Neos is an Italian airline that specializes in leisure travel and was founded in the early 2000s. Though the carrier is owned by Alpitour, a vacation package provider, seat-only tickets can still be booked directly with the airline online. While its main base is located at Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP), the airline provides inter-European and longer-distance flights to more than 50 destinations. Many of them originate from a variety of Italian airports.
The route network is primarily seasonal, with several locations only served for a portion of the year. However, there are several exceptions to the seasonality of the route network, with the prominent exception of the Milan to New York (JFK) service, which runs year-round. Use this expert guide if you’re considering flying Neos.
Fare structure
The Neos Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet features a 2-class cabin, including both Premium and Economy, but the smaller Boeing 737 aircraft only has a single Economy class configuration. Economy fares are divided into 3 categories: Promo, the cheapest fare, Relax, the mid-segment offering, and Freedom, the Neos equivalent of a flexible fare in the Economy cabin.
If you want to sit up front in the Premium cabin you will find 2 different pricing categories when booking online. It is worth noting that if you book flights as part of a vacation package, pricing offerings may differ, and this information concentrates on what you’ll encounter when booking directly with the airline.
Neos also allows Economy passengers to pay a surcharge for more legroom, with exit row seats costing an extra fee that can be paid at the time of booking or at the airport on the day of departure, provided seats are still available. These are called Economy Extra seats. In addition, the first 4 rows of the main Economy cabin are designated as Economy Extra Plus and offer some extra service features.
Seats and legroom
While Economy Extra can provide significant advantages in terms of personal space and legroom, the typical caveats apply with any emergency exit seat: there is no seat back pocket for storing any of your items, and all carry-on bags must be stored in the overhead compartment while seated in such seats. Elderly or infirm passengers may not be allowed to sit here because they are located next to the emergency exits.
The other extension of the core Economy product is Economy Extra Plus, which can be accessed with the payment of a modest surcharge. While not an individual cabin, the 36 seats situated at the front of the main cabin offer an extra three centimetres of legroom. Additional service elements include fast track check-in, hot towels and a welcome beverage.
In terms of cabin arrangement on the 737, the carrier follows the industry standard row of 6 seats divided by an aisle in the middle. The 787 Economy cabin offers 9 across seating, divided into 3 sets of 3 seats per row.
Premium cabin
The Premium cabin is configured 7 across, with a pair of seats on either side of the left and right aisles, which surround a group of 3 seats in the centre. It is worth noting that these seats do not offer a lie-flat bed for sleeping but do offer a significant degree of recline compared to conventional Economy seating.
In terms of seat pitch, Premium offers an extra 26 cm of seat pitch when compared to a standard Economy seat.
Direct aisle access is not accessible for people who are not seated next to the aisle in the Premium cabin. If you’re sitting in an A, E or L seat you’ll have to step over someone to access the aisle. However, given that these seats do not extend to a lie-flat position and only offer a reasonable amount of recline, this is perhaps a less troublesome hurdle when compared to other carriers.
Other service features that are available to all Premium passengers include the ability to select your seat up to 48 hours before departure using online check-in. Additionally, expedited security screening and lounge access are also offered at airports that provide such facilities. Entertainment can be accessed using an individual seat monitor which is stored at the side of each seat.
Ticketing changes and differences
The airline pricing structure system does not provide a uniform application of change and cancellation policies for each fare category. This can be somewhat confusing. For example, some routes will enable you to alter the day or the route for a specific fare category, but other fare types may allow you to change the date but not the ticket to a different route.
Take note of exact ticket conditions when booking and note that a change can result in a more restrictive route. This could be particularly relevant should you wish to make further changes to your ticket reservation later.
When it comes to refund options, it goes without saying that cheaper tickets will have additional restrictions on seeking a refund. On the other hand, for more expensive fare categories, the refund policy is more flexible but can still vary significantly within each fare group, depending on the route.
In some rare instances, the entire fare can be refunded. In other cases, just a portion may be able to be refunded. However, in some other scenarios, a complete refund is subject to a flat rate fee, which is comparable to how other carriers impose an administrative cost in similar situations.
One of the most significant concerns for each traveller is the amount of checked baggage included with a ticket. Again, this widely varies according to your destination. For example, a person flying on a flexible Freedom ticket could check in less weight for free on a short European trip than on a long-haul flight. Passengers in Premium are normally permitted to check in two pieces of checked luggage.
Onboard catering & amenities
Complimentary meals and lighter snacks are provided on the majority of routes and even for passengers who have booked the cheapest Promo fare in the main Economy cabin. In a twist to the common tale in such cabins, Neos offers a variety of wine choices that accompany the meal service service in Economy and all are served free of charge. Prosecco is often included on long-hauls.
On longer-distance flights, blankets are not always provided in the main Economy cabin and there is little consistency with this product feature. In contrast, blankets have been placed at each seat prior to departure on shorter-duration flights operated by the smaller Boeing 737.
There is perhaps one potential explanation for this lack of consistency on long-haul flights. In cases where the airline may have to carry enough blankets on-board for the return flight, the lack of space to facilitate the storage of hundreds of blankets, could be the reason behind the issue.
Wi-Fi and entertainment
The 787 fleet, as expected for a wide-body aircraft, has in-seat entertainment, with movies frequently accessible in a variety of languages including English, Italian, Spanish, French and Chinese. Children can also watch movies, listen to music and play games. Drinks and snacks can also be ordered to your seat via the entertainment system, but keep in mind that these may incur an additional cost.
Wi-Fi access is offered on 787 flights, with Neos claiming bandwidth speeds of up to 12Mbps. Passengers in the main Economy cabin can purchase connectivity packages, however, travellers in the Premium cabin and Economy Extra Plus receive complimentary access. In these circumstances, flight attendants typically offer an access voucher, allowing the passenger to log in using a unique access code.
While the smaller Boeing 737 lacks the same internet and entertainment facilities, some aircraft within the short-haul fleet do have built-in seat back fittings for tablets and smartphones. In particular, this can be very convenient when utilizing the folding tray table, such as during the meal service. In such circumstances, you can eat in comfort without having to balance your portable electronic device on the folding tray table.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
