I’m contemplating finally securing a ticket on an airline that has caught my attention for years. It definitely won’t be simple, but I’m intrigued, so I’m eager to know the perspective of the OMAAT community.
The route I’m exploring from Miami to Marseille:
I need to travel from Miami (MIA) to Marseille (MRS) soon. Most typical travelers would look to book a one-stop route as a single ticket. In fact, I even found a good one-stop business class option using miles at the saver level… a rare delight these days!
Yet, I’m not your average traveler. As you all know, I always aim to test new products, no matter how out of the way that may lead me.
This brings me to an intriguing routing I’m contemplating. Rather than a single connection on one ticket, the itinerary I’m considering includes at least four flights on three tickets. But hey, nobody ever said that seeking to fly with various airlines would be hassle-free, right? 😉
Anyway, Air Algerie is an airline that has long piqued my interest:
The downside is, Air Algerie fares are generally quite high, despite the subpar product. The airline doesn’t seem to position itself as a connecting carrier, focusing primarily on the Algeria market (securing a visa for Algeria can be quite tedious).
However, I am spotting a decent Air Algerie fare from Montreal (YUL) to Tunis (TUN) via Algiers (ALG). Admittedly, Montreal isn’t my starting point, and Tunis isn’t my end point, but those are trivial details in the grand scheme!
My only disappointment with that Air Algerie itinerary is that the connecting flight isn’t on the rare Boeing 737-600, which Air Algerie operates. Instead, it’s on an Airbus A320… which isn’t even part of Air Algerie’s own fleet. It appears this is a wet leased aircraft, belonging to Bulgaria’s Fly2Sky. “Lucky, you only care about luxury.” Please! Who wouldn’t want a taste of Bulgarian culture while flying between Algeria and Tunisia?
I then have two alternatives. The first alternative is to create a scene in the gate area, claiming I’m bewildered and thought my flight was actually “to Nice” (which isn’t too far from Marseille). 😉 The second choice is to simply book Tunisair on the Airbus A320neo, an aircraft type on the airline that I haven’t yet experienced.
Getting to Montreal isn’t particularly complicated, so this doesn’t actually seem like a very roundabout routing. I promise to behave since I’m not seeking to get barred from any other North African nations!
Should I spend a night or two in Tunis while I’m at it?
I could travel this routing all the way through from Miami to Marseille with three stops, with some reasonable buffers in between. However, I’m also tempted to spend a night or two in Tunis. My last visit to Tunisia was nearly a decade ago when I flew Tunisair’s A330 from Tunis to Montreal.
I have fond memories of that brief visit and am indeed tempted to go back. Any recommendations on where to stay? The Four Seasons Tunis is located in Gammarth, a lovely coastal region, and is one of the more moderately priced properties in the brand (while still being exorbitantly priced by local standards).
Are there any other delightful hotels I should think about? The Tunis Marriott Hotel just opened in 2022 and looks appealing for a standard Marriott. However, it seems to function more as a generic city hotel, whereas the Four Seasons feels more like a resort.
If there are other options I might be overlooking (even if not linked to a major hotel chain), I’d love to hear them!
To summarize:
Air Algerie has been on my radar for years, and now it seems the airline truly offers a fairly decent long-haul hard product. I can’t determine whether that makes it more or less attractive for me to fly with them… but either way, I’m in!
While an itinerary from Montreal to Tunis might not seem practical when looking to fly from Miami to Marseille, I’m always up for an adventure like that. So please let me know if you all are curious about the Air Algerie experience, or if it’s just me…
Should I fly Air Algerie’s A330neo business class? If so, should I spend a night or two in Tunis?