Flights
Air Serbia Flight: What You Need to Know?
From a 20-Hour Delay to baggage allowance rules
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If Air Serbia is on your mind for your next trip, let me assure you — you’ve landed on the right article to get a sense of potential turbulence ahead. 😊
I wanted to share the highlights, points to watch out for, and our overall impressions to help you make a more informed decision with our two flight experiences (September 2023 and August 2024) with this airline.
Cons
Missing a Connecting Flight Due to Delays
In 2024, during the Barcelona-Serbia-Ankara trip, the first flight departed with a 2-hour delay, and the second flight wasn’t held for connection, despite being linked. This resulted in my sister arriving at her final destination, Ankara, 20 hours late.
Since the delay in reaching the final destination exceeded 3 hours, we successfully claimed compensation. You can read about how we did it in this article:
No Online Check-in
Because of this, it’s wise to arrive at the airport at least 2 hours early. Even if you only have cabin baggage, you may have to wait in a long queue (around 1 hour). Since Belgrade allows visa-free entry, it seems many travellers use it as a gateway to other European countries. As a result, airline staff carefully check hotel reservations, itineraries, and residence permits (if applicable), which adds to the waiting time.
Lost Luggage
Several Turkish friends we know in Barcelona reported that their luggage was lost. Although we were told in Ankara that we could check our bags for free, we avoided it after hearing about these incidents. We were told it might be due to some renovations in Belgrade, but since the airline doesn’t take responsibility for lost luggage, we didn’t want to take the risk.
Cabin Baggage Weighing
The standard carry-on suitcase shouldn’t exceed 8 kg, and the backpack limit is 4 kg. Although both of our bags were over by 1 kg, we weren’t charged extra — likely thanks to the discretion of the staff. However, it’s worth being cautious as this can vary depending on the person handling it.
Claiming We Were Only Allowed One Piece of Cabin Baggage
Despite the airline’s website stating otherwise, we were initially told we could only bring one carry-on bag. We had previously confirmed via email, and when we showed the email to the staff, they let it slide. Still, this shouldn’t have been necessary in the first place.
Checking Cabin Baggage at the Gate in Belgrade
The staff in Belgrade claimed the flight was full and asked us to check our cabin bags into the cargo hold. When we questioned how they knew this before boarding had even begun, they said the bags could stay with us if they met size requirements. Without objecting, we might have unnecessarily had to wait for our bags after landing.
Panic from an Announcement Before Landing in Belgrade
Right before landing, the crew asked passengers for their passports and residence permits, which caused a sense of panic among many travellers, including us. Be prepared for such routine checks.
Pros
More Balanced Flight Durations
One of the advantages of flying with Air Serbia is that the flight times between connections are more balanced. Ankara-Belgrade takes 2 hours, while Belgrade-Barcelona is 2.5 hours. This means less continuous sitting time on the plane.
In contrast, if we had to connect via Istanbul or Izmir, domestic flights within Turkey usually take around 1 hour, followed by a 3.5-hour international flight.
In-Flight Snacks and Drinks
On the late-night flight, passengers were offered a 250 ml bottle of water and biscuits as a snack. On the 6:30 AM flight from Belgrade to Barcelona, they served water and a sandwich. The sandwich was surprisingly tasty!
Cabin Baggage Allowance
Unlike many other airlines operating international flights, which typically allow only one piece of cabin baggage, Air Serbia permits both a standard-size carry-on suitcase and a backpack. For detailed size and weight allowances, I recommend visiting their website.
We hope your flight was more enjoyable, and we’d be delighted to have you visit us again soon. 😍
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