About Alternative Airlines
Alternative Airlines is a UK-based online travel agency that sells flight tickets from more than 600 airlines worldwide. The company, Alternative Airlines Ltd, is registered in England under company number 02885223, operates from Horley near London Gatwick Airport, and is IATA accredited, which allows it to issue airline tickets directly. Its main draw is payment flexibility: checkout supports more than 40 payment methods, including iDEAL, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna, and cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, with prices available in over 160 currencies including euros. Booking works like any flight search site: enter a route, compare fares across airlines, pay with your preferred method, and receive the e-ticket by email once the airline confirms the booking. For European travelers the appeal is paying for flights with a local method like iDEAL or spreading the cost with Klarna, options most airlines do not offer when booking directly.
Pros of using Alternative Airlines
- Accepts more than 40 payment methods, including iDEAL, Klarna, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Bitcoin
- Sells tickets for over 600 airlines, including smaller regional carriers that larger booking sites often skip
- IATA accredited and registered in England since 1994 under company number 02885223
- Trustpilot score of 4.9 out of 5 based on roughly 30,000 reviews
- Prices can be displayed and paid in euros, with over 160 currencies supported
Cons of using Alternative Airlines
- Final prices can be higher than booking the same flight directly with the airline
- Refunds and cancellations run through Alternative Airlines, not the airline, and reviewers report delays and deducted fees
- iDEAL payments must be made in euros and cannot be combined with the split-payment feature
- Slow customer service responses are a recurring theme in negative reviews
- ATOL protection is not stated on the site for flight-only bookings
