silverorange stuff

The key to good food on zoom is to request the kosher meal.

I had a feast coming back from Glasgow. Out of halifax the food wasn't great - but I imagine the size of the local jewish community makes all the difference.

Oh, and I whole hardily would recommend zoom as well - pretty good for a budget airline.

The meal on the way back to Halifax from London was much better than the one on the way there. I had the same burnt chicken you have in your picture.

Also, I was able to completely change my reservation with Zoom three times and in total they only charged me 150$ in fees., and the airport valet driver in Halifax explained to me that he was able to switch his ticket from his name to his brother-in-law, and reverse the directions of the return flight, for no fee at all.

I agree with going with the Kosher meal. I must say though for a budget airline Zoom exceeded my expectations tremendously. The service and professioanlism was amazing. I would definately reccomend them to people who want to save money.

I took a Zoom flight to Paris in August as well and was very pleasantly surprised by the level of service and comfort of the flight. My wife and I had somewhat low expectations given the cost (half that of the comparable Air Canada flight booked back in March when tix first became available), but tremendously friendly service and 31" seat pitch make up for a lot. The food was so-so, but still better than what you'd be getting on a charter flight, and paying for drinks, headphones for movies, etc. is a bit of a drag, but hey, we were saving $600 a piece. For that, I'm happy to remember to bring my own headphones and a large bottle of water next time. The flight landed at CDG in Paris in the uninspiring Terminal 3, but again, this is how discounters operate. If you want "Terminal 1" treatment at Pearson, Dorval and CDG, you need to fly a "true" scheduled airline. And yes, the baggage limitation is a bit low, but I did observe at check-in in CDG that small overages (25 kg vs. the 20 kg limit) were being waived through without penalty or hassle. No one was being a luggage Nazi about things like that. If you're really concerned about this and the other small items, then just pay an extra $100 or so and get upgraded to first class and get the 36" seat pitch, more luggage, included extras, etc. That's far better than the $3000 first-class ticket you'd be paying on scheduled airlines, which admittedly would be a much more posh experience.

Please for your own benefit DO NOT FLY WITH ZOOM AIRLINES.

Yes, I enjoyed the on board service, food ok, and flight was semi comfortable.

The problem was that they screwed up my baggage and I got it 10 days into my 17 day trip. I cannot even begin to describe the tears, frustrations, and anger that plagued me. Zoom dealt with it terribly. They were incompetent, I couldn't get ahold of them outside of North America (terrible for a company who flies internationally), and when I did after using my credit card for long distance calls, they were unavailable.

I had to call home and ask them to contact Zoom from North America. My family spent several days contacting the airline, getting promises for me that it would be delivered, etc. Zoom located the luggage in Canada 2 days later, but shipped it to the wrong airport in Paris. Finally several days later they found it, and were supposed to ship it to me, but it never happened.

Nine days into my trip, and hearing from my familiy who was in contact with them daily that "it would be there tomorrow", I took matters into my own hands. I went out, called the airports, spent a lot of time, and within 24 hours my luggage was shipped to an airport by me. But the airport couldn't deliver it to where I was staying (hours away) because they don't have a contract with Zoom and I had to drive several hours to pick it up. Maybe this is why Zoom left it at the wrong airport in Paris and did nothing about it?

I cannot begin to describe how badly they dealt with the situation. I got home yesterday, and I have not received any acknowledgement about my baggage problems. No apologies, no how to file a claim, etc. At this point, I am worried how much they are going to reimburse me for necessities such as underwear and shirts (remember, no luggage for 10 days).

I wish I had spent a little more money with a better airline so that my trip wouldn't have been ruined. We were in Europe and planned to travel around, but we had to cut a lot of our travel plans because of my baggage situation. I refused to let them ruin my trip, but they put a serious damper on what was supposed to be the holiday of a lifetime.

Please, Zoom is okay if you have your baggage, but it is not worth the risk to fly with them. I have never before encountered such bad service with such a big issue. Flying discount I don't expect airmiles, awesome food, or a gorgeous plane. I do expect good customer service and my baggage. Zoom was unable to deliver.

It has never happend with me and i have flown zoom lots of times.

i am about to travel to Toronto first time on Zoom airlines. I hope I come back with good memories!!!

Flew with Zoom from London to Vancouver.

The air conditioning system wasnt very good, developed severe respiratory problems.

Friend told me that some airlines dont use the air recycling to its full capacity because it uses too much fuel.

I paid a fuel surcharge and even though its a budget airline, I do expect safe levels of oxygen and water.

Asked for water at 4am by the time we landed at 10am, none had arrived.

Most of the staff were great. But I would rather spend more money and get what I pay for.

I flew home from Vancouver to Glasgow, we had a 4 hour delay - problem with toilets, which was not resolved - had booked seats with extra leg room for return flight and as they were in the middle of the plane, everyone thought they could 'cut through' to get to the other aisle.
If you book extra leg room, make sure they are at the side of the plane.
We are also waiting for a reply from a person, not a computer, about how we were abandoned in Glasgow for 7 hours until we could get a flight home to Manchester, in all that time there was no-one on the Zoom desk.
All I would say is - Pay peanuts, get monkeys!

My partner, daughter and myself recently flew from Gatwick to Toronto and then returned from Ottawa a week later and were unsure what to expect from a budget transatlantic airline. However we were pleasantly surprised with the service and would not hesitate to fly with them again. The downside was the very early start from Gatwick - checking in at 3am!! We also had to pay for our headphones but at £2 a set we did not feel that we were being ripped off.

All airlines loose luggage. A fact of life in travel today, and experienced travellers expect and prepare for it. If your Visa Card is upgraded to appropriate level, and you pay for your ticket with it, you have the right to purchase emergency essentials after 24 hours, up to $500.00. It is there, you pay for it, so feel fine using it.
I have spent 4 hours in a downtown shopping center in paris looking for some kinda eyeliner before she and I moved on to Cottonou. The fact it was covered did not make the experience any more enjoyable.
Zoom can be no worse then AC, or Air France in lost luggage regard.

Airlines aren't able to adjust how much air the aircraft recycles in its air conditioning system. That's done automatically by the environmental system. The air is actually heated when you're flying anyway, as the outside temperature at cruising altitudes is 56 degrees Celsius BELOW zero. Air quality is poor on all airplanes, since a lot of air IS recycled in such close quarters, and the fresh air coming in is at almost 0% humidity. As for the lack of water, just ask again.
My condolences to the sufferer of the luggage fiasco. It does happen with all airlines occasionally though, but I hope Zoom gets better at fixing a problem.

FLEW FROM GLASGOW TO TORONTO NO PROBLEMS STAFF EXCELLENT, FLEW FROM TORONTO TO GATWICK ON RETURN
JOURNEY STAFF EXCELLENT NO PROBLEMS

I WOULD NOT HESITATE TO FLY ZOOM AGAIN AND WOULD RECOMMEND ZOOM TO ALL MY FRIENDS.

First, thanks to everyone for feedback--I'm considering flying with Zoom in the near future and all your responses make me feel very comfortable that I'm making the right decision.

Second, to the girl who lost her luggage: it's not just Zoom. I have flown with Air Canada who lost my luggage on two separate trips within two months, once for a period of 8 days of an 18-day trip. There was no explanation, it was nearly impossible to get through on their toll-free phone lines unless I called in the middle of the night or decided to sit on hold for 45 minutes each time, and in the end when I made a claim for compensation they told me the maximum they reimburse is $100USD (despite the fact that I had to buy clothes/underwear/toiletries for eight days and was in the UK, where $100USD doesn't get you anywhere!).

At least by flying with Zoom you didn't pay the premium prices that Air Canada or BA would have charged :)

I flew from Montreal to Paris and back in October 2004 with Zoom. Flights were on time, flight crew great, and meals tasty (really, what can one expect?). I paid 15$ extra for the extra leg room/emergency exit seats which made the flight that much more comfortable. Beside I was flying with my girlfriend and we just raised the armrest and got a little more width room. For the price it was excellent, which at 1400CAD for 2 round trip tickets with extra leg room, insurance and taxes... is cheaper than the alternatives... and if you check, sometimes for a good rate on AC you have to fly from Montreal to Toronto then to Paris... I will fly again this September to Paris with Zoom.

I shall be flying to Vancouver with zoom next year to go on tour of Canada and the USA. Hopefully they do not loose my luggage as i will be moving about so much over a period of a month. I would have thought wether you have a good flight or not is down to chance. Also is there much difference between 31" and 36" leg room. Futhermore on the site it says you get complementry drinks thoughout the flight is this true or is it a scam? I am considering in upgrading but would like to here someone's opinion first.

Have just flown Gatwick/Vancouver return with ZOOM and I think thet were excellent. Very professional staff-we had adrama on our return flight as a woman passenger had a panic attack and we had to return to Vancouver!!! from over the Rockies!! I thought the staff handled quite a difficult situation in a very proffesional way.
In answer to Jamie,(17 3 05), we did go premium economy and it is definately worth while: 30kg luggage, free drinks (yes!), water, choice of menu, 36" seat pitch and seperate check in at both vencouver and gatwick (South treminal)

Definate would recommend and it was a nice plane- Boeing 767-300ER. Go for it!!

Denis Moore,
DO you think writing the exact same review to all the reviews possible out there on the web will deter people to stop flying Zoom. I have worked in Baggage Claims at the airport and its an every day occurance. A dutch company lost 400 bags once and I had to deal with it! It happens.

But to be so childish by writing such a review as that is very dissappointing. In a recent newsarticle, over $1 billion dollars worth of claims are made due to lost baggage. That's a lot of lost baggage. The amount of aircraft baggage going through the airport and for one to be mistaken to a different airport is normal. We are all human and we all make mistakes.

I know it was most of your trip, but there is a small amount of compensation.

Why don't you fly an airline that is like 5 times the price..and I bet you, they will lose your luggage too!

Your attitude sucks.

I don't like your attitude, Skybabe. Why do you have to be so rude to Denise (not Denis) Moore? We like to hear everyone's experience, it won't stop us from choosing to fly with Zoom or not. We are capable of making our own judgment.

Am thinking of flying to Canada from Grenada on a charte flight. Does anyone have any experience doing the Caribbean flights? How was the leg room, were soft drinks free etc?
So far all the different websites I have checked have mostly positve things to say about Zoom. Look forward to the replies.

I will be flying on Zoom in a couple of weeks from Toronto to Gatwick via Glasgow. I have purchased the premium upgrade, and I am really looking forward to the flight. I appreciate seeing all these comments, which will hopefully help when it comes time for the flight. Will post about the flight when I return

I am about to book 3 premium seats , Manchester to Vancouver, with Zoom. Can anyone reccommend best seats?

Try booking seats D-E-F from rows 1 to about 7, if I remember correctly. You will be in the center seats, but not right next to the washrooms. Row 1 is right in front of a large tv screen, though (in case you don't want that right in front of you all flight)

I am travelling to vancouver from london on 23rd and ahve booked a one way ticket. The canadian embassy informs me that all passengers must have a return ticket. I cannot specify a return date since the purpose of my visit is to be with a critically ill relative whose future is uncertain. Has anyone had an experience like this? Will I be refused entry to Canada. Please, please send any helpful info...MAureen Larkin

Can I go to canada on a one way ticket?

Kath,

The best seats in Premium are rows 2 - 8. Row 1 is great, but your right next to the galley and it could be a little noisy. Row 9 and 10 are right next to the bathroom. You can try having a row to yourself, but from what i've heard, flights are generally full. Row 8 ac and GH are great cause you have no one behind you, just a toilet, so no one banging on your seats and you can still recline.

Definately a great idea on premium for anything over 4 hours. Lots of leg room and no muscle stiffness!

Have a great flight and Zoom is a great airline!

Skybabe!

Maureen,
Call your travel agency or call Zoom Airlines reservations! I've never heard of that, and UK residents don't need a visa to get in! If you book a return flight, perhaps they could extend your ticket at no cost. Doesn't hurt to ask!

Good Luck!

Zoom's a fantastic company.

I have also purchased a one-way ticket to London from Toronto, and now I'm hoping that they won't ask me to buy a return ticket. I am travelling Europe, and have bought a one way simply for the reason as I dont know the exact day that I will be returning. Anyone with any helpful tips or answers, would be much appreciated

The people that are asking about flying to Canada with a one way ticket should check with Canadian Immigration. You will probually not get in as you have to prove to Canadian Immigration that you are going to leave and by not having a return ticket they will probually refuse you entry and send you back to your original destination. I have checked into this before and that is what they will tell you so save yourself the agravation at the Canadian Boarder and have a return ticket.

I have recently booked 2 return flights with zoom from Belfast to Toronto (direct flights). I have now received a mail from customer services advising me that there will be a stop over in Halifax. Zoom only last week added this route (Belfast - Halifax). I also checked the website again for the same flights and find that they are now £100 cheaper than when I booked (I thought that budget airline fares increased when more customers booked). I am going to call customer services and see can I at least get the cheaper fare now being offered and would like to know if any of you had dealt with a similar situation.

Thanks in advance.

I'll post again after I speak to Zoom.

I have flown with zoom several times and have never had any problems. I love zoom!!! I have however had several problems with both air canada and westjet. Air canada lost my luggage and did not find it for 16 days. They also showed my dog skip as the only movie on that flight. Luckily I was flying back to Canada to visit my parents and had clothes and whatnot there already so it was not a major major inconvenience, it is still crappy to have to wear your high school clothes when you're 25 and I was just glad they still fit (well mostly). Westjet lost my cat. I kid you not, I was attempting to fly her to Ontario from Vancouver, and they lost her at the Vancouver airport in a very hinky situation. They claim that she "escaped" from her kennel while en route to the airplane from the loading building. I'm sorry but a very scared kitty being driven in a truck with other animals in kennels is not exactly likely to all of a sudden have opposable thumbs and be able to open the lock and/or to "bash" her way out.... So if you ask me any airline can totally screw you with your luggage, but atleast with zoom, you don't pay full price for your ticket so it's less of a kick in the teeth when they do screw up...

In response to the issue of needing a return flight ticket. It is true that most any travel agent will tell you that flying to the eu with only a canadian passport and no return ticket they can refuse you entry (same with an eu passport entering Canada) however it is pretty rare that they do this. I have flown to Europe (france mostly) with no return ticket and my pretty canadian passport and they barely even glance at my passport let alone care if I have a return ticket. So if you're feeling daring I'd say go for it, I haven't had a problem yet, knock on wood. But it is true, they can do it if they're feeling mean, or you look dodgy.

I flew for the first time (ever) last year,(2004), with zoom so I dont have any other airline experiance to compare to but the service on the flight was first class. The food was good cabin crew were very profesional and didnt laugh to much when I asked for a blue Canadian lager, the food was fine. All in all I would have no hesitation in reccomending Zoom as a good airline.

I flew for the first time (ever) last year,(2004), with zoom so I dont have any other airline experiance to compare to but the service on the flight was first class. The food was good cabin crew were very profesional and didnt laugh to much when I asked for a blue Canadian lager, the food was fine. All in all I would have no hesitation in reccomending Zoom as a good airline.

Re; Lost luggage.
Flew KLM from Toronto to Cardiff South Wales In January of this year due to a family emergency.
As time was a crucial factor I had to depart for the UK the next day, after receiving the news.
My ticket cost slightly over $4000!! I had to take Business class out (no option, it was the only seat avail) and economy return flight...I have flown this airline on previous occasions with no problems.
However, on my return flight to Canada I arrived in Toronto only to discover that my luggage was still sitting in Amsterdam.
There were several other passengers in the same predicament....My bags were returned and delivered two days later....I was not given any consideration by KLM regarding a bereavement discount...and no apology for the inconvenience....'Stuff' happens!
I'm flying Zoom (Premium class) to Cardiff in September of this year.....will keep you posted.

im goin to toronto from manchester on the 11th and have never flown zoom i wanted to ask do u have to pay for headphones and does everyone have own tv screen? and just general trip info thanks

Hi Bilal,

I belive you have to pay for headsets...$5, and alcholic beverages, also $5. Complementary wine with your dinner. Everything else is free. I flew with them and you get a hot meal and a snack service just before landing. Its full service.

Hope this helps.

Just remembered,
If you fly in Premium, everything is complementary.

thanks alot sandra you are very helpful i wasnt expecting anybody to reply! if any body gets any thing else please let me know
Thanks again

i am traveling with zoom on friday. after i booked the ticket i have read the term s and condition and i have noticed that you should have the passport valid at least six months from the return date. we only stay 1 week in canada but passsport expires in august. will i be allowed to travel???
i booked the tickets on line and i remember having to put the passport expire date on the form . surely should had been noticed.also i needed avisa and the canadian embassy did not have a poroblem with that. please advice!!!

You should be fine!

A friend of mine will be travelliing alone and is 15 does anybody know if under 16 get some body to look after them or if under 16 are allowed to travel opne their own at all

Zoom accepts Minors at the ages of 5-12 that are accompanied by zoom staff on a direct flight only basis. If your friend who is 15 understands the procedures at the airport and knows to check the monitors for the gate they should be fine and if they are unsure where to go beyond secuurity tell the person to just ask an airport staffer they are always willing to help!!

Zoom is a great Airline take the premium up grade ad all will be great. Flew to London in summer 2004 and moving to Manchester in June I am dual citizen and can't wait to get there with of course Zoom

Hope that helped!!

Thanks MStockley your advice was extremely helpful as we were unsure if he would be able to go.

To people that lose luggage and whine about it. I have flown extensively for 15 years and you cannot expect all things to be 100% for 100% of the time. I had my luggage lost three times in one week. You have to treat it as a challenge, not a whinging opportunity. If you let small things like this spoil a vacation then stay at home with the safety of your wardrobe close by.

I have done a lot of flying in my life, and I've used a lot of different airlines. Zoom Airlines is BY FAR the best value for my money. Checkin is a breeze (especially when you fly premium! you by pass the line up) Everyone is very eager to help you in ensuring that you're treated like a first class passenger even when in economy. The food! It's free, which is rare, and it is absolutely fabulous for airline food. Anyone who doesn't like it is just too picky! Free drinks free free free. What I love most is that you can fly "Premium" for less than you can economy with other airlines. I've suffered a 5 hour delay with Zoom- where they didn't provide us with any timeline, But boy did they take care of us. Delicious pitas, pop, juice. Lots of personnel to answer questions as best they could. They've also made reservations a breeze. I can view all the available flights for the timeline I'm looking for. I can book online, print my ticket and check my flight times all without ever speaking to an agent. The seats are much more spacious than Air Transat and some of the extra legroom seats have nothing in front of them! Zoom has the most consistently pleasant crew and reservations staff. They are voted one of the top medium companies to work for and I vote them way up there as far as transatlantic carriers go. If you haven't flown Zoom- you won't regret it.

I was searching for Zoom on Google. Found your site. I'm just curious why the two sentences on the search page were after hearing from a few friends... the first line of the first review and Please for your own benefit DO NOT FLY WITH ZOOM AIRLINES. This gave the impression of bad reviews when in reality the reviews for the most part were that Zoom was pretty good and any lack of extras was due to its true money saving nature.
I found the reviews very useful. Carry on J wilson

My 17 year old daughter is flying ZOOM to Paris this summer. It is her first trans-atlantic flight. We did not go for the upgrade but think she will be fine in economy. Is there anything (other than a headset) that she will need money for or remember to take with her on her flight? Laura

Im flying to vancouver next month from manchester to be with my girlfriend (who is a canadian)
Like a few of you i didnt get a return ticket because i dont know how long im gonna be there for. I know with a full british passport a visitor entry is allowed on arrival, but does anyone know for how long and if there is going to be any hassles with immigration etc..

Flew Zoom to London from Toronto in Premium Economy. The staff were very friendly, food was ok, but the free alcohol was quite a bonus!! I sat in the first row window, it wasnt as roomy as i expected, so if anyone is gonna fly premium, maybe its best not sit in the first row, especially if u want a window seat. The movies were not too bad, and check in was so quick. Check-in is fast if u have up graded, if not then u better get to ur airport early. Overall a great airline, will definitely fly zoom again

Just flew on Zoom from Manchester to Toronto in Premium Economy.

First impressions were bad, the flight was 1 hour late arriving into Manchester, but two hours late departing, and the ground staff were terrible, not giving any information, breaking down in laughter when annoucing delays. Started boarding the plane, then stopped half way though because the plane wasnt ready.

However, once we got on the plane I have nothing but praise, the crew were excellent, food was good, and plenty of room.

Because of the delay we missed our connecting flight with Air Canada. As they were overbooked on every flight for the following two days, with 8 people already on standby bumbed from the flight we should have been on, we had to rebook with Westjet. Our insurance will cover it as long as we get a letter from Zoom confirming the inbound was delayed by 2 hours, so hopefully we can get the letter!

I would definately use Zoom, and Westjet again. Not sure about Air Canada though!

I've just flown Zoom Airlines to Canada from Gatwick. Departed 18 hours late on May 27, missing one nights hotel accomodation and returned after a 4 hour delay on June 3. 1 missing suitcase on arrival. Avoid Zoom Airlines. Its worth paying the extra with other airlines. You have been warned.....

I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST TO ANYONE THAT GOES TO BRAZIL, DO NOT SAVE MONEY FLYNG WITH VARIG, BUT HOWEWER SPEND LITTLE BIT MORE AND FLIGHT WITH ANY OTHERS AIRLINE COMPANY.
I FOUND THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT VERY RUDE, UNPOLITE, AND VERY TIRED TO WORK, YOU CAN PUSH THE BOTTON FOR SERVICE AS MANY TIME YOU WANT DURING 11 HOURS OF FLIGHT, YOU WILL BE SURE THAT NOBODY WILL COMES AND ASK IF YOU NEED SOMETHING.
THE FOOD IS TERRIBLE AND DRINKS LIMITED; YOU ARE NOT EVEN ABLE TO BUY ANYTHING.
ATTENDANTS ARE ALL OLD AND LOOKS RETIRED.
IF YOU WISH TO ARRIVE AT DESTINATIONS WITHOUT BEEN STRESS, THAN DO NOT FLIGHT WITH VARIG.
COMPANY LIKE THIS SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT.
MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW, BECAUSE THE FIRST TIME I WENT TO BRAZIL WAS IN ECONOMY CLASS, AND THAN MAYBE I THOOT THAT DEPENDING OF CLASS THAT YOU GET DIFFERENT TYPE OF SERVICE, HOWEWER EVEN IN BUSINESS CLASS NOTHING IS BEEN CHANGED, JUST SAME TREATMENT, BUT NOW I WILL NOT LET THEM GET A PENNY FROM MYSELF, OR MAYBE I SHOULD TRY FIRST CLASS TO FLY COMFORTABLE.
FORGET IT, BUSINESS IS MORE THAN ENOUGH WITH ALL OTHERS COMPANY.
SO FINALLY I’M SO UPSET THAT IF I COULD PUSH ONE BOTTOM AND DESTROY THIS AIRLINE I WILL DUET IMMEDIATELY.
PLEASE DUET FOR YOU, STAY AWAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

My Father, wife, 12 month old son and I recently flew with Zoom. We purchased the premium economy seats and received the extra baggage allowance I have have to say, despite both our departures being late the staff, service and flights (even the food) was absolutely fantastic. The cabin crew could not have been more helpful when we needed anything either for us or our son. The food and service was good and even the inflight movies were pretty good Coach Carter & Are we there yet (Canada-UK) and Hitch and Robots (UK-Canada). Our son got sick on our return trip and the stewardess went out of her way to make sure him and my wife were cleaned up, to me she went beyond just cleaning things up. Our return trip saw our baggage extremely overweight (almost 30kg total) and we were not charged for any of it.

I will flyzoom again

my friend was travelling from glasgow to toronto with zoom airlines on may 30th. when we checked out our departure times both on the internet & by telephone, we were informed that the flight would be delayed, & would not depart until 12.59 pm. we arrived at the airport on time for the flight, onlt to be told he would not be allowed on the plane 'cos he was late. we were then told the plane was departing at 11.59.----which was not true ----the plane was still standing on the runway.my friend was very upset, but not the type of person to cause a fuss. fortunately for him another 5 people turned up for the flight, having been given the same information ---that the plane would be leaving at 12.59pm. after a bit of aggravation all concerned were allowed on the plane, only to be booed & hissed at by the other passengers. i would like to point out to the unsympathetc passengers, that this was not my friends fault, & to have suffered a very traumatic situation at the check in,& then the nasty comments on board, was in very bad taste.think on nasty people, it could have been you!!!!!!!!!!!!!! although he had a very unpleasant journey home (no one would talk to him) he has nothing but praise for zoom airlines & the crew, & would not hesitate to fly with them again

I am flying premium in September to Halifax from Belfast. Was worried about the plane and not sure of the Company Zoom, information on this site has been most helpful and made me less concerned. Hope the connections with air canada are not missed if Zoom tends to have delays. Anyone who has tried the new Belfast Route please let us know how you found it.

Will be flying Zoom in a couple weeks (vancouver-london), i have a premium seat for outbound flight and economy for way home. Besides headphones for way home (and maybe a sandwich) does the airline supply the little bitty pillows and blankets for the flight?
I was hesitant to book with Zoom as I have heard very little about them but all of your reviews have helped me to relax about my upcoming flight.
Information would be appreciated.

I have booked two return flights with Zoom Airlines, and I have been very unhappy with their ground customer service - it is worth paying extra to fly with a reputable airline such as BA or AC. Both times I was flying from London to Vancouver. The first booked flight was at Christmas time, and I had to book a connecting flight to my ultimate destination. A week before Christmas, my flight was cancelled - a week before Christmas! At this time, although I had got some of my money back, I lost money on my connection and had to really scramble to find another flight so I could be with my family at this time. Their customer service was bad - the agents were smug in dealing with this, and completely insensitive. I felt, that as a new airline trying to win customers, that their way to deal with this was very poor.
However, I was willing to give them another try, and flew with them again just recently. Prior to the flight, the departing times were changed multiple times, a slight annoyance for those with connecting flights. On the day of departure, the inbound flight was 2 hours late arriving. For the departing flight, the flight time confirmation information was ambiguous on the day of the flight, with the website (and YVR departures) stating that the flight was scheduled to leave 30 minutes early, to the telephone stating that it would be leaving four hours late, and re-routed to combine with another flight. It took me ringing the reservations line to talk to somebody to get the actual flight time, but I was concerned that with such information, others would be confused and turning up early with such a wide window.

All in all, my impression is that Zoom airlines seems to be quite disorganised and amateurish, what with changing flight details very close to or on the date of departure. Now I do realize some flexibility is essential with flying, easpecially with a budget airline, however, out of the 3 flights I have flown/ attempted to fly, they were all changed/ cancelled/ etc - not a stellar record! I have flown with many budget airlines, and have never seen such an inability to get it together. That said, once on the plane, the service and staff were very good, with great movies, and the food service was as good as the more established (non-budget) airlines such as BA/AC. So, if you are willing to deal with the crap prior to the flight, or have very flexible travel plans, then I would have to say, in all fairness, that Zoom delivers good value for money. However, if you must make connecting flights, or have other time restrictions, then save your energy, and fly BA.

This issue is probably over now, but just in case anyone in the future wants to know...

My understanding (after having a ticket fiasco with my husband, who is from the UK) is that you can come to Canada with a one way ticket (though I wouldn't recommend it) but you should be able to show that you have enough money to leave again. You don't need a visa if you are from the UK (you will automatically be granted a 6-month tourist visa) but you do need to have either a ticket out or the means to purchase a ticket out. The problem is endlessly complicated if you choose a flight that stops in the US (I know Zoom doesn't, but in case you are thinking of other airlines) because even though you are continuing to Canada, the US does not consider that leaving US soil and you cannot enter the US without proving that you are leaving again.

In terms of a sick relative, lots of airlines will offer compassionate fares (I forget the exact term) that are very flexible. I don't know if Zoom does this (probably not) but they might at least offer some flexibility. To take advantage of these fares with conventional airlines you need the name of your relative, as well as his/her doctor's name and the hospital name.

Hope this helps somebody.

We are flying from Glasgow to Vancouver in a few days.
What type of headphones do the planes use?
Standard like those used on an Mp3 player or what?
Please inform.

In Premium, they are single prong. In Economy, they use double prong.
Hope this helps

Recently flew with Zoom for first time, Manchester to Vancouver. Flew Economy outbound as we couldn't get seats together in Premium. We were a bit apprehensive as to what to expect, but were pleasantly surprised. Ground staff at Manchester very friendly, as were the flight crew. The plane left on time. The food was as good as you would expect of an airline meal, and we had 3 movies to watch. As there were 3 of us, we sat in the centre, and the leg room was sufficient. However, I think I would have felt a little claustraphobic had I sat in a window seat.
Coming back we had a delay of 1 hour. We sat in premium. The seats were comfier and, obviously, there was more leg room, but I don't think there is a lot of difference between the two classes. If you can upgrade do it, but I think travelling in economy is fine. I would definitely fly with Zoom again.

I had to cancel my Zoom flight Vancouver - Glasgow - Vancouver at short notice because of my father's death. I had taken out Zoom cancellation insurance and had expected to wait months for the insurance company to pay up. It was refunded to my credit card within 48 hours. Impressive!

A cancelled flight with Air Transat a few years ago took 3 months to be refunded through RBC Insurance. I will only fly to the UK on Zoom.

I would just like to say what a fantastic flight we had with zoom. I don't usually make comments but my sister and I went out to Canada for the first time to meet some relatives that we had met on the internet. We couldn't believe the value for money with Zoom.
Flilghts on time.
Free drinks
Good food.
Hot towels
Fantastic service.
I have reccomended Zoom to all my friends and will definatley fly with Zoom again in the near future.zppaAe eFlighttn

Terrible experience. I am a frequent flyer, and am not new to airlines screwing up. Short of a week before my Manchester - Toronto flight I received a call from the ZOOM customer services dept, informing me that my flight had been put back 2 hours to 11am, no big deal, had to shuffle around for a little longer a the airport, as my ride to the airport had to be elsewhere at the new time. But it was at the airport where the fun and games began.
The flight had been cancelled, there was very little explantion, not that it would've made a whole lot of difference, but still, it's nice to know why hey?
So me, and 250 odd other passengers are told to go to another flight desk, and alter our tickets. To ZOOM's credit, they had our alternative route all planned out, fly to Ottawa with Thomas Cook at 4pm, sit around at Ottawa airport for 4 hours and then fly to Toronto with Air Canada, arriving aproximately 10 hours later than planned.
I had to wait 2 hours at this desk though just for it open, not able to go get a coffee or anything, because I still had all my baggage and a set of golf clubs.
Once the desk opened, I was given my new itinerary, checked my baggage in (yes the allowance is poor), and was given a 10GBP meal voucher, and was able to relax. No where accepted the meal voucher, but I was so tired etc, that I wasn't that up for food anyway.
Since I didn't fly with ZOOM after all, I can't comment on the flight, but I fly home tonight, so we'll see how that goes.
Anyways, in the end, I got myself transfered onto an earlier flight from Ottawa to Toronto, so not too much waiting around in the end. But the time it took to get from Manchester to Toronto, including sitting around in the airport, 19 hours.
But hey we all have these hicups, I have had had problems with an airline before, and on flying with them again it has gone smoother than smooth, and I don't doubt that upon flying with ZOOM again, I will have no problems. Deffinitely won't hold it against them.

just arrived back from my london to vancouver-abbotsford trip this morning and wanted to get in here to share my experience. I was apprehensive in booking with a small airline. Here's my experience:
Flight out to London- Very loud in the cabin, couldn't hear the announcements (possibly due to where i was sitting). a little concerned with the duct tape holding the bottom of one of the chairs... but the cabin crew were amazing! super friendly and helpful.
Flight into Vancouver- Cabin crew weren't as helpful, waking me while i slept to check i had my seat belt on even though they checked 25 minutes before when the seat belt light came on. Skipping over me with the snacks even though my tray was down and i dosed off. It was mainly just one person who did this, should have gotten her name... Food was great and it was a newer plane so no duct tape this time and a much quieter ride.
The part that impressed me the most about the cabin crew on the way home was that while waiting at Calgary for people to leave we had our opportunity to turn on our cell phones. 3 of us got text messages regarding the bombing in London that morning (~5 minutes after we took off). One of the flight attendants went searching for information for us. As a lot of the passengers left on the plane were Brits. They let us finish our phone calls. I was most impressed with our fellow passengers who didn't say a word about sitting in Calgary a few extra minutes, even when our flight was already 2 1/2 hour behind.
All in all a good experience. I kept my expectations realistic, it is a budget airline and i feel i got more than i paid for. I would fly Zoom again.

I booked 2 return flights (London to Toronto) with Zoom Airlines. The Outward flight was scheduled to leave at 9:25am, and the return flight was scheduled to arrive at 7:40am. Shortly after booking the flights, the times were changed so we are now leaving London at 5:40am and returning to London at 4:15am. Since I rely on public transport to get to the airport, I would never have booked the flights if I had known the real flight times. I suspect that Zoom knew the real flight times when it sold the tickets but chose to publish the incorrect ones in order to sell more tickets. Has anyone else had this experience?

Hi,
We recently had a holiday in the Canadian Rockies (Calgary - Jasper - Banff). We had a great time - the Rockies are fantastic and Canadians are warm, friendly people. Sadly, our holiday was marred by Zoom airlines losing our luggage. Our experiences at trying to recover our luggage were similar to those encountered by Denise Moore (post in Sept 2004). We telephoned everyday and couldn't get hold of anyone until our 4th attempt. They didn't call us back with any updates on where our luggage was etc. Consequently, we had to spend a fair portion of our time (and money) in chasing our luggage and buying replacemnt stuff - clothes, toiletries, etc. We're now back in the UK and there's still no sign of the luggage! We feel the whole way in which Zoom have dealt with us has been appalling. Needless to say we'll never fly with them again.

This past June we used Zoom Airlines to and from Montreal to Paris. All the research indicated that the airline was reliable but having only 3 planes made us a little wary and apprehensive. However, our worrying was for nothing since we found the service excellent. We had reserved our seats in advance and there were no bad surprises. The size of the seats is quite adequate in the economy section and our seats 15A & C were perfect for watching the movies on a large screen. The ground personnel and the flight attendants were professional, friendly and ready to help at all times.

If it wasn’t for a passenger who didn’t show up even after checking in, we would have departed almost on time. There was the usual search for her/his luggage and its removal from the plane and hence the delay. Nevertheless, when we arrived at CDG, we arrived on time. As an aside we had a lady captain flying our plane to Paris. On our return trip we would have departed on time if not for the line up of planes waiting to take off. CDG is a busy airport.

Bar service begins right after takeoff, coffee, tea and soft drinks are free with wine and liquor available at a reasonable cost. Ear phones available at $5 per piece can be re-used on the return flight or at home with any regular stereo system. Pillows and blankets are free for the asking.

A very good supper was served on the way to Paris, hot and much better than average especially for a discount airline, and better than what’s served on regular airlines (AC, AF, Delta, AA). There was a choice between chicken or beef, wine was served free of charge throughout the meal, as was coffee and tea. A small snack was served for breakfast and a hot towel was offered to freshen up before landing. The meal was limited to beef stew for our return trip, however it was hot and tasty followed by snack before landing. And the hot towel was again offered.

The B767-300 (GZUM City of Ottawa) used by ZOOM is a large plane and plenty of room to move around and stretch your legs. Overall, a very positive experience considering the economical price tag for flying with this airline. We would definitely use them again for future trips.

Flying out of Toronto to London Gatwick at the end of August. Online reservations were easily completed. A change in flight time was immediately sent to my e-mail and required a confirmation, which I thought was honorable despite the fact that we're now going to be waiting 9 hours before being able to check into our hotel. All in all, good service so far. I just hope there's no more changes (unless to our benefit) and that they don't lose our luggage ;)

We three couples flew to Dominican republic with Zoom and found the service excellent. The food was great. We bought headsets at the dollar store prior to leaving . The attendants were friendly and professional. No delays and a smooth , safe trip. We are now flying to Munich on Zoom. For the price, you are getting a great deal.

I have booked with Zoom to fly to Ottawa in September. I flew to Toronto in October last year and could not fault the airline. The food was great, friendly staff who saw to your every need. We had premium seats and have booked these again, for an extra £49 east coast on a night time flight offering 36" is fab, esp comp drinks as a wee night-cap.

The best seats i would recommend are in the middle from row 3DEF - 8DEF as there is a large wide screen tv at row 1. Row 1 doesnt offer you any more leg room than the the other premium seats, infact there is a bulk head there so you cant put your feet any further that say the row behind where you can stretch to the seat underneath. Having never booked online i called the reservations team, which i found is located in Glasgow, odd for a Canadian company. They were very efficient and friendly and answered all my queries.

I have had the best experience in travelling to North America in particular Canada, with Zoom and i know you will too. remember luggage with any airline can get lost, schedules can change and you get what you pay for, and with Zoom the earlier you book the cheaper the fare so its good to know in advance when you want to go. Make sure your read the T&C's, the airline as far as i know doesnt offer compassion on ground of cancellation for bearevment but as long as you have travel insurance you should be fine.

Every1 is entitled to there own opinion and if you dont try then you will never know, these opinions arent here to force you into choosing Zoom but the good reports make you want to dont they... and every1 loves a good moan, so to those peeps out there who get off on moaning you will not prevent me from travelling Zoom as i wouldnt hesistate to travel again and again.

Very happy customer :O)

Anyone else had problems with Zoom changing airports? Flight times I can handle, but we now fly out from Gatwick and in to Stansted! In between times, our flight home has moved from Vancouver International to Abbotsford and back again.
In what other industry is it acceptable to completely change the product or service offered? In theory, there is a choice to rebook. On this second change, this is not possible as the flights are full. This has cost us a lot of time and effort as well as angst.

I also have been effected by the stansted change. However the Zoom Reservations staff I spoke to in Glasgow were so helpful and understanding. Anyone who has ever travelled by a relatively new airline will know of the unavoidable teathing problems that they face. All airlines rely on the airports honouring their promised slot times and everyone knows that the smaller, less well known airlines are ALWAYS the first one to get moved.

Going by this Zoom is growing in size and BAA are well aware of this. Therefore such a change is extremely unlikely to happen again.

Many of my friends and family have travelled to Canada by Zoom and although this glitch has happened to me they have all given me great reviews. So stop moaning!!!

If Air Traffic and BAA won't allow you to go into an airport, cause the airport is completely full, there is nothing no one can do. They have chosen another option of going to another local London Airport. The other option is them cancelling those flights all together, now be thankful that you are going.

Slot times are a big issue, there are hundreds of flights in and out of Gatwick and unfortunately the little guys lose sometimes.

I was on a Zoom flight and we won in a little way, cause we apparently got the Jet stream right and Blasted right by Continental Airlines, and same aircraft type!! Totally cool..about 1000 feet above us!!

We have just flown through Travelscope with ZOOM to Toronto and back.
I think we had it all other passengers have experienced. Flight delayed outbound by 3 hours. Flight inbound changed from 20.20 to 14.20 (half a day out of our holiday missing) and instead of flying direct to Gatwick it was via Cardiff. We flew Premium economy (thank goodness) When we checked in we asked for a window seat, after checking with her supervisor no window seats available. Okay accepted until, we got on the plane there was window seats free, which unfortunately other passengers where quicker than us to spot FOOD AWFUL, All of
the staff very charming except one little hitler!

All in all a budget airline, obviously having problems, need changes in management
a good PR consultant needed as we all want
Budget airlines to succeed.

has anyone else experienced the long queues at premium checkins? on three separate occasions we were taking relatives to glasgow airport, travelling to toronto. on arrival at the zoom desk (on each occasion ) we were directed to the premium line up. there were four checkin desks, of which three were economy, every one of the economy moved quickly,while we at premium were at a standstill. on making enquiries about the delay, i was advised that premium was extremely busy, this i can understand, but only about a third of the aircraft is designated to premium passengers, so why does it take so long to get the queue down ? i am hoping to be travelling to toronto with zoom in the future, & according to my friends the flight was good & the cabin crew were all wonderful, no complaints at all!!!!!! so please zoom------ try & get it right at checkin time. i know i could fly economy, but i'd like to try premium 'cos i've heard so many good reports, & it is very reasonable.

Hello My Name Is John Naismith 12 Years of age and I have Flew with zoom Airlines and evrey single one was LUXAROUS they are not A bad Airline!!!!!!!!!!!!

ZOOM AIRLINES IS THE BEST AIRLINE E~MAIL ME AT patricia.naismith@ntlworld.com IFYOU DISAGREE!!!!!!!!!

it is ag

We want to fly ZOOM from London to Edmonton soon, my husband, me and our doughter, 2 years old. Knowing how stressful a flight can be with a toddler, I'm desperately wondering wich seats might be the best for a family?!? Economy or premium? Thanks for helping!

I am going on Zoom for the first time on Monday (8th aug) from Cardiff to Toronto and then coming back on 22nd August back to Cardiff. I just have one question. Do they have tv's in the back of the seat infront of you or is it TVs coming down from the ceiling so we all gotta share?

-Adrian

1st Question: Bulk head Row 1DEF or 11 DEF. Premium is better. But if you are lucky you can get a row of 3 (ie: 29 DEF) to yourself and then your toddler can sleep in the middle of the parents!

2nd Question: TV's are all above the aisle (Fixed). and Plasma screens at the bulkheads.

OK, thanks. Not as good as alot of flights I've been on (virgin, BA, Delta) but having said that its a budget airline so what should I expect! Im going tomorow, cant wait!

-Adrian

Hi,

I will be flying on Zoom at the end of the month Montreal-Paris. I was wondering, all bad experiences happened on the Calgary-Glasgow part... any comments on Montreal and Paris?

thanks!

Marie-T

See our comments of July 12 regarding our flight YUL-CDG-YUL

Marie-T

BTW go to this site for other comments regarding Zoom

http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/zoom.htm

Hi there,

I will be flying to Glasgow on August 26th on Zoom...cna anyone tell me how long the flight is going and coming from Toronto.

Many Thanks

Be careful booking with ZOOM. If you have carry on baggage, they no doubt would be fine. If you expect them to rectify lost baggage quickly, then book with another airline.

I flew Zoom from Edmonton to Manchester in June of 2005. Booking was easy, the flight, despite the small baggage allowance, was reasonably comfortable and the in air staff professional.

HOWEVER, the ground crews and its baggage service were terrible. They lost my luggage for six days of my seven day trip. They have never apologized, never responded to my queries, and never even hinted at any compensation despite me submitting bills for necessities, and despite my buying insurance prior to the trip.

ZOOM was completely incompetant in returning my luggage. Despite their luggage contractor admitting they had the bag within six hours of losing it, I did not get the bag until 6 days into a seven day conference trip. I could not contact ZOOM from overseas. The baggage return contractor lied to me repeatedly. And then delivered the bag to the wrong address. I had to go across the city to get the bag myself.

I wrote to ZOOM complaining and asking for compensation. That's why they offer insurance, is it not? No reply. Nothing.

Would I fly ZOOM again? Only if my only baggage was carry on. I would rather spend the extra money for an airline that has the clout of hierarchy at airports, and which has proper infrastructural offices to address problems.

ZOOM has a lot to do to compete on the global stage. Don't expect much in the way of ground service from ZOOM.

Julie

i flew with zoom to glasgow about 4 months ago, i believe the flight was approx. 7 hours

A friend and I are researching Ottawa-London for May 2006. Zoom seemed too good to be true but reading these reviews helped.
One question: I don't mind flying but HATE turbulence! Has anyone noticed a difference between Zoom and any other air carriers? For me that makes all the difference, especially as I will be on that plane for over 6 hours.

Thanks!

In regards to lost luggage people really should remember to read their terms and conditions. Zoom is the airline yes but but Aviance is the check in staff AND luggage handlers. It clearly states in the terms and conditions that Zoom are not responsible for the luggage as they are not the handlers. I would advise ALL passengers if your luggage goes missing DO NOT leave the airport without filling in the correct forms and chase aviance they are the ones that lost it and they work alongside all other airlines so wherever the lost luggage goes any airline will be able to locate and transport it.

Bree,

If one aircraft is experiencing turbulence, then all other airlines who are in the area will be experiencing the same thing. Turbulence is nothing to be worried about and all pilots do their best to avoid it as much as possible. If it makes you feel any better the Boeing 767 (which Zoom operates) handles bumpy rides very well. Enjoy your flight.

As far as lost baggage is concerned, it can and does happen on all airlines. It took me 7 days to recover my lost baggage, in Paris, after flying on Air Canada. I agree with zoe that you have to chase the ground agents who handle your flight, as well as the airline.

hi i am thinking of getting flights to montreal with zoom this dec, i have used canadian affair before but they only go until october, so i have been looking at other cheap flights, but after reading some of the comments i am unsure.

Kerry

What are you so unsure about??

I'm thinking of booking with zoom next june7/06 for a three week holiday to england to visit family. They already have the prices out at 329.00 one way, Do you think this is to much money and i can get it cheaper? Is it to early to be booking? Is up grading worth the extra money? Has anyone ever flown on my travel or thomas cook airline how sdo they compare to zoom. also does anyone have suggestions on car rentals. thankyou jacqueline

Hi,

I flew with zoom a month and a half ago from London to Ottawa. The flight was delayed for about one hour or two, I don't remember very well, but apart from that, everything else was ok. The crew was vey nice, the food was OK, and although we had to stop in Moncton for gas (weird), I still think for the price, is reasonable.

joe.... i have flown with canadian affair, also
with air canada. with no problems at all.
i am unsure because there is lots of 'not so good comments' about zoom!!!
i know all sorts of problems can arise with any airline. but all the same their are quite a few people saying do not fly zoom......

Hi Kerry

I have flown on many airlines around the world. I have been stuck sleeping in the airport, delayed for may hours, and had my baggage lost, bumped off flights, you name it.
The thing that you have to remember when reading a forum like this is that the majority of posters are people with complaints. Very few people with good experiences actually share with others on a site like this.
The "not so good comments" tend to be the same things over and over...lost baggage, delays, etc. All of which can happen on any airline.

I have had many family and friend travel on Zoom Airlines, from Belfast to Toronto. Every single one have had nothing but praise for the airline from start to finish.

The choice is obviously up to you, but I would take the negative comments with a grain of salt, and look closely at the positive comments.

Happy Travels!!!

also try this website

www.airlinequality.com

Booked flights Belfast to Toronto premium for mid September, daughter vegetarian, requested meal for her. Anyone else sampled these meals? Also will she be able to view screen sitting in 5a and 5j? Views from others who have travelled this route much appreciated.

I booked with Zoom in February for a trip in October to Calgary. All seemed ok, easy to use web site and good comments on several other sites like this one. Had a couple of mails over the last two months moving the departure time forward by quarter of an hour each time, I thought that was a nice touch to keep me informed. Then the first bomb shell two weeks before the balance was due a return flight switch to Stanstead, not very useful as my car will be at Gatwick and that along with my hotel was also booked. Managed to find a way round that and paid the balance.
Bomb shell number two happened this morning when following a telephone message yesterday I called the Zoom UK office. My flights both out and back had now been cancelled but they could offer me an alternative via Vancouver with a four hour internal flight wait there. There is now less than five weeks to my departure. Fortunately I have been able to rebook with Air Canada same dates direct flights from and to Heathrow and the cost just £7 more. I had booked Premium seats to get the extra leg room 36" with Zoom and have booked Economy with Air Canada 34". I get the overall impression that Zoom were OK but have lost it, so I won't be trying them again in a hurry.

We booked with zoom earlier in the year, 3 days later my wife broke her leg on some Ice so we tried to cancel ( I know I should have paid zooms extravagant insurance cost there and then but i was trying to find something at a reasonable cost, which i did eventually after 1 call) Zoom said Ok but will cost you $700+. So we change the trip to later in the year i.e. next week. I ensured that the flight was in the evening so i would not have to take a days unpaid leave. I emailed Zoom and asked them for an alternative flight they said there isn't one but I can always cancel and lose 70% of the price of the ticket. Even though they are cheapish ( however if you book now with Air Canada they are cheaper ) they have no customer service skills and no empathy. I hope the benefit of flying to Cardiff instead of Heathrow is worth it.

Sorry should have said Zoom brought our flight forward by 6 hours

I just got back from doing the Toronto-Halifax-Belfast and return flights... and have good things to say about ZOOM. Flights left on-time and even arrived early at the final destination. The stop in Halifax was scheduled for 1 hr but we left early as it didn't take that long. Food was acceptable and service was good. Check-in was fast but without the upgrades, the 4 family members were spread all over the place on the flight over (due to a full plane). Their recommendation was to ask other passengers to change seats. Did that... worked fine. Flight back was 80% full, so no problems with seat assignments. For a family budget vacation, I would recommend ZOOM.

I am looking to fly to Gatwick from Toronto over Christmas this year and I have never heard of Zoom but did read the above reviews.Still a little nervous but sure not booking with Air Canada as they are no better than any other airline (and sometimes much worse!!!!) I have flown with.

I'm hearing from a few people that the Kosher meal is the way to go. What would a Kosher meal be made up of?

http://www.airlinemeals.net/indexSpecialmeals.html

I too was aprehensive when my travel agent in Vancouver recommended Zoom in february of this year to fly back and forward to Glasgow Scotland.Well let me tell you all, I too have flown many miles, over 250,000 with the so called major carriers and I must say Zoom was great! I ordered kosher meals as I am Jewish and the food was so good, I hear some non jews also order kosher because of it. The flight crew was great, I got tired looking at them all dash about, both flights left on time and arrived early, non stop movies, great price, what more can you ask for. I have recommended Zoom to all my friends and am looking forward to flying with them again to Glasgow this November

We're getting married in Canada in October, and so we booked our return flights from Manchester to Vancouver a couple of months ago. We then had an email a few weeks later to say that our flight home would now be going via Glasgow... a minor inconvenience but not too bad. But then yesterday I had a message from Zoom asking me to call them. When I did, they informed me that our flight out from Manchester would now be departing a whole 24 hours later than we booked, and would be going via Gatwick! So from booking a direct return on the dates of our choice, we're lumbered with indirect flights both ways, on dates different to what we wanted.

Well, actually we're not because I've now cancelled (to be fair, they did offer a full refund) and rebooked with BA. We now have to fly from Heathrow and it's more expensive. But we've got a wedding boooked so what can we do. Personally, I wouldn't touch Zoom with somebody else's bargepole after this experience. It's all very well advertising cheap flights, but if you can't honour them then you're just ripping people off in my opinion. We were fortunate in that BA still had flights available on the dates we wanted. If they hadn't then we really would have been in a difficult situation. I certainly won't be using Zoom in the future.

Just this week flown Zoom from Calgary to Manchester.

All i can say is brilliant value for money myself and the wife flew in premium economy and i can well recommend them, the staff were just the best, down to earth folks you could wish for.

Infact i was so impressed with Zoom and Canada in general, i'm going to book again this week, to go next september to look at hoouses this time so i can hopefully move their.

I have flown transatlantic with British airways on three previous occasions and Zoom was the best (and cheapest) transatlatic flight i've done.

I have flown over the Atlantic a number of times.
Eat several hours before the flight...do not eat during the flight. Take a bottle of water. Do not watch the movies...try your best to sleep. I have never been disappointed.

How picky are they about carry-on allowance? My bag is about 21 inches long, although 14 inches wide, so 2 inches less wide than the allowance.

However I am 5 kilos over the 20 kilo limit. Will they simply charge me $25.00?

Thanks

Booked 4 months ago to fly from Cardiff to Toronto. In the past 6 weeks we had to amended flight times from Toronto. Got to Cardiff Airport today (19th Sept 2005) at 12 midday. Checked in nice and easy only to be told the flight couldn't leave Gatwick to collect us as there was a 'problem'. Waited an hour and we were told that the flight was delayed by 3 hours. Then 2 hours later we were told the flight would leave at 19.40 instead of the scheduled 14.30 hrs. At 1800 hrs the flight was cancelled. We had been at the airport for 6 hours. The updates in tha latter few hours were almost non-existent.

We were all called to the Departure Lounge for an announcement. Oh yeah? no Zoom Rep was to be seen - only an armed police officer (rather ominousI thought). Then by accident we looked at the TV monitor to see the flight was 'Cancelled' and still no Zoom rep to give an update to 180 passengers.

The upshot was the flight was postponed to 19.40 Tuesday 20th Sept - all passengers offered hotel, taxi and meals - so we grabbed our bags and had a lift home with the nice armed police officer (lives near us) who was the only offical person in the Departure lounge for some considerable time.

To be honest we were glad the flight was cancelled as it had already ruined our plans to be met at Toronto.

Never flown with Zoom before.......................

First impressions not very good. Keep an eye on eBay for spares for Zoom planes!

**Keep an eye on eBay for spares for Zoom planes!**

What is that supposed to mean?

I've just got back from a trip to Canada.
ZOOM provide an excellent and very affordable service.
No problems with my bags, flight times or check-in.
Food was better than expected.
I would definately use them again.

We have flown to Canada three times now, first with Air Canada, then KLM and finally Zoom. Not one of them lost our luggage, none of them changed the flight times or airports and all of them were basically ok. In terms of value Zoom beats the others, it was actually the best food we have had, the cabin crew were great and helpful with the children (15 months and 6 years on the last flight). We booked extra legroom seats, the three in the middle as the little one didn't need a seat, we put down the tables on each side and he had his own self contained play area in the middle (it also meant people couldn't cut through). Our six year old made up his bed on the floor and slept well with the extra pillows and blankets the children were given. We always take our own headsets so we didn't have to pay extra. We are now arranging our next trip to Canada next summer (06) and will most definately be booking with Zoom, most likely economy with extra legroom.

Almost forgot, the only problem with the extra legroom seats in the middle was that the armrests didn't lift up so the little ones couldn't lounge across us to get comfy, hence the older one sleeping on the floor. In fact the baby didn't sleep for the whole ten hour flight which was where the cabin crew were great.

I have flow with Zoom 3 times between the UK and Canada, the in cabin service has been excellent on each flight, but I will never fly with them again.

On my second flight in January 2005 we flew from Toronto to London without any problems, the in flight service was excellent and I and my group were very happy. On the return flight, while on the ground in Glasgow one of the baggage cars drove into the plane damaging one of the cargo doors. The flight crew was excellent, keeping us informed and making a quick decision (within 3 hours) that we would not be flying that night. We were put up in a local hotel and food was provided.

My brother who was flying us me had a connecting flight with Westjet to his home in Thunder Bay. Before leaving the air plane we spoke to the head crew member for advice on what action to take, they directed us to the ground crew, and over the following 3 hours we had approximately 5 discussion with both Zoom crew and ground crew. Ultimately it was confirmed that Zoom flight crew would contact the Canadian head office who would contact Westjet since "West jet is very good, and they will simply put you on the next flight as long as we notify them ahead of time"; since Zoom would not be providing any complementary phone calls, and the hotel wanted a $20 connection fee, we accepted this answer.

When arrived at the airport the next morning almost 5 hours before the flight time, we waited in line for almost 2 hours to check in, and Zoom was unable to honour our seat preselection and broke up our group. When we reboarded the plane we reconfirmed with the flight crew that Westjet had been contacted, and they indicate that this had occurred. The flight returning was excellent, and just before landing the senior crew member announced that for the 2 passenger with connecting with Westjet and the 1 passenger with Aircanada the airline had been contacted and we should simply go the check in counter for those airlines. After landing and before disembarking the Captain thanked all passengers for their patience and again confirmed that Westjet and Air Canada had been contacted.

At the Westjet checkin counter we were told that they had not been contacted and we were forced to pay almost $300 for a new ticket. After a month back and forth with Zoom over email (customer service unlike reservations are only available via fax or email), we received the following response.

"Zoom Airlines employees are fully aware of the policies and procedures with respect to flight delays. Additionally, our flight records and testimonials from the operating crew indicate that no such announcement was made onboard Zoom Airlines.

We trust you will understand our position in this matter and no future correspondence will follow to you.

Regards,

Zoom Customer Relations"

For this reason, and despite the excellent service I have otherwise received from Zoom, I will not purchase from them again. I can not bring myself to support an organization that would show such contempt for a customer as to call them a liar and then refuse to discuss the situation further.

I have flown most airlines,and when Wardair Collapsed,I thought that
Decent Travel was no longer available.I have though found the only
Aircarrier was Singapore Airlines that only gave Blue Ribbon Treatment.
But using Zoom ,whom I have never heard of before,was outstanding and
certanly I will Fly with them again. The only thing,when I flew back to
Canada on the 28 of October from Gatwick,the Booking Clerk,was most Rude
and Awkward and your lovely Airline,should not have this kind of bad
treatment.All your Staff on board and off,except for this one person
was most kind and helpful.THANKS for a great Flight.

Zoom was great. Unlike other charters (Air Transat) there is plenty of seating room. On our flight back, we were assured of 2 movies, but got 4 feature films. Which was good, because I was exhausted and time was going by sooo slow. Thankfully the flight was less than full and we were able to use the seat beside us to let our baby sleep. We had no problems at all and the price was right.

DO NOT FLY WITH ZOOM!!!!!
So i had purchased tickets from zoom for a round trip from winnipeg, canada, to london, uk direct with no stopovers. The price was cheap enough and makeing bookings online was easy. I had my whole trip figured as far as places to stay and things to do. Thats when zoom decides there not going to fly to winnipeg from london anymore and that the best they can do is fly me to toronto or calgary 5 days before or after my designated departure time. And then im on my own to get back home. They decide to tell me this 6 days before my trip.
So i ended up getting a refund, and 250$ voucher i can use within two weeks, like thats really gonna happen. So please do not fly with zoom! Pay the extra couple hundred bucks and go with a airline that knows what its doing. AVOID ZOOM LIKE THE PLAGUE!!

An update on my problems with zoom....
they cancelled my flight 5 days prior to my trip, and now it will apparantly take them 3-4 weeks to refund my money. which means i will not have enough money to go with a different airline when i want to go.
fuck you zoom airlines.

i got my refund on to my debit card within 3-4 working days after cancelling due to a flight change, i dont know where you are getting 3-4 weeks, and to carry on your foul language your talking BS! the voucher can take up to 6 weeks to arrive and a refund to a cc will go on staright away but wont show until your next statement is printed.

OK, airlines will cancel if the loads are not full or can't make any money or will lose money. ALL AIRLINES DO THIS. For Air Canada its a regular thing and even West Jet. They will combine two seperate flights if the loads are not past a certain number.

Unfortunatly this has happened to Zoom.

Only the real irate people will write aweful things. And to have such language...whoever the moderator is here, should remove that type of language.

Oh, and one other thing....all these complaints are probably only from a few flights...and how many does a 767 fit? So yes there will be lots of complaints, but all from the same flights...so its not like this is a regular occurance.

P.S When your a "baby" airline like Zoom...it takes time to grow and establish and gain the respect from airports who decide they can't let zoom land at Gatwick, so I'm sorry you have to go to Stanstead instead. Do you think they want all that hassle too? NO!!!

I have just returned from a holiday in Canada, I flew with Zoom (upgraded) and believe I made a good choice; this way I could afford to go. The service onboard was great, the WC broke on the flight out but there are others. The flight staff were friendly. The food on the way back was considerably better than on the way out, I ate vegetarian (Kosher). I would agree with the people who said don't book the front row seats, they do appear to have less leg room and are too close to the film screen.

My only complaints are:
1. The review on the Web page that starts 'For your own sake Do not fly Zoom'- I didn't read it until now as I was frightened of flying and afraid of what it would say. I cannot really blame ZOOM for that.
2. Although I had paid for the upgrade I still had to queue to get on the flight, this may have been my own fault maybe I was supposed to say 'hey I'm a Premium flyer' or maybe its just the check in thats faster and it really is.
3. Why don't any of the major flight finder services include Zoom?

I will choose Zoom again and I have already told as many people as possible.

My friend and I are thinking of booking flights from Toronto To London with Zoom. I'm just wondering if anyone knows if the seat widths differ between the regular and premium seats?? Thanks in advance.

Another person who will probably never fly Zoom again...

MY UNHAPPY SAGA
The flight from Glasgow to Ottawa via Halifax in August was my first experience with Zoom and a good one: arrived on time with my luggage. Returning 2 weeks later, I called to confirm the 4pm departure and was informed that there was a delay and check-in would start at 10pm.
I now know that there is no chance of getting help from Zoom in this situation - your only contact options are Zoom Reservations for a new flight booking or "Customer Relations" who you can contact by email. They respond within 28 working days.

After sitting onboard from 2am til 4am (!) we finally left for Halifax and then Glasgow, arriving nearly 12 hours later than scheduled. By the way, the earlier Zoom flight from London to Ottawa was 16 hours late. Thankfully I was not on board that one. Having as few aircraft as Zoom do, there is no way to make up time when a problem occurs. Renting an aircraft from a competitor does not seem to be an option for them. Compensating their customers in a meaningful way is also not an option it seems.

BACK TO THE SAGA, my original connection from Glasgow onwards was missed, as was