Cobalt Air

[branscombe]

Just a warning if anyone intend using this airline to Larnaca.
We booked flights from Stansted later this month only to be advised that our outbound flight had been brought forward a day. Not a problem for us but our son booked flights in May for a 10 day break. His flights have been changed so the outbound flight is two days later and inbound 2 days earlier so losing 4 days holiday. He has cancelled the flights and waiting for a refund.

We tried to book seats on their website only for it to say that this cannot be done on the internet. We then discovered they have charged us three times for the seats. On phoning them they promised a refund within two weeks, it is now 5 weeks and despite constant contact they have still not refunded our money.

I certainly won't be using them again.

[davedee]

Same here regarding booked seats been many weeks attempting to get £70 refund ,other than this seat booking nonsense all good.

[gary&shirley]

My Wife used them last week for a quick trip to the UK via Gatwick, no problems whatsoever, on time and good service, on the return flight only about 40 on the plane so plenty of room to stretch out. Would certainly use them again.

[branscombe]

Pleased that your wife had a good experience with them. Guess we have been unlucky with our bookings.

[davedee]

I have been with them many times and all flights have been great,however this seat booking is a nightmare and refunds impossible.

[war horse]

We used them for a flight home in November, pre booked and paid for seats together only to get to the airport and put on different parts of the plane. Kicked up at the airport and sent to customer services, was told to prove we'd paid for seats, and said"you charged us so you prove we didn't" girl on the desk huffed and puffed and said ok no problem and we got our seats. But once on the plane and seated lots of people complaining as children had been seated seperate to parents and people were refusing to sit. In the end customers moved around and sorted themselves and crew just stood tbere watching. No safety announcements, certainly wont be flying with tbem again.

[wedinnorthcyprus]

I flew back from the UK with them this week, first time using the South , had a brilliant flight, all crew were happy and smiling, did not book seats just asked at Stansted for Window seat and got 1 no problem. 3 cases prebooked all at least 1 kilo overweight but not even a raised eyebrow. Will 100% use them again

[Deniz1]

How do airlines expect folk to bable to rearrange their time of at the drop of a hat dont they realise they are losing customers? Its not only Cobalt either the more expensive airlines do it too.

[artic monkey]

In the past 15 months,due to the extortionate fares being charged by Turkish Airlines recently,my wife and I have flown Belfast - Larnaca twice with Thomas Cook,and Dublin - Larnaca twice with Cobalt.We paid between £350 and £420 return for these flights and apart from the charges for food and drinks there was very little difference between them,with the crews being very friendly and efficient.
I honestly do not comprehend why people bother paying extra for seat selection,priority boarding etc. as the plane will not leave until all passengers are boarded and seated,paid for at the time of booking.In my opinion online check in is also a waste of time and effort because with every flight we book we go to the check in desk,reach over our passports and on practically every occasion we have been allocated seats together.So I guess it is just a case of personal experience,but ours have been on the whole very positive.

[branscombe]

Artic monkey I can only assume you are not 6ft 3" like me. To spend 5 hours on a flight with my knees crammed against the seat in front is no fun so I pay for extra legroom.
Apart from having 3 flight changes by this company my point was that they advertise booking seats on their website, let you go through the whole process then tell you at the end it is not possible to pre book seats. Then they take the money for seat allocation and up to now don't refund.
I would warn anyone not to pre book seats with this airline as you will have the same issue as me.

[jayceebee]

I did have a slight problem re booked seating on a return flight with Cobalt, Manchester - Larnaca, at end of January.
Basically, at check-in I was given a boarding card with a different seat, several rows to the rear of the one I'd booked and paid for online when booking. I pointed this out to the check-in assistant by producing a print out of my online booking showing the number of the seat . Without hesitation he apologised, tore up the incorrect boarding card and issued me one with the correct seat number.
Even better.....I had the whole row to myself for the complete flight!
I must say, I have always found Cobalt staff to be most accommodating regarding the solution to any problems which I have encountered.

[Maisiemoo]

I honestly do not comprehend why people bother paying extra for seat selection,priority boarding etc. ,

We always pay for seats as my husband has a disability and does not want to struggle to the back of the plane. I did try booking seats with Cobalt, row 6, but the system would not accept the booking. I rang the call centre and a very nice agent explained that you can only book from row 7 backwards. I tried again with no problem and I have a print out to prove what I have booked. A friend booked with Cobalt last year when Monarch went bust and said it was the best flight out of Cyprus she had experienced, so looking forward to seeing for myself.

[davedee]

Maisemoo Please check your Bank account and make sure they have not charged you for the seats that they say you could NOT book,they charged me 3 times and still waiting for a refund.

[aripointer]

Cobalt have just announced a number of new destinations they are flying to. As a small airline I would say they are overstretching themselves hence the flight time changes. Message 3 said there were approx 40 passengers on their flight in my opinion that flight was running at a huge loss to the company. Be wary of this company if they are not giving out refunds in a reasonable time. Get the times and dates right TA takes a lot of beating. AP

[artic monkey]

Artic monkey I can only assume you are not 6ft 3" like me.

.

I am 6ft and 15 stone branscombe,so yes,extra legroom would not go amiss with myself either.However,the rest of your post pointing out the vagaries of seat pre booking and advising others not to would give total validation to my statement.

[davedee]

I contacted Cobalt yet again today with regard to refunds and the very nice lady assures me (and many others apparently) that my refund will be with me any day.

[nonna]

We have only one experience of flying with Cobalt which was just prior to Christmas.
We required wheelchair assistance for one of the passengers & we duly inserted our booking reference & contact telephone number into the link on their website & immediately were informed we would receive a call from Customer Service within 5 minutes.
Almost straightaway the telephone rang & we were speaking to Cobalt Customer Services. After explaining our requirement for wheelchair assistance the very pleasant lady dealing with the call asked if we were close to a computer & to look in our inbox & we would see a revised itinerary with the details of the assistance included....it was there !
On the day of the flight on arrival at Larnaca airport outside the terminal was a Passenger Assistance Point & when we pressed the button & requested a wheelchair it was brought to us in minutes. We were then escorted through check in, passport control & security. In around 15 minutes from our arrival at the terminal we were seated having a coffee in Departures.
When the flight was called we were once again escorted to the Departure Gate & boarded first onto the aircraft & had the pleasure of 3 seats for the two of us for the journey..
Everyone both landside & airside were extermely polite , efficient & friendly.
We have travelled many times from Ercan Airport & regretably the standard of Customer Service in the airport & on board the flights does not compare favourably & is well short of the mark.
Sympathy for anyone suffering with seat bookings or refunds but can only speak as we find

[Panchocat]

I have said before that wheelchair assistance at Larnaca is the most efficient I have ever come across. Excellent service.
As to Cobalt I have my fingers crossed as we are using them for the first time, to fly to Heathrow, in the summer.

[Maisiemoo]

I believe Larnaca Airport won an award as the best Special Assistance service in Europe. We travelled through Larnaca last Saturday and went to the SA desk to request help. They were extremely busy but said if I didn't mind pushing my husband myself we could have a wheelchair straightaway. We received very courteous help through security and everything went very smoothly, such a shame Gatwick had to spoil the journey, having to wait half an hour before SA turned up to collect us.

[branscombe]

Davedee, I contacted them again about the refund and they said they were hoping to refund by the end of this month.

Nice to hear that generally the flying experience is good, will know for myself on 26th of this month when we fly out with them.

[Southern belle]

I claimed compensation from Cobalt for a delayed flight of 14 hours on 18/12/2016. At first they said I couldn't claim but another passenger took it through a claims company and won, I put a claim back in and was told they would pay me, that was at the end of the March, after much chasing I eventually received the money at the end of the July. Every time I contacted them I had to go through the whole rigmarole of explaining everything again and being told I would receive the money in 14 days but it didn't appear in my bank till some months later. I have flown with them since but only because it was the only flight available that day. It makes you think though how and why it would take so long to pay out.