Air Arabia – An Introduction

Air Arabia is known for being the first low-cost airline in the Middle East. Established in 2003, Air Arabia has grown to be quite a competitive airline. They have seen profits in the first year of operation and have spread their wings wide to serve the people. To date, they have made their mark on over three continents flying into more than 170 destinations.

The Middle East and North Africa – Air Arabia´s first destination was Manama in Bahrain in the year 2003 and today flies to many destinations such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Alexandria, Casablanca, Tunis, and more.

Europe – Europe having many low-cost carriers, Air Arabia withstood the competition and was able to make its way to cities like Vienna, Brussels, Prague, Milan, Amsterdam, Istanbul, etc…

Asia – Being the largest continent, Air Arabia was able to create its customer base in multiple countries such as Colombo, Tashkent, Kabul, Dhaka, Mumbai and many other cities in India, Kuala Lumpur, etc…

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Air Arabia was able to create joint ventures with three different countries where they hold an ownership stake in the business.

- In 2020, Abu Dhabi´s international and government-owned airline Etihad Airways went into a joint venture with Air Arabia and named it Air Arabia Abu Dhabi.

- Air Arabia had gone into a joint venture with a travel company ¨Travco Group¨ in Egypt and named this venture Air Arabia Egypt.

- They also have a joint venture with the investors in Morocco creating a joint venture named Air Arabia Maroc. This venture helped Air Arabia to expand its operations to the European countries.

Thus, these three ventures created three hubs for Air Arabia´s expansion. These hubs are Borg El Arab in Egypt, Mohamed V International Airport in Morocco, Abu Dhabi International Airport, and their main hub Sharjah International Airport.

Air Arabia has a wide range of fleet that includes Airbus 320s and 321s. They are currently operating with a fleet of 43 aircraft and have 120 aircraft on order. Despite Air Arabia being a low-cost airline, they can purchase more aircraft to add to their existing fleet.

What should you do if you want to fly Air Arabia

There are many ways that you can book your next travel with Air Arabia. One of them would be by accessing their user-friendly website https://www.airarabia.com/ the welcome page is very easy to understand and gives you all the options to make your next booking.

Air Arabia offers the option to make a booking and do the payment online. The website at the time of making the booking allows you to choose your origin and destination, choosing whether it is a one-way or return trip, the number of passengers, and the currency you want to purchase your ticket in.

Tickets can be purchased in three different ways.

Credit/Debit cards – You can do it online, mobile website payments, sales offices, or through travel agents.

Cash collection – Air Arabia has the option where passengers can visit partnered banks, money and exchange houses, retail chains, post offices, etc. to make payments.

Cash at the Air Arabia office counter – This can be done at the sales offices, travel agents, and also the airport office as well.

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Services offered by Air Arabia

Many feel that a low-cost airline may provide very little to no service at all as they do not tend to make extra costs to make a flight journey. Air Arabia will offer you the services however at a cost that is reasonable and acceptable by many. These are –

Rent a car - Whenever you travel to a new destination, you may have tight plans where you need to reach places in less time, hence you may prefer to rent a car that can help you match your time targets rather than depending on the city´s local transportation. This is where Air Arabia comes to help you by giving you the facility to rent a car. Rent a vehicle choosing from a range of brands such as Hertz, Europcar, Sixt, Avis, and more. They have free cancellation options as well. You also can start your journey in one location and end at another approved location.

Charter booking – Ever felt that you may need to charter a plane? Maybe not in the past, however, you may have an idea to do so in the future. Do not worry; Air Arabia has sorted this for you. All you need to do is fill out the inquiry form on the website mentioning details such as your origin and destination, how big is the group of passengers, dates, any special catering requests, contact details, etc... The staff of Air Arabia will get back to you with either requesting more information or a quotation.

Group booking – Similar to the charter booking yet different, you can request the airline if you wish to make a group booking. Group booking will be normally made on a normal commercial flight where you and your group will travel with other passengers. Just like the charter booking, you need to fill in the form mentioning the same details as mentioned in the point above. The airline staff can then get back to you with availability and rates for your given dates.

Airport shuttle – Air Arabia provides regular shuttle services from its main hubs. The website provides timings of the shuttles as well.

· UAE Airport shuttle service – This service will be provided between Sharjah International Airport and Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and Ras Al Khaimah.

· Morocco Airport shuttle service – This service will be provided between Casablanca Airport and Beni Mellal, Souk Sebt, Fkih Ben Saleh, and Khouribga Bus stations. In Morocco, if you wish for a private transfer, that also can be arranged with LinaCab.

· Egypt Airport shuttle service - This service will be provided between Borg El Arab Airport and Muharram Bek Bus Station.

1. Onboard meals – Air Arabia being a low-cost airline does not provide complimentary meals onboard for certain fares. They provide a Sky Café menu that is different for the three hubs. You can pre-book your favourite meal and get it available onboard your next flight. Booking it prior will be cheaper as well.

• Sky Café Menu – UAE – Choose from a variety of hot beverages, fresh bakery, muffins, snacks for kids, salads, sandwiches, hot wraps, hot meals, chocolates, cold beverages, juices, and more.

• Sky Café Menu – Egypt – You can choose from snacks, hot meals, a range of drinks, cold and hot sandwiches, etc…

• Sky Café Menu – Morocco – Choose from cold and hot beverages, hot snacks, sandwiches, pastries, candies, and more.

2. Baggage – The system of baggage in Air Arabia is quite different from other airlines. Certain fares that are of a saver level offer you a 10kg hand luggage allowance. Apart from that, if you wish to carry more, you can purchase extra luggage in blocks of 20, 30, 40 kg. Purchase exactly how much you need and try purchasing before arriving at the airport to avail a saving on the rates. Some flexible fares include a checked-in baggage allowance and if you require additional, you can still purchase that as well.

3. Seat assignment - Air Arabia offers you the option to pre-book your seat at a charge. This is better than reaching your flight without booking your seat and having an uncomfortable experience. You may book the seat while purchasing your ticket or even after, whenever you wish to. To get your favourite seat, book in advance to avoid disappointment. If you are flying with your family, the worst thing you will expect is you and your family members sitting in different rows.

4. Flight + Hotel – This is the chance to get something beautifully prepared for a travel package. Air Arabia offers hot deals and great packages which are value for money where flight and hotel stay is looked after. Rates will be combined so that there will be savings. When choosing the hotel, there is a choice that can be made concerning star rating preference, location, property type, facilities, etc… This is the leisure arm of Air Arabia namely Air Arabia Holidays.

5. Insurance – This is always a recommendation and not a compulsion. Air Arabia offers travel insurance to all its passengers that will help in case of an unforeseen emergency. Air Arabia wants to give peace of mind to its loyal travellers and hence has come up with the following insurance coverage under the travel insurance plan name of ¨TUNE PROTECT.¨ This will cover –

• USD 50,000 for Accidental and Sickness Medical Reimbursement

• USD 20,000 for Emergency Medical Evacuation & Repatriation

• USD 3,000 for Travel Cancellation or Curtailment

If any passenger is interested in taking this insurance coverage, it can be added to the reservation online or by contacting the Air Arabia call center.

6. Cargo – Not only does Air Arabia handle passengers, but they also have their cargo arm namely Air Arabia Cargo. They deal in different types of cargo such as general, perishable, valuable, courier, Arabian express services (AES), and regular mail. Air Arabia Cargo serves more than 70 cities from five delivery hubs namely Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Dubai Freight gate 5, Al Maktoum International airport, and Abu Dhabi International airport. More information on this can be found here.

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AirRewards

AirRewards is the frequent flyer program of Air Arabia. Like every frequent flying program, AirRewards too gives benefits to its frequent flyers by giving them the option to earn miles whenever they travel. These miles can then be redeemed for many options such as flights, baggage or even meals. If there is someone that has a shortage of miles, another member can transfer to the former to enjoy the rewards.

AirRewards also has a family account option where you and your family can pool in the miles together. This has the benefit where one member if needed, can use the miles of the entire family to enjoy a reward.

Many airlines allow taking miles credit for past flights of the previous 30 days. Air Arabia offers the option to credit past flights of up to 90 days. AirRewards miles have an expiry of 24 months after which they will be lost.

With AirRewards you do not get a membership card. Your AirRewards ID will be your email address at the time of registration.

Refunds

Air Arabia does not have a refund policy. They give an Air Arabia Credit which can be used on future flights after deducting any relevant refund fees. This credit will be valid for one year from the date of payment. This credit option is not applicable from/to Morocco.

A guide to booking your next flight

When you have to make a trip somewhere, you will have a million thoughts in your mind on planning, flight choice, destination, etc. From the time of purchasing your flight ticket till you reach your destination airport, there are so many factors included. The below points will guide you into purchasing your next flight on Air Arabia.

Distance of your destination from your home country – If the trip takes a shorter number of hours, take a budgeted flight such as Air Arabia.

What is your budget – Depending on your allocation of finance for your trip, you can decide if you want to take a budget airline or a premium airline.

How many passengers are travelling – If travelling with a family, the cost will be much higher than travelling solo. So choose Air Arabia where there will be a lower cost of flying when compared with a premium airline.

Purpose of travel – If you are travelling for business purposes, you have a strict schedule to follow and hence, you will need to purchase your flight ticket as per your company´s requirement. If your travel is leisure, you have all the freedom to choose.

Flight time – Flights can be decided on the time of the flight. Many passengers would prefer to take early morning flights called red-eye flights so that they get the whole day to continue with their journey. Many families with kids would prefer to take daytime flights so that their kids get a goodnight´s rest before travelling.

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Shopping Tips

An airline normally has got different fare levels. The earlier you book, the cheaper you get. Thus, when you book your next trip with Air Arabia, plan out your trip in advance and earn yourself a great fare.

When you have to purchase an airline fare, always compare the fare with travel agents because you may get better fares with them.

FAQs

Q - What is the baggage allowance on Air Arabia flights?

A - Checked-in luggage depends on the fare type you choose, else you can purchase additional baggage in blocks of 20, 30, 40 kilos. In addition, Air Arabia offers 10 kilos of hand luggage by default.

Q – When can I online check-in?

A – Check-in online can be done 24 hours before departure.

Q – What is the refund policy in Air Arabia?

A – Air Arabia does not have a refund policy. They give you Air Arabia Credit which can be used on future flights after deducting any relevant refund fees.