Air Europa, an airline headquartered in Mallorca, Spain, serves the UK with flights to more than 130 destinations worldwide departing from London Gatwick Airport. Within Europe, this includes top destinations like Madrid, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and Lisbon.
While I initially wasn’t familiar with the airline, a business class trip to Madrid several years ago helped me realise that they’re particularly convenient when flying to the Mediterranean, thanks to the airline’s strong presence there. This guide draws on my personal experiences of flying with Air Europa and covers everything from the airline’s fare classes and check-in procedures to its change and cancellation policies and loyalty programme, SUMA.
Fare classes
Economy Standard allows for one piece of checked luggage in addition to hand luggage. For those opting for an Economy fare, my personal preference is Economy Flex, which gives you the option to make changes to your ticket without penalty and allows you to apply for a refund for a small fee. It also lets you choose a preferred seat. I’ve found this flexibility to be invaluable on trips, so having that option available is the way to go.
In-flight experience
Air Europa offers a comfortable in-flight experience with plenty of onboard entertainment, including the ability to watch in-flight movies on your mobile device. This has been a life-saver for me on longer flights. Pro tip: always make sure your device is fully charged before boarding. Investing in a power bank can be a game-changer in this regard.
Seats onboard vary in size depending on fare class, with economy and premium seats offering standard sizing with adjustable headrests and built-in entertainment. For more legroom, you can opt for an XL seat with an extended pitch to relax during longer flights. Meanwhile, Business Class offers the most spacious seats, with plenty of room to stretch out during a flight.
In my experience, spending the extra money and upgrading to an XL seat can help make your flight much more enjoyable, thanks to the added legroom. I also like Air Europa’s system that allows you to bid on seat upgrades, when available, meaning you can potentially score a Business Class seat for a reduced price.
All passengers have access to speedy Wi-Fi while onboard, with packages available to suit all needs during your flight. I usually have to do some work while travelling, so having fast and reliable Wi-Fi is a must. Air Europa certainly delivers on that.
Two meal services for premium and business fares are served during the flight, with a selection of wines. Meals are also provided for those flying in economy on transatlantic flights. If you have special dietary needs, a variety of special meals are available, including diabetic, gluten-free, low salt, low calorie, lactose-free, and vegan or vegetarian options. For those travelling with young children, the airline also offers kids’ meals.
Check-in process
Air Europa offers check-in via their mobile app or at kiosks in the airport terminal.
You can check into an Air Europa flight up to 48 hours before departure, except for those flying to the US, where check-in opens 24 hours in advance. Keep in mind that online check-in is not available for passengers who have special requirements, unaccompanied children, passengers travelling with animals in the cabin, or flights operated by other companies.
Change & cancellation policies
Air Europa offers changes and cancellations for a small fee, with the price depending on whether you are flying short or long haul, while refunds are only available for those purchasing Flex tickets, even at the Business Class level. This is another reason I tend to go for one of the Flex options when booking.
Economy Flex and Premium Flex passengers will incur a small fee for requesting a refund, while Business Flex offers a refund before your flight at no additional cost. As a travel writer, I’m always hopping on and off planes, and plans can often change at a moment’s notice, so Flex fares are the best way to have peace of mind when preparing for a trip.
Air Europa’s SUMA Program
Air Europa’s loyalty programme, SUMA, allows travellers to earn and redeem miles for flights, upgrades, and other perks. If you're a frequent traveller, I suggest checking out the programme for yourself.
It's free to join and features four distinct tiers: SUMA, SUMA Silver, SUMA Gold, and SUMA Platinum. The more miles you fly, the faster you’ll move up the tiers. As you accumulate more level miles, you’ll move up tiers and get to enjoy increasingly valuable benefits, such as bonus miles, priority boarding, and lounge access.
While SUMA Silver will get you perks like extra checked bags and priority boarding, it isn’t until you reach SUMA Gold that you’ll get premium benefits like access to Air Europa’s VIP lounges and priority baggage collection. If you frequently fly with SkyTeam partners, aim for SkyTeam Elite Plus membership, which will give you access to SUMA Gold.
Level miles can be earned through flights, credit card purchases, and partnering with retailers. I find that redeeming miles with Air Europa is easy – I can do so through their website when I book my flights, upgrade my seat, or shop for products from Air Europa partners.
What’s more, I didn’t have to wait as long as I thought I would to enjoy the benefits of the loyalty programme. Air Europa makes achieving upper status a breeze compared to many other airlines. Of course, the more flights you take, the more level miles you will earn, but I still managed to rack mine up much quicker than expected.
Air Europa partnerships
Air Europa is a member of SkyTeam, which allows you to share loyalty benefits with other SkyTeam partners like Delta or Air France-KLM. Being a Delta loyalist myself, this partnership enables me to earn Delta SkyMiles while flying Air Europa, making Air Europa one of my top choices when travelling to Spain.
Pet policy
If you’re like me and love travelling with your pet, you’ll be happy to know that Air Europa allows dogs and cats onboard their cabins without the need to stick them down in the cargo hold (something I definitely don’t want to do). It’s worth noting, however, that they are not permitted in Business Class cabins.
A few things to take into account for those looking to bring their pet into the cabin: pets cannot weigh more than 10 kg (including their carrier), must be at least three months old, must be vaccinated, and cannot travel in an emergency seat. Luckily, my Pekingese met all these requirements. With many airlines making it difficult to fly with dogs, Air Europa’s more lenient policy is very welcome.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up to date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
