Is Sky a Good Airline? Flying Sky Airline from Cusco to Lima
Is Sky a Good Airline? - My Experience Flying Sky Airline
“Is Sky a good airline?” This phrase was my immediate Google search after finding $49 flights from Lima to Cusco on Sky Airline (yes, it’s called Sky Airline, not Sky Airlines.) My research came up inconclusive. While some people have had good experiences on Sky, the majority of the reviews were of canceled flights, cramped seats, and schedule changes.
So should I fly Sky Airline? Is it worth taking the risks for those $49 flights? The alternative was flying LATAM at a minimum of three times the cost. I decided to give Sky Airline a chance and booked a roundtrip ticket from Lima to Cusco for $149. When I added in the cost of a checked bag and selected exit row seats, the price of my ticket increased. Still, $149 for the roundtrip was cheaper than a one-way ticket on LATAM.
My experience with Sky Airline was a mix of good and bad. The biggest problem was that Sky Airline immediately spammed my email with daily cheap fare emails. These emails were all in Spanish, and I eventually stopped reading them. Of course, one of the 50+ emails I received was important as it told me my flight departure had been changed from early in the morning to late in the afternoon. I didn’t find out that my flight had been changed until I tried to check in. The new flight time didn’t work for me, and I had to book a one-way on LATAM at a cost of $249.
The only positive is that Sky Airline was quick to refund the costs associated with that leg of my flight. Sky Airline’s flights operate as independent segments, so you can cancel the departure and keep the return. Sky is one of the only airlines that have this policy. The easiest way to get in touch with Sky Airline is through Facebook or Twitter. When I messaged Sky on Twitter they replied within an hour.
Below, I will give a detailed experience of the only Sky flight I took during my trip to Peru. This fight was direct from Cusco to Lima. As far as that question, “is Sky Airline a good airline?” I guess my opinion is also inconclusive. There were parts of my experience that would make me recommend Sky Airline and others that would make me discourage people from booking with Sky.
Is Sky a Good Airline? Flying from Cusco to Lima - Table of Contents
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Is Sky a Good Airline? Checking In at Cusco Airport
The process for checking in at Cusco Airport is unique. It appeared that the check-in procedures were the same for all airlines and were not unique to Sky.
I arrived at Cusco International Airport two hours and forty-five minutes before my scheduled departure. As I tried to enter, I was stopped by a security agent who told me that Sky Airline’s counter was not open yet and I would have to wait outside.
By the time the counter opened, which was two hours prior to departure, a line of close to 50 people had formed outside of the airport doors.
Finally, the doors opened, and passengers were able to approach the Sky Airline check-in counter. Before checking in, each passenger had to have their checked baggage hand-screened. This process appeared to be the same for all airlines. I am not sure if the hand search is common at Cusco Airport or if their bag screening equipment was broken.
Regardless, having everyone’s bags hand-searched slowed down the check-in process. The line at the counter was non-existent as over 100 passengers waited for the two agents to hand-search their bags.
The process for hand-searching the checked bags included taking out all of the clothing and searching through each item individually. I was told that my electric razor could not travel in my checked bag and had to go in my carry-on bag. When I finally made my way to the check-in counter, I was quickly given my boarding pass, and the agent took my checked bag.
It is hard to comment on the efficiency of Sky Airline’s check-in as the bag search slowed the process down exponentially.
Is Sky a Good Airline? The Boarding Process
There are only around eight gates at Cusco International Airport. During my time at the airport, all of the flights were headed to Lima. In addition to Sky Airlines, LATAM also has regularly scheduled flights between Lima and Cusco.
All of the passengers were crowded into one giant waiting room. In this waiting room, there were no open stores. Instead, multiple vending machines sold drinks and snacks. The vending machines took both coins and 20 and 50 Sol notes.
Custo International Airport does not have any night flights due to the mountain surrounding the city. Therefore, all of the flights arrive and depart before sundown. The waiting room quickly became crowded as there were multiple LATAM flights departing within the hour.
When it came time to board, Sky Airline’s representative announced that they would board by row. Thankfully, I was able to board early, as I had a VIP mark on my ticket. The mark must have been included with upgrading my fare to include a checked bag and a seat assignment.
After having my ticket scanned, I had to wait on the jet bridge for around 20 minutes while the plane was being cleaned. Overall, boarding was fairly efficient as it began sixty minutes before the scheduled departure. All of the passengers were on the plane and in their seats with at least fifteen minutes to spare, allowing our flight to take off a few minutes early.
Is Sky a Good Airline? On Board Sky Airline's A320 Neo
Once onboard Sky Airline’s A320-neo, the first thing I noticed was how many seats were crammed on the plane. Somehow, Sky Airline can cram 180 seats onto an Airbus A320. The second thing I noticed was the advertisements. Every inch of the airplane was plastered with ads.
With 180 seats on an Airbus A320, Sky Airline has sacrificed legroom to squeeze in extra seats. Thankfully, I had paid an extra $12 for the exit row. The exit rows on Sky Airline’s A320-neo are rows 17 and 18. Row 18 is preferred as their seats recline slightly more. My seat had plenty of legroom and was actually quite comfortable.
One thing I noticed is that Sky Airline does not have a pocket in the seatback. The seats are so narrow that a seatback pocket would barely fit. Not having this pocket provides an additional inch or so of legroom.
Still, with around 29 inches of legroom, the non-exit row seats on Sky are quite cramped. Without the seatback pouch, it might add one inch of legroom, bringing to total pitch on Sky Airline to 30 inches.
During my one-hour flight, there was no service. Sky did not even provide the option of purchasing a drink. I checked to make sure that the tray table was operating. It was, despite the lack of service.
So is Sky a good Airline? I honestly am not sure. For the cost, it got me safely from Cusco to Lima, but it definitely had no perks. If you are looking for the cheapest flight, fly Sky. If you want the typical airline experience, fly LATAM.
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