airBaltic economy is one you must fly

First impressions of airBaltic’s cabin are great. The A220’s windows are larger than other narrowbody aircraft, meaning the cabin feels bright, spacious and welcoming. airBaltic uses mood lighting, which is set to the airline’s green colour for boarding, adding to the overall ambience.

The main advantage of the Airbus A220-300 is its 2-3 seating configuration, enabling couples to sit together. airBaltic has a good seat pitch of 30 inches, which is more than most low-cost carriers in Europe, coupled with a standard 18 inches of width.

We found the seats to be very comfortable on the 2.5-hour flight to Riga, and the legroom was ample for our flight reviewer, who is 187cm tall. The seat does not offer any other comfort amenities such as a headrest, but this is expected for a budget cabin. The seats have a small 2-inch recline, which is good for the airline’s longer sectors to Dubai and Tenerife.

One noticeable, and expected, thing missing is charging facilities. There is no USB or universal charging outlet at any seat, meaning passengers must fully charge devices prior to boarding. In line with international safety rules, power banks cannot be used onboard.

Customer service is where airBaltic stands out above the rest. From the moment we stepped on board, the cabin crew was smiley, approachable, and friendly until disembarkation. All cabin crew are immaculately presented in airBaltic’s smart uniform and conduct themselves with pride throughout the flight. Two of airBaltic’s values are ‘we care’ and ‘we deliver,’ and its crew lives by this with every interaction.

Pre-order

airBaltic includes nothing in the economy fare, but the airline has some of its best food available to pre-order. These dishes never appear on the trolley, so you have to add them when you book or later through ‘manage my booking’ or check-in. Riga departures close 12 hours out for a limited list and 24 hours for the full menu, while most other stations want 36 hours. Once you have paid, there is no changing your mind and no refund, which feels a little unforgiving.

The menu is extensive and includes cottage cheese pancakes and crepes with berry sauce, starting at €7.99, an omelette with bacon, fried chicken fillet or stuffed pancakes with smoked chicken cost €8.99, grilled pork lands at €10.99 and teriyaki salmon or grilled BBQ beef reach €11.99. Kids meals and special dietary options are available.

We went for the stuffed pancakes with smoked chicken at €8.99, and they were very good. They arrived warm, filled properly rather than sparingly, and came with a pot of sour cream on the side. That is about as Latvian as inflight catering gets. Pre-orders are handed out before the airCafe trolley starts, and crew works down the aisle asking to see boarding passes so they can match each meal to a seat. It works well, though it does mean digging your pass back out once you have settled in.

airCafe buy on board

If you have not pre-ordered, everything comes from the airCafe trolley, and the range there is broader than most short-haul menus. A croissant costs €6.99, paninis, wraps and pizza salami sit at €7.99, and a salmon poké bowl or a tapas plate runs to €8.49. Hot dishes top the card, with Thai green curry chicken at €9.99 and salmon with ratatouille at €14.99.

Still or sparkling water costs €2.99, tea starts at €3.49 and barista coffee, cappuccino or hot chocolate all at €3.99. Combo deals pair a main with a drink from €10.48, and airBaltic Club members take 10 percent off all soft and hot drinks.

Hot meals are only available on flights over 1 hour 30 minutes, so the shorter hops leave you with cold options. Only card payments are accepted.

How it compares

This is where airBaltic pulls away from the European low-cost pack. Ryanair, Wizz Air and easyJet all run the same basic model, which is a single trolley carrying packaged sandwiches, crisps, confectionery and a short list of items the crew heat on board. airBaltic sets itself far above budget carriers through quality and selection alone. Ordering a hot dish in advance and having it brought to your seat before the trolley moves is a full-service habit, not a low-cost one.

The food backs that up. A poké bowl, a tapas plate, a Thai green curry and salmon with ratatouille have no equivalent on a Ryanair trolley, and the stuffed pancakes we ate would not look out of place in a short-haul business cabin. You do pay a small premium. airCafe mains sit at or slightly above the usual low-cost price point, and the €14.99 salmon is well beyond anything the big three sell. However, given what turns up on the tray, we think that is money well spent.

On catering alone, airBaltic sits closer to a European flag carrier than to the airlines it competes with on fare.

This is an area where airBaltic excels well above any other low-cost or even full-service airline within Europe. The airline is proud to be the first European carrier to have superfast Starlink Wi-Fi installed on its aircraft. With speeds of up to 250 megabits per second, not only can passengers surf the web, catch up on emails, or watch TikTok, but they can also watch Netflix with zero buffering.

Due to the exceptional Wi-Fi service, airBaltic does not need to offer a bring-your-own device inflight entertainment service. The airline was the first in Europe to offer complimentary Starlink Wi-Fi and is paving the way for the future of onboard entertainment through its Skynet portal.

airBaltic’s Skynet portal is a way for passengers to track their flight, view destination offers, view the airCafe and shop in partnership with AirMail. Passengers arriving into Riga can also view connecting flights and the arrival gate. The portal is new and will pave the way for the airline to innovate its digital customer experience through Starlink.

airBaltic represents Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania in the best way through its excellent offerings of catering and service. This review further backs up why air Baltic constantly features in AirlineRatings worlds’ best low cost airline awards.