Feature: A trip to Belgrade - flights, floods and flyer miles

London - Belgrade return trip with Wizz Air and Air Serbia

When: June 2016

Flights: London Luton – Belgrade (Wizz Air economy)

Belgrade - London Heathrow (Air Serbia economy)

Outbound flight with Wizz Air

Unfortunately, the outbound trip was hit by the double whammy of an airport (London Luton – which is most definitely NOT in London!) in the midst of building work that has reduced airside capacity, and a burst of bad weather that delayed many flights. This meant that the terminal was jam packed with travellers, many of whom looked set for the resorts of Greece and Spain. Most of the terminal floor was flooded with spilt beer.

Check-in had gone relatively smoothly. Wizz Air is a low-cost Hungarian airline serving over 100 destinations across Europe. We chose Wizz Air because they were the only airline to depart a ‘London’ airport and fly direct to Belgrade in the evening.

Two words of warning. You will be expected to check-in online and print off your boarding pass to bring with you. To check-in at the desk will cost c.£25 extra that has to be paid at the Swissport desk near to the Wizz Air check-in desks.

Secondly, they are strict on the type of baggage you can bring. You can select small or large cabin baggage, as well as several sizes of checked luggage. Be sure to select or upgrade before arriving at the airport. It can cost much more to do at the check-in desk.

After an hour delay we boarded but had to wait on the tarmac because the airport was understaffed with ground crew. Then we were away to Belgrade on a 2hr30mins flight.

As a low cost airline there is no cabin class beyond economy and you are automatically allocated a seat. It costs extra to choose one. All drinks and food are likewise at extra expense. The English chap next to me got around this issue by bringing on board a bottle of coke mixed with whiskey and he gradually became more sozzled. With about an hour to go he grabbed his bag from under the seat and tried to exit. He was convinced we had landed despite still being 30,000ft in the air somewhere over central Europe. His error was explained in fruity language by unimpressed passengers.

The aircraft was an Airbus A320-200 in excellent condition and the crew were professional but unenthusiastic. A full service airline is preferable but if you are travelling low cost Wizz Air is a good option as long as you understand exactly what you need to pay for in advance.

Wizz Air doesn’t have a standard frequent flyer program but they do offer the WIZZ Privilege Pass, a yearly membership program which helps you make the most of travelling with us. You can become a member for an annual fee of €99 and enjoy benefits like priority boarding, free seat selection and preferential cabin baggage limits. It’s probably worth it if you have to travel with Wizz Air regularly as these little extras will make a difference over the course of several journeys.

The hotel

By the time we arrived at our hotel, the 4-star Marriott Courtyard located in the very centre of Belgrade, it was 2am thanks to the delays in Luton. The taxi ride, which was mostly conducted at over 80mph, took 20 mins at that time of night, and we arrived only to be told that our rooms had flooded and we would be staying for the first of three nights in a nearby hotel. They apologised profusely and then one of the staff led us 5 minutes to the nearby envoy hotel, also 4-star.

The standard rooms cost around £70 a night and are small but adequate and the hotel comes with a small fitness centre and restaurant. After a long lay-in with a late checkout of 1pm it was back to the Marriott and a lovely spacious room for £70 a night on the second floor with complimentary wine and figs. The manager was very apologetic and gave us the previous night in the envoy hotel for free, which seemed fair and I didn’t feel the need to complain any further, even though it would have been possible to argue for more if so inclined.

The Marriott is a perfect location and the rooms are very comfortable. There is no swimming pool or sun terrace, which would have been nice in the 30-degree heat but all in all a satisfactory stay and the taxis they call take a couple of minutes to arrive.

Marriott loyalty program

Marriott Rewards is their loyalty program. They have partnered with over 40 airlines. When you stay with Marriott, you earn points that can be converted into miles. Just make sure you sign up before your stay to avoid complications.

You can of course use your Marriott point for other rewards like room upgrades or process discounts instead. Marriott group has a large network and this is definitely a loyalty scheme worth joining.

While the journey rather than the holiday itself is the focus of this article, we would like to mention a lovely place we found off the beaten path. Klub Svetskih Putnika (World Traveller Club) resides behind a locked door in the basement of an apartment block. Fairy lights lead the way down to the entrance where you have to knock to enter. Inside, it is a kaleidoscope of colours, knick knacks and memorabilia from around the world. There an outdoor area, comfy seats and array of drinks. It’s more of a drinking than an eating place and definitely a laid back vibe, but a lovely oasis in the middle of the city.

One night at the Marriott Courtyard Belgrade costs around 20,000 Marriott Rewards points or 80 euros, although this depends on the date booked.

Return Flight with Air Serbia

As the Chinese leader was in town, the taxi to the airport took 30 instead of 20 minutes. There are two terminals quick and easy to negotiate and getting to the gate was very easy. Air Serbia boarding was quick and easy and the flight departed on time with some turbulence for the first 20 minutes of a three-hour flight.

They have on board wifi and although there are no VDUs you can log-in to their inflight entertainment and stream movies to watch on your smartphone or tablet. A complimentary meal with drinks is served and the staff were friendly but not to the levels of one of the recognised leaders in the field of customer service, like Singapore Airlines.

This was our first time on Air Serbia and it was a pleasant experience. Solid, if unspectacular. The 3hr flight on an A319-100 landed at London Heathrow Terminal 4 without any apparent circling. The airline serves over 40 destinations, mostly in Europe, but is branching out into long haul travel, most recently with a Belgrade to New York route. They also operate seasonal charter holiday routes under the Aviolet brand, which uses Air Serbia's Boeing 737-300 fleet.

Air Serbia use the Etihad Guest frequent flyer program. You can earn miles on a range of partner airlines as well as non-airline partners. A one way flight from Belgrade to London Healthrow would cost you 10410 Air Serbia Etihad Guest miles for economy and 14834 business or upgrade from economy to business for 8057 miles and above.