There’s a beautiful moment between your heart and your mind when you find that perfect airfare, to that wonderful destination and you click that book button. And then the is the moment of euphoria that rushes through your veins after you’ve paid and received your flight confirmation. The next months then weeks and finally days are a roller coaster of emotions, mild mannered bragging rights and finally panic as you do a last minute pack.
That is unless you choose to fly with TigerAir Australia. Never before have I received the unprecedented level of airline discrimination and mockery as when I started to admit to people that I had taken my own life in my hands and booked an airfare with TigerAir.
Some of the issues people had with us choosing to fly TigerAir
And trust me when I tell you that there was a whole lot more isuses.
Why risk your life and holiday by flying TigerAir?
Well why not really? I’ve flown with a lot of airlines in my time. Let’s not forget the joy of flying Qantas that I experienced, who for those not in the know, is considered Australia’s premium airline. A joy which you certainly pay for. In recent years TigerAir has had some PR disasters which a quick google search will fill you in on. There hasn’t been any major safety issues and I couldn’t see any reason why we wouldn’t fly with them.
You get what you pay for
$9. Yup $9 is what I paid for each of our airfares. Because we’re rich millennials I splurged and paid the extra $3 each for priority boarding.
Airfare Melbourne to Hobart – $12/pp. I’ve paid more for a glass of wine in a dodgy pub. Actually I’m fairly sure that I did pay that for wine in Tasmania. As it’s only an hour flight I didn’t bother upgrading our package to an additional checked in luggage or food. We really did get what we paid for. Two seats on a plane to a destination we wanted to go to.
I hope you have great travel insurance
Yup- we certainly do. And I do recommend at all times that travellers have an appropriate level of travel insurance. Why were people telling me this? Well there was an assumption that TigerAir would delay our flight by a million hours and we would have to rebook on another airline to get to Hobart.
How Was Our Experience Riding The Tiger?
The booking process was really easy. People seemingly forget that this is a low cost carrier and like all low cost carrier there are additional charges to be paid along the way. Just be aware that you’ll need to untick a few boxes of added extras. Our super low airfares were apart of TigerAir’s 9th birthday sale last year. Hence the $9 fares. We booked months ago so had quite a few months to wait out the pending doom (according to every single person we spoke to).
The Dreaded Delay.
Yes we did get delayed and rescheduled. A week before our flight I noticed a change in our online booking. Within 24 hours TigerAir sent me two emails to confirm this change and a text message. I dare say a follow up phone call was on it’s way if I hadn’t actioned the changes. It was a small change seeing us land in Hobart a mere two hours later then planned. We also had a 45min delay at the airport due to an unwell passenger on the incoming flight. This really isn’t something that we could blame the airline for. When I was planning our trip I was careful to ensure that we had no plans that night other than dinner and bed. So any delay really didn’t affect us.
Check Yo’self
The check in process was super easy. Like most modern airlines you can do this online and receive your boarding pass on your mobile. TigerAir are super strict on check in procedures. There is no wiggle room with the cut off times. Our big spend of $3 for priority boarding was super handy. We were in a separate line and once we boarded the plane got prime selection on overhead storage.
A Weighty Issue
ALL airlines are now weighing carry on luggage at the boarding gate. This is nothing new so I suggest that you don’t get your knickers in a knot over it. If you do happen to find yourself over the weight limits and your knickers are in a knot perhaps remove knickers and dispose of. Might just help you get under the weight restrictions.
We tripled checked our bags at home and even at the airport to ensure that we were both under the weight limit. Hint – CabinZero bags are awesome for carry on only situations.
Don’t Be Late – The Plane Won’t Wait
No truer words have ever been spoken.
Was It Worth Flying with TigerAir?
I really have zero complaints about flying with TigerAir. They are a low cost carrier and you do get exactly what you pay for. So if you want the extras pay for the extras. The seats were comfortable, the plane was clean and the staff were pleasant. It’s hard to ask for anything more from an airline
Would I fly TigerAir again? Sure. If the price is right I’d have no issues flying with them again.
Half the fun of travelling, well for me, is certainly the planning and dreaming side of things. The research of where to go, what so see and engaging in relevant conversations with my peers and indeed total strangers on their experiences of a destination. As I discovered that when you decide to fly TigerAir people are more intent on telling you what a terrible choice you’ve made rather then talk about the wonderful destination that you are going to. Clearly we survived as I’m here today tapping away at the keyboard.
Have you flown with a low cost carrier before? Let us know in the comments below.
Jeanette
Founder, Principal Blogger & Coffee Drinker
Coffee Lover | Travel Blogger | Horse Rider | Adventure Racer | Donut Dame. Generally nice lady-enjoys wine, indie movies & random dance parties in my tent.
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Travellers are some of the most financially savvy people you will ever meet.
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I am really happy for you that you didn’t have any major issues with Tiger. One time, I had to pay $40 because my luggage was .4 of a kg over the max weight for carry on. Another time, a friend who was due to fly back home with Tiger showed up to tell me that Tiger had double sold his air ticket and someone had taken his seat. Needless to say, I had an unexpected visitor that night.
The first time I flew with Tiger to Melbourne I was very alarmed when I landed in a tin shed in the middle of nowehere (AKA the Tiger terminal). Not my fave airline, but I have never felt unsafe flying with them.
They are notoriously well known for extra charges!
I enjoyed reading your post. I have never flown Tigerair, but my husband has. Each time I hear the story about how he almost died along with the many others on Tigerair flight, when they took off during a sand storm and experienced the worst turbulence ever, it sends shivers down my spine. I don’t know if I would fly them.
Wow that seems really extreme. You can’t really blame an airline for the turbulence! Kinda odd out of their control/
I thoroughly enjoyed that post, thanks for all the humour too! We have used budget airlines here and from the UK into Europe, never had a problem at all either. I do recall dropping friends off for a Tiger Air flight years ago, to Tassie, and feeling dismayed when we entered the little ‘shed’ off to the side of Tullamarine airport! I’m sure it was Tiger air. All went smoothly though.
Oh now there’s a whole new budget terminal. Oh so very European of us!
I’m only commenting for the cookie.
But seriously, great post! I am certainly a budget airline flyer and had my share of Air Asia, Ryanair etc. It’s always fine for smaller flights!
That’s fair enough cookies are amazing. 🍪
Wow! What a big spender, haha! I think I’d have splashed out on the extra $3 too – even if it did bump the airfare up by 30-odd%!! I’ve had good and bad experiences on Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin over many years of domestic travel so I couldn’t say which is ‘best’ – but I’ve never yet tried tiger. Maybe now I will!!
😂 making it rain all the airline pennies over here.
Seems the same as EasyJet, RyanAir, WowAir, and more. I have no issue with them, esp if the price is right. 😀
i’m guessing this airline is a domestic version of Ryanair. We don’t have flights as cheap but I use them all the time when travelling (especially within Europe!) so cost effective.
Oh I’ve paid £10 for Ryanair flights before! It is possible
I guess, Tiger Air is no different than AirAsia. It’s cheap and they are the reason why more and more people can afford to fly. But $12 from Melb to Hobart??? That’s quite a steal!!
Not heard of tigerair before but we have our own version of budget airlines and that’s Ryanair and easyJet plus many other which can be a pain but you do eventually get to your destination. And $9 is a bargain never to be missed
I like your writing style. It’s so honest and real.
Yeah, I feel like with budget airlines, you get what you pay for. I always fly Air Asia when I’m traveling around Asia and they also have the weight limit for carry ons…it always make packing more challenging.
Hahah! I laughed out loud on the knickers in a knot :p But $9 for a flight is really cheap! I’ve been on AirAsia, RyanAir and EasyJet but I always find budget airlines as a blessing. Sure, they’re more of a hassle but they’re the reason why we get to fly so frequently 🙂
Oh so many people do get their knickers in a knot. It’s not the airlines fault that you over packed!
Recently, a friend of mine flew Tiger Air to Singapore (from Bangalore) and she had no complaints. I doubt she got it for as less as your fare but it was definitely a steal for that sector. I would not mind flying it if I were to get it for a substantially low price like yours! :)..
Good info, btw 🙂
Well done getting flights for $9! That’s a steal! We flew TigerAir three different times this past year and never had an issue. (Definitely didn’t get as good a deal as you, though!) When we lived in the UK, we only ever flew Ryanair and Easyjet, so we are used to budget airlines. For short flights, I actually prefer them!
I’ve never flown with Tiger Air, but I’ve definitely heard the horror stories. You’re right though, you get what you pay for! So if you’re on a budget and are happy to potentially have delays and cancelled flights, why not! Might as well spend that money you’ve saved on an airfare, on more fun activities!
Like wine!! Thankfully Tigerair is picking up their game. It’s nice to see some competition in the market here
Wait, $9? Woow…that’s how Ryanair used to be back in the days. And yes, you totally get what you pay for. However, when you need to travel asap and want to explore? What’s better than a cheap flight ticket which takes you to your destination? I would love to check them out!
When you come to Australia we should do just this! Cheapest airfare to X and go!
Thanks for writing this. Sometimes it’s hard if you don’t live somewhere to know what the internal and cheap airlines are like. I totally agree though, you get what you pay for. Flying Ryanair & EasyJet over here isn’t the best but it’s the cheapest and it will get me from A to B. Yeah they charge you extra for priority boarding and to check in luggage but mostly I’m going on short European breaks so I only need hand luggage only. If I want a nicer flight, I just pick a more expensive airline (if I can afford it). I’m glad your experience wasn’t too bad.
Oh I’ve flown both with Ryanair and easy jet. Oh Ryanair had such uncomfortable seats. But so cheap!
You have such a cute blog!
I have never tried tiger air but will definitely try it soon. Thanks for a thorough blog post 🙂
$9?!? That’s a steal! But you’re right – if you know what you paid for and have a contingency plan, as long as you get from A to B safely without too much hassle you can’t expect much more!
I’ve only flown Tiger once, but I’d probably do it again. You’re correct, you get what you pay for, so don’t go in with any expectations. At least they clean the plane between passengers and don’t leave ketchup smeared seats for your to enjoy (I’m looking at you, JetStar). But oh yes, the joys of flying Qantas are many. I always wish I was on one of their airplanes!
Oh I suggest you read my post on the “joy” of flying Qantas before you go spending your money there!
My partner flew tiger from Melbourne to Perth and they had to turn the plane around as they didn’t have enough petrol to make it. I booked him another flight when he landed at Melbourne but the problem was there was no ground staff at the airport and he couldn’t get off the plane so he missed the next flight!!! Thankfully Virgin let me change the flight to a later one as they could see that I just booked it. I tried to contact Tiger and ask for a refund but you could only contact them by fax and no one ever replied.
Wow that seems so odd that they didn’t have enough fuel! Especially since there is Adelaide airport inbetween. When was this?