Flair Airlines is a Canadian ultra-low-cost airline flying mostly within Canada and to snowbird destinations in the southern US, Central America and the Caribbean.
The ultra-low-cost model means everything beyond a basic seat and personal item (think shoulder bag or backpack) comes with a fee, and seats are packed tight. If you set your expectations right and know what you’re getting into, you can build the travel experience you want on Flair.
The Flair Airlines model
Flair sells tickets completely unbundled. Seat selection, airport check-in, carry-on bags, even a drink of water on the plane are all separated as extra fees rather than included in the ticket price.
Whenever I’m considering a Flair flight, I always compare the total price with other airlines only after adding in all the extras I need for a fair comparison.
In the past, Flair had a reputation for delays, mainly because its timetables and turnarounds are rather tight in order to keep costs low. Recently, though, the airline has made big improvements in this area, and I don’t consider delays to be any more of an issue for Flair Airlines than any of its low-cost competitors anymore.
Flair offers onboard entertainment accessible on personal devices and recently announced in-seat ordering. Check the Flair website for any app requirements before your flight.
You can book connecting flights on Flair or to and from other airlines using the airline’s Flair Connect network. Connections aren’t the core business for Flair, though, so for Flair Connect interline reservations you’ll need to collect your checked baggage in your layover city and take them to the other airline check-in counter. If connecting, be sure to double check that your trip includes a Disruption Guarantee add-on in case a flight is delayed or canceled.
Checking in for Flair flights and the airport experience
Online check-in is free, but airport check-in costs extra. Pro tip: If you hit an error checking in online, screenshot it. That way airport staff can’t try to charge you the airport check-in fee when the system failed on their end.
The rest of the airport experience is fairly standard. One thing to note is that Flair doesn’t have the same number of airport customer service staff as other airlines. That’s usually not an issue, but in the event of a delay or cancelation, I’m always prepared to call the customer service hotline rather than expect solutions at the airport itself.
Fare bundles and baggage details
Flair is an all-economy airline, so there are no premium cabins for built-in extras.
Flair offers three bundle packages (Bare, Basic and Big) that save you roughly a third compared to buying options separately. That said, if you only want one or two perks, it’s often cheaper to just pay for those individually rather than springing for a bundle you won’t fully use.
The Bare bundle lets you bring a 15.5-pound (7-kilogram) personal item that’s no larger than 6 x 13 x 17 inches (15 x 33 x 43 centimeters). And that’s it.
The Basic bundle adds a carry-on bag and a checked bag along with a digital boarding pass and Zone 1 boarding. The Big bundle also adds priority boarding and the TravelFLEX option (which allows one change without change fees up to three hours before departure). Unusually for a low-cost airline, none of the bundles offer an included seat selection option.
Carry-on bags must weigh under 22 pounds (10 kilograms) and measure no more than 8.5 x 16 x 22 inches (22 x 40 x 55 cm). You can check this same size bag for the same price. For checked bags, Flair offers a 50.7-pound (23-kilogram) allowance that must be under 62 linear inches (158 cm total when you add height, width and depth together).
If you’re bringing sporting equipment like bikes, golf clubs or skis, you’ll need to pay a separate sports bag fee.
Flair also offers several flexibility add-ons. TravelFLEX lets you make one change without change fees up to three hours before departure, while a separate Disruption Guarantee add-on provides rebooking or refund protection (which I would definitely select if I were connecting).
Seats and seat selection options
Seats on Flair are as bare bones as the rest of the experience. Expect a very simple pre-reclined seat with minimal legroom. The newer slimline seats on some planes do carve out a bit of extra legroom in the otherwise tight rows, though.
Seat selection is an extra charge, of course, and prices differ depending on the kind of seat you choose. First Row, Emergency Exit, and Extra Legroom seats are the most expensive options. Other Extra Legroom seats are found in some of the other forward rows.
Note that passengers at the Emergency Exit rows must be over 12, able to operate the exit and visually assess safety, not require mobility aids or medical devices, not travel with an animal, not be solely responsible for another person, and have no condition that could cause harm while operating the exit. Passengers in the front row can’t fly with a pet either.
All other seats are Standard seats, and prices vary, with forward seats being more expensive than those toward the back. Counterintuitively, some rows are priced with the window seats only slightly more expensive than the middles, which are oddly more expensive than the aisles. The cheapest option on Flair is usually an aisle seat toward the back.
When booking, check whether any paid seats have been selected for you if you’d rather be assigned random seats at no charge.
In-flight food and drinks
Food and drink onboard is fee-based, and here’s the kicker: Flair even charges a small fee for a plastic cup. I always bring my trusty refillable water bottle and fill it after security. On longer flights, I’ll even bring a larger empty plastic bottle from home to fill up.
Pricing for snacks and drinks on Flair is not cheap, although there are combo bundles that’ll save you a bit. Payments are by Visa and Mastercard credit cards only, no cash, debit or mobile payments accepted.
There are basic options on board, like chips and chocolate, as well as some limited hot options like Mother’s Pizza. I definitely recommend bringing something from home for better variety and cost. On some flights, hot breakfast sandwiches or mini pizzas are available, but even an airport sandwich will be a better deal.
Onboard experience and in-flight entertainment
You won’t find seatback screens, at-seat power options or Wi-Fi on Flair flights. I suggest downloading your own entertainment to a personal device in advance and packing an extra power bank just in case.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
