I flew one way from Sydney to Melbourne with TigerAir. They seemed to be basically the same price as the competition, and I picked them because of their (slightly) higher reviews. I wasn't impressed by these guys. They were over an hour late showing up to the gate, due to the fact that the plane had some maintenance issues at the other airport and didn't get to take off on schedule. Since we were running late, our pilot seemed to ignore storms and turbulence and plowed through them in a very bumpy flight. The plane seemed pretty old and run down. It was in serious need of an upgrade. Even the flight attendants' uniforms were retro. They looked straight outta the 70's. Everything costs extra with these super budget guys. Need something to drink? That'll be extra. Surcharges for everything except going to the lavatories. Thankfully, my luggage and I arrived intact. read more

I took a round trip flight from Melbourne to Sydney and thought my experience was just fine. I booked my flight at the last minute (two days in advance) and even though I was new to Tigerair's process, everything went smoothly. When you book the flight, they are very clear and upfront in stating that there is a weight limit on the one piece of luggage you're permitted to bring and also that food/beverages are not included in the price. The cost of airfare is the lowest compared to the other options, so you get what you pay for - airfare from one city to another and nothing more. If you decide to use Tigerair, make sure you check in for your flight online so that it's one less thing to worry about at the airport. I think they let you check in 72 hours in advance. Also, if you have a carry on and know it's under the weight limit, you can go ahead through airport security and go straight to the gate. No need to stop by the Tigerair check-in. They'll double check the weight of your carry-on at the gate. I will admit that they will corral you like cattle at the gate. If you fly out from Melbourne, you'll have to walk onto the tarmac to board. If you're not okay with that, you should go with a different airline. Otherwise, accept that you're using a budget airline. read more

I'm writing this as I'm waiting to board my flight to Adelaide. The reason I'm writing now and not later is because there's not really anything to do now we've got an hour before our flight, which is far too long. BTW, don't let anyone try to tell you that you need to check in 2 hours before departure, that's bull. Check in OPENS 2 hours prior but gates close 45 minutes before. Aim for an hour and a 15 minutes before talking off - the extra 45 minutes is horrendous and I don't wish that upon anyone. Flight prices are cheap. Attitude is p*ssy. They'll screw you on everything else. read more

I Flew With Tiger Airways Twice To The Gold Coast (2008 and 2009) and I Quite Enjoyed It but there was One Big Thing That I Didn't Like About The Airline which were The Delays that I Experienced because I Had to Wait For A Long Time In The Departure Lounge With my Family Review of the Flight The Aircraft Was Very Good Which was a Airbus A320 (9 out of 10) The Interior was Nice (10 out of 10) The Service was Very Good Apart from the Prices for Food and Drinks (8 out of 10) The Walk Across the Tarmac to the Aircraft (9 and a Half out of 10) because Back in 2008 I was Recovering from Knee Surgery and there were almost identical Aircraft on The Tarmac so it was hard to figure out which aircraft was Ours and I had to walk up a Staircase into the Airplane to Board read more

Nasty!! Staff have a fairly blaze attitude to customer service, they're just there because it's a job they have to do. Their aeroplanes smell like old mouldy carpet and the seats are dirty and stained. Their Tullamarine terminal is like cattle shed and be prepared for a long walk to the main terminal if you're hiring a car or transferring to another carrier. Cheap but low quality service is what you get with this airline. Never flying with them again, just pay the extra and go with Jetstar or Virgin. read more

This airline is a total and complete disaster. Beware the women with the scales as you enter the gate area. If your bag is at all over the ridiculous 7kg limit, you will be charged extra fees for an already overpriced ticket. Sorting which bags had to be checked and which could go onboard was a real puzzle for our gate agent. Then, to add insult to injury, one must walk outside into the weather and climb steep stairs on the tarmac to board the plane. I felt bad for a disabled man who boarded before us. Want a drink? There's a fee for that. Food? Same thing. I will certainly choose one of the many other carriers the next time I book a holiday. Tigerair is a bust. read more

I was flying from Sydney to Melbourne on a flight set for 9.45pm. I had arrived just before 9pm. The check-in kiosks at the airport closed early for my flight and therefore I had to line up to the counter to manually check-in. This included online check in. By the time I was served, I had passed the cut off time for checking in. Fortunately I was allowed to just slide in. Upon running to the gate that was supposed to be boarding, I discovered that the flight was running late. The flight was open for boarding 1 hour AFTER the scheduled time of the flight. It was late as the plane hadn't even arrived into the airport. Why then, did they prevent people booked on that flight to not check-in? And why were there no public announcements to inform the passengers that the plane had not even arrived? Boarding the flight finally opened 20mins from the curfew cutoff at 11pm. Tigerair then announced the 20min, and stated that if passengers do not hurry up and move on the plane swiftly - the flight will be cancelled. Absolutely disgusted with Tigerair directing responsibility of this delay back to the passengers who had paid for Tigerair to take them home. As a result of Tigerair arriving extremely late back in Melbourne, all connecting services such as planned train trips etc were missed - costing more money and inconvenience for passengers to try to get home after midnight close to 1am. read more

Rude and manipulative. I've never flown with them before, and they have a strict 45-min deadline for check-in. They don't clearly advertise this -- it's not in the text of the confirmation email but the second page of the attached PDF in small print. I arrived 40 minutes beforehand with no checked bags, and they made me pay $80 to switch to the later flight. I sat at the gate for 20 minutes while they began boarding my original flight. They're out to get you. Avoid, avoid, avoid! read more