I recently travelled from NY to FL on a last-minute Breeze Flight, my first time using this airline. As someone who primarily sticks to JetBlue, United, or Delta, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this “budget” airline.
I have flown Spirit and Southwest, and wanted to know where Breeze would land in the rankings. I documented my experience so that you know what to expect on your next flight!
Flight Price
My flight from New York to Florida was booked at the last minute, and was quite pricy at roughly $500. I had expected the cost to be a bit lower; however, I wanted to bring a carry-on and choose my seat so that my husband and I would be seated together. If I had booked further out, the price would have been substantially lower, but my options were limited.
Boarding and Take Off
The boarding process was painless; we boarded with Group 2, scanned our digital boarding passes and made our way to our seat. The flight attendants did a good job helping folks get their bags into the bins and getting us ready to taxi quickly and on time.
The safety briefing was less thorough and engaging than that of other airlines. The flight attendants were not as regularly spaced, and I could not see anything that the one closest to us was demonstrating. Typically, this wouldn’t be a concern because the briefing would be displayed on the screen on the seatback in front of you but without one, an inexperienced traveller would not be well informed in the event of an emergency.
Additionally, although it was not unusually windy, our takeoff was one of the bumpiest I have ever experienced, with the plane jerking back and forth. Passengers around us were tightly gripping the armrests, and some held on to the seat in front of them. Weather conditions are out of the pilot’s control, but this takeoff seemed out of the norm for a calm day.
Baggage
I brought a personal item and a carry-on on board. Neither was checked to see if they complied with size requirements, although they are not blatantly oversized. Our flight was not full, so no one was made to leave their bag at the gate.
If your bag is a bit larger, I would try to put it on the side of the plane with three seats. The two seater side bins are slightly smaller, and some people had to shuffle bags around in order to get the bins to close.
Economy Seat Size
My husband is over six feet tall and prefers an aisle seat, and I, as a relatively short person, prefer the window. A compromise is made, and he takes the middle seat.
We chose to pay extra to pick our seats for our flights and were pleasantly surprised to find that one side of the plane had three seats, and the other side had only two. This allowed us each to have what we wanted and not have to worry about bothering a stranger when getting up.
My personal item fit easily under the seat in front of me, and the seat back pocket was able to hold my snack and bottle of water I brought on board.
The seat itself was comfortable enough for our flight, with an adjustable headrest and skinny armrest. I enjoyed how new the seats were, and that the crevices were not filled with crumbs like some flights we have been on for airlines like Delta and United.
Tray Table and Features
Although the plane didn’t have a screen, it wasn’t without small features. The seat back in front us us had a small coat hook, although I am not sure how you could utilize this without disturbing the person in front of you. There was a usb charger port as well as a usbc port.
A standard tray table comes down; however, if you are tall, be aware that the table will rest directly on top of your legs. My husbands pushed his upward, and it wasn’t very comfortable to use.
There is also a smaller tray where you can prop up your phone to watch shows from your device at a more forgiving angle for your neck. I tested my iPad on it, and it held the weight, but I did not trust it entirely.
The standard reading light and fans worked as intended and kept me cool and comfortable during our flight.
Plane Features and Amenities
There were no complimentary snacks or beverages on our flight other than the cup of water we received about an hour into our flight. There were snacks and drinks available for purchase, which are shown in the menu photo below.
WiFi is available; however, it is not free. There is free messaging after you watch a brief ad it worked spottily at times on my phone but functioned just fine on my husband’s.
The Layover
Our flight had a layover halfway for roughly 40 minutes. During this layover, we remained on the plane while passengers disembarked, and new passengers boarded. I would estimate that roughly 40 people stayed on board like us.
Once all of the passengers staying in Raleigh had gotten off the plane, many of us went to use the bathroom and found that they had been locked. Eventually, an attendant came to unlock the restroom, but only four of us were allowed to use the bathroom before everyone was told to head back to their seats. I understand why they made everyone sit back down, but please be advised, do not count on the layover to use the bathroom.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I enjoyed my flight on Breeze much more than I thought I would. I would say that Breeze is the Delta of the budget airlines, and a step above its similar competition, Spirit and Southwest.
If the opportunity arises and I need to choose between airlines, I will be sure to consider booking Breeze again.