TRIP REPORT
Written by Marko Jevtović
On November 28, I flew with Air Serbia from Belgrade to Paris CDG, and I must say the experience felt a bit strange.
To start, I booked a one-way ticket during Air Serbia’s promo week, and the fare to Paris was quite cheap. I selected the early morning flight so I would have more time to explore the city. Waking up that early was difficult, but I had to make it in time for check-in. I arrived at the airport at around 4:20 a.m. and headed straight to the check-in desks.
Check-in went smoothly, but to my surprise, the agent at the counter asked me to place my backpack on the conveyor belt, even though it was just a cabin bag. I’m not sure if this is specific to CDG, but it felt odd to check in a cabin bag. I don’t really like doing that, but at least it was free.
Security and passport control were quick, and I reached the gate in no time. Boarding was delayed by half an hour and began at 6:30 a.m. instead of 6:00 a.m., which meant we were going to be late. The night before, the aircraft had been changed from an A319 to an A320. The plane was about 80–85% full, while the three rows of business class were nearly full, with just one empty seat.
Once on board, I noticed that a ground agent stayed on the aircraft much longer than usual, which made it clear that something was going on. After a few minutes, the reason became apparent: a passenger from the back of the aircraft had to be deboarded for some reason. We could not proceed until the cabin crew completed the standard safety checks required in such situations. As nothing was found to be wrong, the aircraft eventually pushed back one hour and fifteen minutes behind schedule. The pilots taxied to the Runway 30R threshold and performed an immediate takeoff.
About twenty minutes into the flight, the cabin crew distributed a bottle of water, a sandwich, and a refreshing towel. Luckily, there were no clouds that day, so I had a great view of the Alps, which was a fantastic sight.
The seat itself wasn’t the best. The plastic behind the tray table had traces of what I assume was spilled coffee. Legroom was acceptable, similar to the rest of Air Serbia’s A319/320 fleet. The service, however, was underwhelming. I didn’t see any flight attendant walk through the cabin to ask passengers if they needed anything. On top of that, loud and rather annoying laughter could be heard from behind the curtain prior to landing.
The remainder of the flight was uneventful, with no turbulence. After landing, I headed to passport control, which was pure chaos. The waiting time was around an hour and a half.
I chose Air Serbia this time because of the promotional fare and the early morning departure, which gave me more time in Paris. However, if I had to choose again, I would probably go with easyJet next time – cheaper and with better on-time performance. Hopefully, they remain committed to the route and eventually upgrade the service to daily operations.
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