"! They were serving metal cutlery, had generous meals and "Serbian hospitality", perfect cabin crew. It was simply the product, not all people were looking for because times have now changed and these perks are no longer needed especially for shorter flights.
DeleteI certainly think that ASL is on the right track and will soon recover from its wounds. After they recover, they will most likely resume the suspended routes such as KBP, VAR, VCE. Just give them time.
In the end, lets not forget that the existence of ASL is thanks to JAT!
I'm not dissapointed at anything since I told you I neither have a positive or negative oppinion of Air Serbia so spare me your conspiricies. I just said romanticising about an airline which was literally falling apart in its last years and writing how it was amazing is far from the truth. I liked Jat but I can also be realistic unlike some. It's like when I hear people in this country say it was great in the 90s. Just because they were 20 years younger does not mean it was good.
DeleteYes, but this JAT you are critising was the backbone of Serbia. It represented the country, the logo represented its colours, the Boeings were old but RELIABLE. JAT would take you to your final destination fed and safe. What more do you want?
DeleteJat was the backbone of Serbia? Right. As far as I can see, Air Serbia takes you to your final destination safely too and its colours actually do represent the country. Don't know how the three dots and an all white livery for over 5 years represented Serbia. Again don't confuse JAT and Jat. As for the fed part, I would not go that far. On my last flight with Jat in May 2013 they didn't have coke or even juice on the flight to Paris. They gave a cup of water and a prepackaged muffin. Again, I don't have anything against Jat but please don't romanticise something that it wasn't. On my second last flight from Larnaca in February 2013, crew were loudly cheering that our delay on the ground would last (because of snowstorm in BEG) so their duty time would exceed and they could get an extra free day. All the time the purser was chewing gum and they were discussing this in the middle of the isle in front of passengers.
DeleteI am sorry, but it is hard to comprehend how a passenger would judge an airline based on the beverage served.
DeleteJAT was not Emirates but it was not Tatarstan Airlines or those typical Russian companies.
JAT had a logo which was easy to remember and was unarguably immediately Serbia because of the colours, you would distinguish it immediately.
Did they have problems? Well, yes we all do. But you cannot just look on the negative part of JAT. JAT had much more to offer compared to the other airlines.
As for the cabin crew, maybe they were eating chewing gum just because they had a nice day - they are human beings after all.....
Dokle više sa jatom? Imao je dobre i loše strane ali je otisao u istoriju zajedno sa zemljom koju je tada predstavljao. Žalim ljude koji se još uvek nadaju da će ponovo biti jugoslavije i jata.
DeleteGuys, nobody is romanticizing JAT. Many of us said it had numerous issues. What people are stating is the fact that there was a possibility to transform Jat for much less and have a decent company.
DeleteThere was also a possibility of transforming Yugoslavia without war but talking about yougoslavia or jat "what if" scenarios from the past is no longer considered rational behaviour. Fans of Aviogenex, MAT, Ansett, Continental, Northwest Airlines etc have moved on.
DeleteGood old Aviogenex :)
Delete@ Anon at 8:31
DeleteAgain and again missing the point - no yugo/jat nostalgia. "Belgrade airlines", "Serbia airways", whatever called it could have been cheaper and better transformation.
could have been, should have been... do you hear yourself? another "what if" dreamer.
DeleteNo dreaming here. Just trying to make conclusions with scarce info we have. It is completely legitimate to ask how come that we have spend estimated 400 - 500mil EUR as a nation in 5 years time and ended up with the national carrier which charges water?!
Deletethat's a different topic from jat. first of all, most of spend is on jat debt, and second is on transforming the airline from horrible state it was to modern airline that is now. but all of this has been clarified dozens of times on this same blog and yet there are still "concerned" citizens asking the same questions again and again. just an old hate for (air) serbia rebranded as concern.
DeleteI am glad AirSerbia looks decent and better than Jat in 2013, but things are unfortunately far from clarified.
Deletethings are far from clarified on how money flows behind tax haven for Wizzair yet passengers continue to fly with them.
DeleteWhy are people so surpised if this is now the general tendency in almost all European destinations. The fewest ones left, who still offer free catering and checked bagagge in the region are:
ReplyDelete- Aegean
- Tarom
- Bulgaria Air
- Air France/KLM
- TAP
- KLM
- Lufthansa
- Swiss
- Luxair
I think you will find only LG offer free baggage
DeleteFlew Aegean last year.
DeleteBought my ticket via Expedia and the ticket didn't include luggage, only a cabin bag.
who likes JU gossip, fired JU captain (for a good reason) is on warpath and talking nonsense
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=655&v=uAYhu0EuE00
Thank you. It doesn't have to be him, but it makes it easier to visualize person writing very negative comments.
Delete500 million debt?
DeleteWhat was the reason for his termination?
DeleteIncident was published and investigated. According to final report flight crew made series of errors:
Deletehttp://avherald.com/h?article=47c013db
What's frightening, is that this guy is still out there flying ....
DeleteHe isn't. He says he got fired.
DeleteHe's flying in Vietnam ... the thought that this guy is in charge of an aircraft somewhere on the planet, scares the crap out of me ..
DeleteWhy was this guy fired from JU and when?
Deletehe wanted to fly to america, and his abilities were much more modest. so he started lobbying aggressively and then started cursing, swearing and yelling at people, which eventually got him kicked out
DeleteGosh! Tnx for this insider info.
DeleteSo he was not suspended/fired after Zurich incident?
I get the transition, previous 'project' proved to be a disaster.
ReplyDeleteI just don't think that Air Serbia will be able to command the premium prices much longer, once people realise that there is no difference between them and Wizzair. Flying to 'main airports' can't justify it, as there is not much added value. For example, LHR is 15min closer than Luton,in my case, and transfer by public transport to/from airport is £20 more expensive. Cab ride for the family is £15 more expensive.
You can't justify £70-100 difference in rt ticket w/o luggage.
I have flown several times during 'boutique' phase, but no longer.
It is possible to find some Air Serbia tickets cheaper than Wizzair to London.
DeleteI imagine that it might be possible, but stars have to align for that to happen. If you are traveling with a luggage in peak season, perhaps. But at that time both will be extremely expensive that you may want to fly with one stop.
DeleteIf someone had time to search all available dates, one could find it.
Assuming Wizz operates 3 flights per week and IF my math is correct, there are just over 12000 different RT flight combinations in a year. I'm sure in some cases JU will be cheaper.
DeleteWe need more competition and options on that route. With possibly Easy/Norwegian coming into picture I suppose we will se JU selling off LHR slots and moving to Gatwick in coming years
ReplyDeleteLol. Easy and Norwegian will not fly BEG LHR to kick out JU to Gatwick. Just like most other airlines JU is flying to LHR to cater mostly for connecting and passengers demanding LHR. There is no point to move to LGW unless you need cash for engine overhaul.
Delete@AnonymousMarch 3, 2018 at 4:30 PM
DeleteAnybody mentioned Easy/Norwegian opening BEG-LHR? I am not aware they have any slots there and if they had would definitely not use it for Belgrade. Nobody mentioned them kicking out JU to Gatwick, just JU making a rational decision to move to cheaper airport where it could still provide transfer passengers to its partners. LHR slots have a market value and for O&D passengers flying LHR/LGW does not make a lot of difference.
@Anon at 7:09
Deletebest. joke. ever. i am still laughing how funny this is...
@Anon 7:46
DeleteWhat is exactly funny?
suggesting move from LHR to LGW as a rational decision, lol.
DeleteWhy not? I have used both.
DeleteBoth airports have express train connection to central London so if your destination is London that it is pretty much the same thing
oh, sorry I did not realize you used the both. you win the argument.
DeleteIt is not at all about winning the argument. This is a nice forum where airline enthusiasts discuss interesting topics. I think that we both care about national company but just get to disagree on a point.
Deletetake your "point" about selling slots at LHR and moving to LGW instead as as better solution to Delta, Air Canada, American Airlines, Qantas and others. can't wait to hear if they like your idea.
DeleteI think that original post was about JU loosing London passengers once more competitors come on the route. At that point moving to cheaper (but well connected airport) and selling valuable slots to aviation giants last commentator is mentioning is not a bad idea at all.
DeleteWhy are so many people on this forum obsessed with LHR? So many hating OU for selling slots and considering JU a special company for still flying there? It is a crowded, super expensive airport, flight time is longer than other airports in London as planes uually must go into holding patterns before getting permission to land. Super convenient option would be flying to London City but I am not sure whether A319 can actually land there.
Deleteagain, sell that stupid idea of moving to lgw to all the other airlines flying to that holy grail of european aviation called lhr, then come here to brag about it. otherwise it's a moot point. LHR is the king, end of story.
Delete@last anon
DeleteWhy is his idea stupid? Is there an evidence that JU is making more money flying to LHR than flights to LGW would make?
is there any evidence your idea is not stupid? how many airlines did you manage to move from lhr to lgw so far?
Delete@AnonymousMarch 4, 2018 at 7:47 PM
DeleteGive it the break! The fact you do not like some idea, does not mean you have to call it stupid.
If your idea wasn't stupid, slots would not be THE most expensive in the world. I will give you a break once you manage to persuade other airlines with large percentage of connecting traffic to move from LHR to LGW. That would validate your idea as smart. Until then, it is not.
DeleteWhat a debate about LHR! :)
DeleteWhat about flights to Montenegro, Croatia, etc. Will u get a glass of water for free or will u have to oay for it? 120 RSD for a bottle of water??
ReplyDeleteI got just a glass of water on my Dubrovnik - Belgrade flight last July, ticket was 100 eur one way. Not even delicious orasnica they are now selling for 1 eur as well.
DeleteThere is no better way to gauge positive impact of Air Serbia innovations than to look at the number of hate comments they get. Negative comments are directly proportional to positive effects changes will have on making the airline more competitive, resilient and advanced.
ReplyDeleteBoB introduction is driving haters nuts, therefore awesome job Air Serbia!
Negative energy = fuel = cost reductions :)
DeleteThis is nothing less than a disaster. I don't care about the prices, I'm also not talking about is it fair to serve a glass of water for free or not.. But, Air Serbia, do you really think that such a menu is worth being put on a 21st century airline? Two types of sandwiches, three type of wraps, biscuties (really??), Plazma piškoti (whaaat, my 2 year old kid used to love them), Mars, Snickers, Bounty..and thats basicly it. Terrible.
ReplyDeleteYou didn't know what else to complain about so you turned into drama queen over lack of haute cuisine on Air Serbia BoB menu? Well you deserve proper shaming:
DeleteIf you knew anything about BoB products from airlines around the world you would have noted Air Serbia menu is curated well for the market it serves. BoB is NOT about having a large selection of dozens of sandwiches or focus on high end meals. Let's take one example from 6th largest airline in the world by the number of destinations, with 400+ aircraft and many 5 star ratings: Air Canada. Their BoB menu is searchable online, let's compare:
Types of sandwiches, JU:2 AC:1
Types of wraps: JU:3 AC:2
Types of candy bars: JU:3 AC:2
Types of beer: JU:1 AC:5
Types of tea: JU:4 AC:3
etc.
AC has other categories as well, but not much different, is it? And focus on very basic food items that appeal to majority. AC also has that simplest of pizzas (pepperoni, duh) and that masterpiece of student dorm cooking: mac&cheese.
Terrible? Disaster? No, brilliant! Both AC and JU BoB menus are exactly what the market is looking to spend money on. But you didn't know that, and just needed an excuse to keep hatin' on Air Serbia. What a fail.