Play Airlines is a low-cost carrier, known for its affordable fares and smooth boarding process. Play offers efficient service to people flying to and from Europe, as well as North America. In a sea of budget airlines, play airlines stand out because of their good service and competitive rates.

I have flown with them 3 times over the past few years, so here is an honest review of what it’s like to travel with play airlines. Let’s talk about the positive aspects and unpleasant details of my flight.

Pros of Flying with PLAY Airlines

In the three times I have flown with PLAY, here are some things that I appreciated during my flights. These are the positive aspects that allowed me to have a great experience. 

Affordable fares

It is no surprise that European destinations are expensive, especially those as picturesque as Iceland. For my first time with Play Airlines, that’s where we went! Thankfully, PLAY made it possible for a budget traveler such as myself to travel to Iceland and other European destinations at an affordable rate. Their slogan, “When you pay less, you can play more,” stands true because you can expect low prices and good deals! Like any typical low-cost airline, they have cheap base fares, and other services are optional.

For my first time, I bought the PLAY basic ticket, which was arguably cheaper than the competitor’s fares at the time. It only included the seat and a personal item, which was fine by me since I didn’t plan on carrying luggage anyway. However, for my second and third time, I had more stuff, so I opted for PLAY value. This was certainly a step up since this one included seat selection, priority boarding, and the option to bring hand luggage or checked baggage. 

Although I should mention that the priority boarding isn’t all that important because non-priority lines are pretty quick as well. Especially at airports such as London Stansted, where all lines move fast. Passengers can also purchase PLAY basic plus or PLAY flex tickets. I would definitely opt for Play Flex the next time, as it allows you to add desirable modifications and only charges for that.

Comfortable seats

When you book a ticket with a low-cost carrier, you automatically expect the seats to be uncomfortable with minimal leg space and bad padding. What surprised me during my first flight was the comfort of their seats and the extra leg room. Even with their cheapest ticket, i.e., PLAY basic, the seats had a good amount of legroom, and they were suitable for long-haul flights. I had a window seat, which was well-padded and spacious enough to relax.

As for the PLAY value, the seats were really good, relatively better than PLAY’s peers. I had ample legroom to stretch my legs and enjoy personal space. The tray tables were neither too big to cause discomfort nor too small to be unfit. Overall, I appreciated the seat configuration and design. 

Reliable airline

One of the best things about PLAY is its reliable nature. If you are someone who has had unpleasant experiences with airlines in the past, in terms of delays and cancellations, PLAY has got you covered. Apparently, their on-time performance (OTP) metrics are remarkable and growing still. They recorded at 89.4% in April of 2024 and improved it, reaching 92.7% in April 2025. These statistics show that PLAY Airlines has enhanced its performance over time.

This percentage also depicts that most of PLAY’s flights arrive or depart within 15 minutes of the scheduled time, hence underscoring the reliability. Personally, I have not had a timing problem with PLAY as of yet. All my flights boarded, departed, and arrived on schedule, with minor discrepancies. Overall, I believe that their flight operations are admirable, and they are a dependable airline.

Other pros

• Food service: while I personally don’t like airplane food, my travel partner bought PLAY’s 12 euros meal deal on our return flight. You have the option to choose a hot dish, a snack, and a drink. Overall, everything was sufficient in terms of quantity and taste (even the cheese baguette tastes really fresh). This deal proved to be cheaper than airport food, but I don’t suppose the Kristaal sparkling water was worth it. The only thing they should change in this area is variety.
• Good staff: It’s safe to say that this airline has a good group of staff. Everyone, including flight attendants, cabin attendants, gate agents, and other flight crew, was super professional. I haven’t run into a major problem with them until now. However, in my second flight, there were some inconsiderate flight attendants who lacked training. 

Cons of Flying with PLAY airline 

No airline is without its flaws, and the same applies to PLAY. Despite being an above-average airline, it still had some flaws. Take a look below to determine whether these are deal breakers for you.

Customer service

Please note that this concern is about the customer support in regard to the communication aspect. It’s clear that Play hasn’t invested much in this area because the response time is terrible. Their customer support staff replies after days and makes it impossible to take quick action in emergency situations. On one of my flights, I had to reschedule to a later date because a family thing came up at the last minute. I reached them via email but didn’t get a response for 24+ hours. Later, I tried WhatsApp, but unfortunately, neither platform was employed with efficient staff, and the process was awfully slow. I couldn’t get in contact with an agent properly because they replied and went offline, only to come back hours later. 

I ended up missing the family thing because the reschedule seemed next to impossible. For me, it wasn’t worth the hassle, but for fellow travelers who run into genuine problems, be wary of PLAY’s customer support staff. I would recommend you to be extra sure before booking because support isn’t available. 

This applies to other situations as well because their answers are neither comprehensive nor helpful. 

Limited entertainment 

The full review of Play Airlines would be incomplete without mentioning this persisting problem. Unfortunately, PLAY Airlines does not excel in this area yet. While there may be more developments in the future, their current in-flight entertainment system is not the best. I traveled with friends each time and still ended up feeling bored. For solo travelers, this will certainly be a huge problem, especially in long-haul flights across continents or otherwise.

Play doesn’t have power outlets, wifi, or other in-flight entertainment options, meaning you have to find solace in a pre-downloaded book. The “no-wifi” is certainly a growing problem, considering you have no connection to the outside world en route. You can’t work, be productive, or meet important deadlines. As a digital nomad, this was a huge deal to me. Thankfully, I planned ahead and charged my laptop before departure.

Other cons

• Limited overhead space: I suppose this con varies flight by flight, but for me, 2/ 3 of my PLAY flights had this problem. My overhead cabins tend to be overpacked with bags, making it difficult for me to store my personal items. It’s definitely not a great sight when you have valuable things in your carry-on bag.
• Ancillary services: since PLAY is a low-cost airline, they only cover the seat and one personal item in the basic fare. This can come across as false advertising for first-time fliers, but seasoned travelers would know that this is how their business model operates. Still, passengers should take note that everything is “optional” and incurs additional costs. From food selection to baggage, nothing is complimentary with play, and extra costs should be expected.

Final Thoughts 

Given the entirety of my travel experience, I would say that my flight with PLAY was relatively good. I have flown with other low-cost carriers and in comparison, Play is arguably better. You can access good services at cheap fares while enjoying a clean, spacious, and new plane experience.

The reason why I have flown with PLAY time and time again is their affordable rates. Passengers can fly to and from Europe while remaining on a tight budget. PLAY is a reliable carrier that is improving by the day. I would definitely fly with them again.

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