Excel Airways Sat Flight to Tobago

[Mark Hibbard]

Couple of questions as I'm supposed to be flying to tobago with Excel airways on oct 30th, staying at rex turtle beach

a) Is the saturday flight direct?

b) How bad is the excel economy - i wanted to upgrade but there is no seats left. I'm 6ft 1inch and considering cancelling the holiday as I can't face the flight if its as bad as it sounds!!!!!!!!!!!
(i'm cramped enough in BA economy!!!!!!!)

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Mark

Welcome aboard!

a) The Saturday flight is via St Kitts. Haven't tried it myself, but I believe you're on the ground somewhere between 45-90mins. I'm not sure whether you're allowed to disembark or not.

b) The Excel standard economy seat pitch is a minimum of 30" with some at 31". BA's standard economy is 31" but may be an inch wider than Excel (not sure there). At your height it could be a problem if you strike unlucky and get one of the 30" seats.

Note the following from our Air Travel pages:

Golden Caribbean also advise me that you can telephone Excel Preflight Services in the UK (0870-1677747) and pre-book seats together. They don't pre-allocate seat numbers, but for £15 per person roundtrip, you can guarantee that you will be seated together (may be across aisle). For £60 you can also pre-book the emergency exit row with extra legroom - as long as the passengers here are over 18 and able-bodied. Please also use this same Excel Preflight Services telephone number for any special dietary meal requests or if you will be carrying large items such as surfboards or skycots, etc.

[Richard]

Sat is via St Kitts and you don't get off the plane. No time. Although down for about 30-45 mins they really only stop. Drop off. Get new folk on who sit where they can and fly on to Tobago. Every one off at Crown Point and the St Kitts folk go through to transit and you queue for ages at immigration.

[J Garner]

a) going is via St Kitts - coming back is direct. We had to wait about an hour on the ground - but the flight on is relatively short - think on the bright side you have broken the back of the journey.

b) yes the economy is cramped but as Steve has said in other mails it is good value for money - I've paid £145 return B'ham to Aberdeen in BA Economy !! Things are not too bad for me as I am 5ft 2" my partner is 6ft 4" he coped but he switches off - just insist that the person infront of you does not put their chair back !!! Going out the plane was not full so we got 4 seats between the two of us which wasn't too bad - coming back we did get some extra leg room. I think it is a state of mind - you just have to expect things to be tight and get on with it. Food was not brilliant but what airlines is ? unless you are going scheduled on Air Malaysia etc. Can I just say that Excel was no better or worse than other charter flights - on both journeys we had excellent crew - if you treat them with respect they treat you with respect. Don't cancel the holiday - Tobago is wonderful.

[Steve Fifield]

Mark,

There was a recent post saying that Excel will introduce a 767-300 possibly with extra legroom:

Not sure who it was at Excel Airways who gave out the information about the improved legroom in Economy Class on the 767 to the Caribbean, but as the Charterer of the flight to Grenada, Tobago and St Kitts we were holding back this information until we could provide full details, including the date it will commence. To put the record straight it will be a newer aircraft, not a NEW one.

Looking at the booking info on various websites, it looks like the date of introduction will be 1st November 2004. If that is the case, and if not delayed, you will go out on the old plane and return on the new one. The extra legroom is still just a rumour I think, unless anyone has heard otherwise. They are probably cramming in a few more seats as we speak! Does anyone have more up to date information? In flight entertainment (mainly for the kids) would be great too, but at the price, we can't complain can we?

Steve F.