Transavia is the low-cost airline of the Air France-KLM Group, and it’s among the better European budget options in my experience. The brand encompasses two operating companies: Transavia France and Transavia Netherlands, with bases in Paris-Orly and Amsterdam-Schiphol respectively.
It’s a growing carrier with quite a few interesting destinations even beyond Europe, taking delivery of many new A320neo family aircraft. Well worth considering for your next trip.
What to expect flying with Transavia
Transavia is a low-cost carrier. That means you pay for just about everything a la carte, from seat selection to food and drinks and everything in between. It’s a no-frills model, but you can always pay for extra comforts and baggage.
But here’s the thing, the basic offering is actually good. You won’t find any miserable, knee-crushing seats or grumpy service here. Cabin crew, and even pilots, tend to be friendly and warm, at least on all the flights I’ve taken. On one recent flight, the Captain even made the announcement while standing in the aisle, which is something I love to see. That sort of thing goes a long way to improving the experience and I’ve found it tends to reflect an airline’s overall culture.
The one real difference between flying Transavia versus most other low-cost options is that they participate in the AF-KLM Flying Blue programme. That means you can earn and spend miles with Transavia, which is a rarity for a budget airline, and it’s one more added incentive.
Destinations
Transavia’s destination list is surprisingly interesting and far-ranging, with the combined airlines serving over 100 destinations. At first glance, you’ll spot the expected European holiday destinations like Catania and other Mediterranean hotspots. Look closer though and you’ll see many cities across North Africa such as in Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.
In the vicinity, you’ll find flights to Cape Verde too, and even as far south as Dakar, Senegal.
Further to the east, Transavia serves destinations including Amman, multiple cities in Turkey, and even Tbilisi, Georgia. While you could say some of these are long flights (5+ hours) to spend in an all-economy class single-aisle aeroplane, it’s also great to have more options for reaching these places.
Transavia France also flies point to point from a number of cities in France besides Paris. For example, out of Lyon you can find Transavia flights to Palma, Fes, Faro, and Tirana among others. From Marseille, you can hop on a Transavia domestic flight to Brest, or you can go further afield down to Dakar.
Fare types
Transavia offers four fare types (Basic, Smart, Plus and Max) that determine what’s included beyond your seat. Since you’re paying à la carte for most extras, understanding these bundles helps you calculate your true trip cost. Here’s what you get with each.
Basic fare
For this, you get a seat assigned during online check-in (you can pay to add seat selection after), a piece of hand luggage that fits under the seat in front, and a small number of Flying Blue miles and XP, the counter towards elite status in the programme.
Smart fare
This fare gets you all the same benefits of the Basic fare along with a standard seat of your choice, a cabin baggage which can be stored in the overhead storage plus and more miles based on your Flying Blue Level, plus Experience Points (XP).
Plus fare
This fare gets you all the Basic items plus an additional 20kg of hold luggage, and you’re able to select a ‘standard’ seat (meaning not one of the better ones) for free. Changes also come with no change fee up to 14 days out from the flight, though you’ll pay any difference in ticket price. You also get a few more miles than Smart or Basic fares.
Max fare
Max gets you all the bells and whistles, including a full-sized cabin bag, 30kg hold luggage, a choice of any available seat, and no change fee until 2 hours prior to departure. You also have priority boarding and fast track security at certain airports (including the hubs).
‘Hand luggage’ vs. ‘cabin bag’
When they say hand luggage is included, they mean a small item up to 40 x 30 x 20 cm that fits under the seat. ‘Cabin bag’, on the other hand, can measure up to 55 x 40 x 25 cm (think of a small rolling bag that can fit in the overhead lockers).
Onboard experience
The first thing you’ll notice when boarding a Transavia flight is the colour of the seats, a very striking green. I happen to really like it. Some may say it’s a lot of colour for an aircraft cabin, but I think they’ve chosen a really nice shade that’s unique and memorable.
Transavia’s is an all-economy class offering, as you’d expect. The newer A320neo seats pre-incline by 15 degrees, while legroom is reasonable and the seats themselves, especially on the newer aircraft, are quite comfortable. Plus, the newer A320neo aircraft come with USB-C ports for charging devices, which is fantastic and not a perk I’d normally expect on a low-cost carrier.
I’ve found it’s a much more dignified low-cost experience overall when compared to the likes of Ryanair and Wizz Air. And if it works for my schedule and route, I do seek it out over most others.
Food & drink
The food you can pay for is fine, nothing too gourmet, but if you’re hungry it’s perfectly serviceable. The drinks list is standard as well. It’s a little on the pricey side but again, nothing unexpected.
In general, you’ll find a selection of hot dishes as well as sandwiches and savoury snacks, plus of course sweets and the usual treats. They won’t always have everything listed in the menu though, as fresh products are carried in limited quantities and some items may sell out quickly.
Wi-Fi & inflight entertainment
Unfortunately, Transavia offers no Wi-Fi, and I really wish it did because it would be a nice further point of differentiation from most other low-cost airlines. Then again, it is a costly service to install and there’s likely a good reason why most low-cost airlines don’t.
There’s also the Enjoy! inflight magazine, which I’m always happy to see. But if you want to watch something or be productive while on your Transavia flight, be sure to load up anything you need in advance while on the ground!
Loyalty programme
Transavia participates in Flying Blue, the loyalty programme of Air France and KLM. That means you can earn useful miles on your Transavia flights and also redeem for Transavia trips.
Note that if you hold Platinum or Ultimate status with Flying Blue and are flying Transavia France, you’ll receive airport priority services (including dedicated check-in, baggage drop-off, and fast-track security) as well as access to partner lounges at Nice, Toulouse, Marseille, and Montpellier, plus the Transavia lounge at Paris Orly.
Ultimate members additionally receive priority boarding and a free cabin bag. Your elite status will also earn you bonus miles on your Transavia flight based on your Flying Blue level.
Combined itineraries with KLM
It’s worth keeping an eye out for those itineraries connecting in Amsterdam that combine KLM and Transavia flights. This opens up a wider range of destinations for travellers, but the onboard experiences are quite different and it’s not always made clear what to expect.
Most importantly, KLM is a full-service airline with a business class and free food and drinks in economy, whereas Transavia has neither.
Also note that if you book a mixed itinerary through KLM, you won’t be able to select your desired seat on the Transavia portion without then pulling it up on Transavia’s site, and sometimes you can get errors in this process. For someone like me who cares a lot about where I’m sitting, this can be a source of irritation.
The hubs
Transavia Netherlands uses Amsterdam-Schiphol as its hub, and that’s pretty straightforward because it’s where KLM is based as well. So connections between the two via Amsterdam are quite easy.
Transavia France, on the other hand, uses Paris-Orly as its hub, which is very convenient for Paris itself but doesn’t lend itself to as many connecting opportunities. Air France’s hub at Paris-CDG to the north is a major reason we don’t see the same kind of interline partnership with AF on Transavia France flights.
Good news: Transavia France uses Orly’s newer and more modern Terminal 3 for its flights. Not only is it a more pleasant experience flying through there compared to other terminals at Orly, but you’ll also find the entrance to the gleaming new Orly metro station a very short walk from the arrivals hall.
The fleet
Transavia has traditionally operated a fleet of Boeing 737s but is transitioning to a fleet of A320neo (Transavia France) and A321neo (Transavia Netherlands). From a passenger perspective, they are essentially identical. They’re modern and comfortable aircraft that offer a clear upgrade for passengers.
You won’t generally be able to pick and choose the aircraft, but if you see Transavia has an A320 family aircraft on your flight, you can expect a good experience. That said, the 737s are not at all bad either.
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.
