What’s it like to take a Primera Air transatlantic flight
Editor’s note: Primera Air ceased operations in October 2018
The budget options for flying between Europe and the US just keep getting better and better. Primera is the latest airline to join the swell of low-cost carriers (like Norwegian, XL, and Wow) charging fares as low as $99 for a one-way ticket.
But is flying Primera worth it to save a few bucks?
We booked a ticket recently between Paris and Newark (EWR) to find out how this new budget carrier stacks up.
Read more about budget airlines:
• Tips for making your flight on Norwegian Air more comfortable
• Wow for $99? Yes, but the devil is in the details
• Our guide to flying the cheapo skies on Wow
Tips for flying Primera Air to Europe
Are you thinking about booking a ticket with Primera? You can read about the pros and cons of my recent experience before you make a final decision.
The price
When I was planning a trip to Paris to see the French Open, I started searching for affordable tickets. I had written about Primera Air a few months earlier, so I really wanted to give it a shot.
After buying a cheap one-way ticket to Paris on Norwegian, I found a return ticket from Paris to Newark on Primera for only €169. I purchased it two months before my flight, and to keep my costs low, I didn’t reserve a seat, pre-order food or purchase checked baggage.
Search for cheap flights to Europe
Pre-flight issues
After I bought my ticket, I received a confirmation email right away and counted down the days until my trip. When it was time to come back from Paris, things didn’t get off to a good start. I received only one email before my flight five days before it was scheduled to take off. There was no communication from Primera by email or text the day before or day of my flight.
In fact, I was trying to check the flight status of my trip at my hotel in Paris before I got on the RER to the airport. After searching the Primera Air website, I quickly realized there is no place to check for your flight status! I thought maybe it was my afternoon glass of wine that was clouding my vision but it turned out to be true.
I checked Google Flights, and it said the information was “unavailable”, so I went on the Charles de Gaulle Aiport (CDG) website and saw that my flight was listed as “canceled.” When I saw that, I decided to leave right away to get to the terminal and see what was going on. Needless to say, it was not a good start to my trip home.
The line to check in at CDG Airport.
At the airport
After stressing out on my ride RER train ride out to the airport, I finally arrived at Terminal 3. From the train station (stop 1 at CDG), it’s about a 10-minute walk to the terminal.
I asked the information desk where Primera Air was, and they pointed me to a very long line. The moment I put my bag down and got in line, I received a text that the flight was actually NOT canceled. This was very confusing to everyone because most people had no idea that there were any problems with the flight.
However, the Primera staff quickly went down the line to let us know that the flight was indeed scheduled to leave two hours later than originally planned. Not the best news, but that’s a lot better than having your flight canceled!
Baggage fees
Like other budget airlines (and most carriers now), Primera Air charges for any checked baggage. You’ll save if you pay in advance instead of at the gate. You can read more about baggage fees on Primera’s website.
On my many experiences on Norwegian, I have been able to bring my bags on board without getting hit with a fee, so I decided to take a chance on Primera. At check-in at the airport, I had to show the Primera attendant my backpack (a North Face Overhaul Backpack) and a smaller backpack that I was carrying. After an inquisitive look, they let me go without making me check any bags. I couldn’t tell if this was the official policy or just sympathy because our flight was delayed.
Onboard
Most of Primera’s transatlantic flights are on the Airbus A321neo. These new planes have excellent fuel efficiency for long-haul flight helping to keep fares down. The plane that I was on for my Paris to Newark journey was less than two weeks old!
Just note, that even though the plane was brand new, they didn’t offer Wi-Fi or in-flight entertainment. Make sure to download podcasts or movies to your laptop or phone before getting on board. The good news? There was a USB port at every seat so you can easily charge your device.
The faux leather seats were definitely not luxurious, but they were not as cramped as I expected. I even managed to get a few hours of shut-eye on my way home.
Service
The London-based crew was very friendly and helpful during the flight. Before we took off, they even explained in great detail why the flight was delayed for two hours.
They did come around to offer drinks, sandwiches, and snacks for purchase three times during the trip. You can also just push the flight attendant button and place your order with them directly. I sipped a €5.50 cognac (not a bad price at all) as I read a book and looked over my notes from my Parisian adventure. Nothing is included unless you pre-paid for a meal, so I would suggest bringing food with you. The prices are a little on the high side but not completely outrageous.
The verdict
If you don’t mind forgoing the perks that come with legacy carriers, you can’t beat the price of Primera. I’ll have to fly it a few more times to get a full picture of how Primera Air is holding up against the competition, but I would definitely give it another chance despite the delay and communication issues. The onboard flight crew was extremely friendly and helpful and the brand-new plane was quite nice.
Primera did send a follow-up survey a few days after my flight, so I’m hoping they take note of my biggest complaints that could easily make the experience a little less stressful. Getting the flight status up on the website would be a good start!
To check fares, you can search the Primera Air website.
Your thoughts on Primera
Have you flown Primera? Share your experience with us in the comments section.
Note: Soon after we took our flight on Primera, the company announced they were canceling flights on a new Birmingham to North American route. They blamed the delay in the delivery of new Airbus planes, but it left a lot of travelers in limbo. Double check with Primera to make sure your flight is still on schedule.
About the author
I flew Primera the reverse of what you did, just days before. We went from EWR to CDG overnight. We booked through expedia, and had a confusing time, but it worked out. When I booked, I was allegedly on Scandinavian Air, a subsidiary of Hughes. I looked up Hughes and found they have 300+ subsidiary names. As our flight time approached, I checked Flightaware online and could not find any reference to our flight, but the same details matched a Palestinian Air flight scheduled. I called Expedia to find out what terminal to look for, and they didn’t know. After the expedia customer service person did some digging, they told me to go to the Primera counter at EWR. So I have no idea how or why our booking went through so many name changes, and my only real complaint was the lack of easy info from Expedia. We did not pay for our checked bag. It was a long flight with nothing free as you indicated, it was delayed a couple hours, but we still arrived in France. (Our return trip was via Icelandic Air, also through Expedia. We did pay to check a bag.)
Hi Andrew,
That sounds like a harrowing experience not having much information for your flight but I’m glad it worked out. It sounds like Primera really needs a better website and customer service number. Do you think you would fly Primera again? Glad you made it to France!