My Smooth Experience with Air Arabia

We decided to take a break in the Emirates this year and ring in the New Year in one of Dubai's upscale neighborhoods. The flight tickets were part of the package, so I didn't look up prices separately, but I know Air Arabia is a budget airline with its headquarters in Sharjah (UAE). And that's where our flight was from - we had a bus transfer from there, which took about an hour, and then we were there.

Air Arabia reviews from real people
When I booked the trip, I started wondering about this airline and decided to read some reviews (just a quick scan). To be honest, my mood took a nosedive - people were writing about delays, how the airline deliberately seats families in different seats, kids almost always in the back of the plane, and you have to pay extra to sit together. I read that they don't serve food on board and even charge for water, that the seats are terrible, takeoff and landing are like a nightmare, and they nitpick about every little thing with your luggage... and so on.
So, I was preparing myself for the worst, but it turned out none of that happened to us!

We weren't alone, by the way - we were with friends (another family of two adults and a kid), so I'm confirming our experience with another family's.

AirArabia reviews
Check-in date: December 31, 2025, departure time: 23:25

Everything went smoothly, and we were all seated together - no extra charge. I guess some people just got unlucky, or maybe this was how it used to be, but in 2025-2026, families get seated together!

LUGGAGE - we were within the normal limits, hand luggage wasn't even checked (we just got our tags and that was it). Normal limits are 10 kg for hand luggage and 20 kg for checked luggage (if you have a package deal, the limits might vary).

TAKING OFF was right on time, but since the plane was being treated with de-icing fluid (this takes about 20-30 minutes), we took off exactly at midnight, right on cue, like it was all part of the plan

Takeoff was super smooth, no complaints, but the atmosphere on board was amazing - everyone was cheering, congratulating each other, and so on. We were prepared to celebrate this unusual New Year's for us (we'd never celebrated it in the air before).

By the way, during the flight, some guy proposed to his girlfriend over the loudspeaker - it was really sweet to listen to!

Ringing in the New Year in the air!
AIRBUS A320 CABIN REVIEW

These are small planes with a capacity of 146 to 186 seats. There are two rows of three seats each.

seat spacing on air arabia I was lucky enough to score some awesome seats (13 A, B, and C) from Domodedovo to Sharjah, and there was plenty of legroom between the seats.

Air Arabia 2026 cabin review I didn't bump my knees against the seat in front of me, even when I leaned forward a bit, and there was still plenty of space under the seat, so our flight there was really comfortable. air arabia seat photos But on the way back, we got seats a bit further back (17) and the seats were a lot closer together, so my knees were bumping against the seat in front of me and it was pretty uncomfortable. Oh well, I guess you win some, you lose some... One thing that did impress me was the little mesh pocket on the back of the seat - not all airlines have that, you know!

Air Arabia seat spacing Overall, the cabin was pretty standard on both flights. The seats reclined, and it was comfortable on the way there, but not so much on the way back (too cramped).

Air Arabia reviews There's no humidifier in the cabin, and the flight to Sharjah was pretty dry, but the return flight was better. I don't really count that as a negative, but I thought I'd mention it. They do have Wi-Fi and you can watch movies on their website, but I wasn't interested.

Air Arabia reviews January 2026 So, the big question is, what do they serve on board AirArabia?

I don't know why some people are saying they don't serve anything on board, or that they won't even give you free water... Our flight was around 5.5 hours, and we were served and given free water, not just in bottles, but also on request.

Air Arabia free drinks They give you a free 0.25L bottle of water per person, and if you want more, they'll give you some more (my husband even got two extra bottles on the way back).

Arabian airlines food photos And, get this, they give you a free croissant with cheese, ham, a sprig of green, and even some sauce!

Air Arabia flight G9 805 reviewsThis isn't Almasria, where you get a huge bun and a tiny piece of dry chicken without sauce - their sandwiches are literally impossible to eat, but these croissants were actually tasty!I was a bit miffed that I got my braces about two weeks before the flight, so I couldn't really bite into the croissants. I had to rip them apart and adapt.

Air Arabia what they serve photoNow, about the paid food - if you're not satisfied with what they provide for free, you can always buy more and they'll give it to you. You can pay with any currency - dirhams, dollars, euros, or even rubles, and they accept card payments too!

Air Arabia paid food I just don't get why people get so worked up about this. The prices aren't even high, and the portions are generous. Air Arabia paid food pricesMy husband ordered the pilaf on our flight from Moscow, and I opted out since we were flying overnight and I wasn't really hungry.

Air Arabia paid foodThe pilaf comes with a yogurt (like Greek yogurt, but without sugar).

Air Arabia flight G9 806 reviewsThe pilaf portion is huge and it's hot and spicy! I had the yogurt, tried a bit of the pilaf, and it was actually really good - I didn't even need salt (but they do offer it if you ask).

Air Arabia what they serve photoThe price is 28 dirhams, which is roughly 588 rubles. Is that really a lot of money? In any Moscow street food joint (let alone a restaurant), prices are way higher...

On our return flight, we were given croissants and water again, and we ordered another dish each. My husband stuck with the pilaf again, but this time they forgot the yogurt (no big deal, though).

Air Arabia what they serve photoI decided to try the pasta salad instead, which looks really appetizing in the menu and costs only 20 dirhams (around 400 rubles).

Air Arabia in-flight meal 2026, prices I was really disappointed with this dish, it was just inedible for me. The sauce was too bitter, and I didn't even bother adding it to the pasta or chicken. I just dipped the pieces in it.

AirArabia in-flight meal photo There was a lot of chicken, but it was dry and hard to chew, especially with my braces. The biggest letdown was the cold salad - I thought it would be warm since it was served with pasta. There were icy macaroni mixed with veggies like carrots, cabbage, and the like - it was just unpleasant. The coffee was 7 dirhams, and they offered sugar upon request.

We also wanted to order a fruit mix, but it was out of stock.

I think the in-flight meal here is pretty standard, even if it's free. It's fine for a quick snack.

Air Arabia in-flight meal reviews

The check-in in Sharjah was super smooth and quick. I didn't time it exactly, but despite the delay due to wing maintenance, we landed right on schedule, just like our printed boarding passes from the travel agent said. No ear discomfort, but I always carry some lozenges just in case.

air arabia fresh reviews Moscow - SharjahSHARJAH - DOMODEDOVO The return check-in was also quick, and we got our seats right next to each other again, just like our friends did. 17 D, E, F.

air arabia reviews 2026 They didn't even check our hand luggage, and with our two checked bags, we were well under the 60 kg limit.

air arabia reviews We flew back on January 7th, and our 17:50 flight was pushed back to 18:35. I've already written about the plane, but with these seats, the legroom was really cramped, and the seats felt too close together. Otherwise, nothing out of the ordinary.

air arabia reviews about the airlineWe didn't experience any turbulence zones throughout the entire flight, and the plane didn't shake even once. No need to buckle up in the middle of the flight! AirArabia reviews 2026 I was stuck on the plane for about 23 hours, but due to the snowstorm in Moscow, the plane circled an extra hour above the airport until the runway was cleared... That's not the airline's fault, just the weather. By 00:00, we were already waiting for our luggage, so the plane ended up landing earlier than the pilot promised.

Airbus A320 cabin review I've got to say, we were probably just lucky, since none of the horrors people write in reviews happened to us We sat together without upgrading, and they even gave out free food, with paid food being reasonably priced, and they offered extra water if you asked, and there were no terrible turbulence, and both landings were smooth, and takeoffs were smooth too. Yeah, there were some minor delays, but it's not 24 hours, just 30-40 minutes, which I think is basically nothing.

I'm left with only positive emotions from the flight with Air Arabia, especially the New Year's one, since the plane seemed to be waiting just for us and took off at 00:00 on January 1, 2026

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