W6 1423 Warsaw - Bratislava. Occasionally, I like to break my routine and go on an adventure trip to Bratislava with the Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air. Although I have visited the Slovak capital twice so far, I have never set foot on board the różowa landryna (“pink candy”), as some Polish aviation enthusiasts call the airline. It is fun to try something new, expand my horizons, and find out whether Wizz Air bites or not. At least for me, the airline feels somewhat exotic, as I have never flown with them before. In fact, this will be my maiden flight with the Pink Candy.

I only have a backpack with me, so I walk to the airport, which takes approximately 35 minutes. While on my way, I receive a text message from the airline informing me that my flight is delayed and that the new departure time is 13:10, so there is no rush to get to the airport, and I can simply enjoy the sunny spring day.

Finally, I reach the airport and proceed straight to security control, equipped with my printed boarding pass. There is a long queue at the security check area, and the airport staff have closed the entrance to this zone, directing passengers to use another screening area located in a different part of the airport. The zig-zag queue is long, but surprisingly it moves quickly. After 10 minutes, I complete the security screening and check the display monitors for the assigned gate. Gate 45. OK, it is at the far corner of the pier.

There is still some time before boarding, which is scheduled to commence at 13:10, so I take a seat near the assigned gate. The delay in departure was caused by the late arrival of the incoming flight from Nice, which landed at 12:22 vs scheduled 12:00. In the meantime, however, the departure time has been updated to 13:00.

At 12:28, boarding is announced and passengers with priority are invited to come forward first. Then the remaining passengers are called for boarding. After scanning my boarding pass, I proceed downstairs but stop halfway. I guess we are waiting for the arrival of a bus that will take us to the aircraft.

After five minutes, we finally start moving, and a bus takes us to the aircraft, which is parked on a remote stand not far from the terminal building. Today’s flight is operated by a 2.2-year-old Airbus A321-271NX (registration number 9H-WNC), configured in an all-economy layout with a capacity of 239 seats.

My assigned seat is 24E and, according to the instructions on my boarding pass, I should board the aircraft through the rear door, which I do. Inside, I am greeted by a member of the cabin crew and proceed to my assigned seat.

The plane is filling up with passengers. Meanwhile, the captain greets the passengers and informs us that today’s flight will take under one hour. While seated in my seat, I observe my fellow passengers. There is a father with two daughters, several couples, and a few groups of travellers, including a group of Spanish friends. Boarding is soon completed, and the cabin crew - four female flight attendants, including one senior crew member who provides on-the-job training to the junior associate - carry out the final departure procedures before taking their positions for the safety demonstration, conducted in Polish and English simultaneously, sentence by sentence.

The flight is almost full, with only a few seats unoccupied. The cabin interior is pleasant and clean. The dark blue leather seats with pink trim along the edges contrast nicely with the neutral colours of the cabin.

At 13:06, everything is ready and the pushback procedure begins. After a short taxi to the runway, we finally take off at 13:10, heading west. Once airborne, the cabin crew offers items from the buy-on-board menu, which attracts some passengers. Later, the crew push a trolley through the aisle with non-food merchandise, including heavily advertised perfumes, but there are no takers.

After departing westbound, we make a slight left turn around the town of Grodzisk Mazowiecki, then continue southwest, passing west of Kraków and later over the Slovak city of Nitra. At 13:38, the captain announces our descent to the destination airport and provides some information about the weather in Bratislava. Afterwards, the cabin crew carry out the final pre-landing checks and later take their seats for landing, as instructed by the captain. Meanwhile, we make a 90-degree right turn before landing at Bratislava Airport at 14:02.

After a short taxi, the aircraft is parked in front of the terminal, and we disembark via stairs. After a short walk, I enter the arrivals area and proceed to the bus stop located outside the terminal building. Bus 61 arrives soon afterwards.

Inside, I buy an e-ticket for €1.09, and after about 25 minutes the bus reaches its final stop in front of the main railway station. From there, I only have a few minutes’ walk to my booked accommodation.

LF: 90 %

Distance: 519 kms (280 nm)

Departure time (scheduled/actual): 12:35/13:10 (local time at the departure airport)

Arrival time (scheduled/actual): 13:50/14:02 (local time at the arrival airport)

Flight duration (scheduled/actual): 1h 15 min/0 h 52 min

Bratislava. Bratislava is a city of contrasts, where the historic old town meets the architecture of the communist era. Alongside baroque palaces and medieval streets, visitors can also see more modern architecture “wonders: large panel-block housing estates, wide boulevards, and monumental public buildings reflect the urban planning ideals of that time.

The most recognizable example is the futuristic SNP Bridge, crowned with its distinctive UFO-shaped restaurant, which has become one of the symbols of the city. Built in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the bridge was considered a remarkable engineering achievement of its time. Its elegant single-pylon structure and suspended roadway still give it a modern appearance today. The observation deck inside the UFO offers one of the best panoramic views over Bratislava, the Danube, and the surrounding countryside.

High above Bratislava rises its impressive castle, standing proudly on a hill overlooking the Danube. Its massive white structure with four corner towers dominates the skyline and can be seen from many parts of the city. The castle is one of the most important landmarks of the Slovak capital. From its terraces, visitors can enjoy magnificent views of the old town, the river, and even the borders of Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary.

W6 1423 Bratislava - Warsaw. The next day, after breakfast and checking out of the hotel, I head to the nearby bus stop. Bus 61 departs in a few minutes and is relatively busy. I had purchased an e-ticket for €1.09, which covers the journey to the airport. Some passengers get off at Avion Shopping Park, which serves a large shopping centre, while the remainder continue their journey to M. R. Štefánik Airport Bratislava.

The airport is named after M. R. Štefánik, who was also a pioneer aviator and served as a pilot during the First World War. Inside the terminal building, I head straight to level +1, where the departure area is located. I scan my boarding pass (kindly printed by the hotel staff) and move to the security area.

The queue moves quickly and soon I am airside. To my surprise, boarding is already open and the staff are checking passengers’ boarding cards. I did not expect this, as boarding usually starts 30 minutes prior to departure. A quick look at the boarding card makes everything clear. It says boarding starts at 12:45 and, more precisely, that there will be a check of bag sizes. This is not a concern for me, as I only have a backpack which fits under the seat. After scanning my boarding card at gate 4, I enter an isolated area separate from the main departure hall and wait a few minutes.

The area is filled with passengers, and, after a short wait, we are finally ready to proceed to the aircraft. Firstly, passengers with priority are invited to come forward, followed by the remaining passengers. I follow my fellow passengers. First, we move downstairs, then a short walk across the tarmac leads me to the parked aircraft, which has just completed its segment from Warsaw as flight W6 1422, which arrived 16 minutes ahead of schedule. Today’s flight is operated by 1.8-year-old Airbus A321-271NX registered as 9H-WNO.

As instructed on my boarding card, I board the aircraft through the rear door. I say dzień dobry (“Good morning”) to the cabin crew member standing there and proceed to my assigned seat, 39E, located in the next-to-last row.

While boarding, I observe the passing passengers and recognise some familiar faces. The father with his two daughters is returning to Warsaw, but I cannot see the Spanish group of friends. Yesterday, when they were leaving the flight, they were chatting with the cabin crew. I overheard part of the conversation and gathered that they were planning to stay a few more days in Bratislava, although they were unsure whether they would return today or later. So, they must have decided to extend their stay, or perhaps they enjoyed themselves a little too much and missed their flight.

The plane continues to fill up and most of the seats are taken. The seats in front of the emergency exits remain unoccupied, and the cabin crew offers them to passengers for an additional fee of €20, although I doubt anyone is interested. The crew then also informs passengers that the aircraft is equipped with Bluetooth® connectivity, allowing them to place orders from the buy-on-board menu through their devices.

At 13:10, the mixed cabin crew of four (50/50) announces the completion of boarding and finalizes the pre-departure procedures, including preparations for the safety demonstration. As on the previous flight, the safety demo is conducted simultaneously, sentence by sentence, in Polish and English. As the window seat remains unoccupied, I take the opportunity to move to seat 39A. Meanwhile, the captain greets the passengers and provides basic information about the flight duration and the current weather in Warsaw.

At 13:16, we are ready to depart, and the pushback procedure begins. After a short taxi, we take off at 13:24. After passing Bratislava, we turn left and then head northwest.

In the meantime, the fasten seatbelt signs are switched off, and the cabin crew offers products from the buy-on-board menu while also serving pre-ordered items, delivered via Bluetooth to a passenger seated a few rows in front of me. A quick look at the menu reveals the usual range of snacks, drinks, and light meals, with prices noticeably higher than on the ground. For example, a bottle of water costs €3.00, a Coca-Cola €4.00, coffee between €4.00 and €4.50, while a beer is about €6.50. Hot meals such as pasta or soup are priced at around €8.50–€15.50, and sandwiches or wraps range from approximately €9.50 to €12.50. Chocolate bars and smaller snacks generally cost between €2.50 and €4.50.

Seated in my new spot, I quickly flip through the inflight magazine and check the contents of an article featuring Málaga, Spain. To my surprise, the legroom is perfectly acceptable by my standards. Later, the crew offers non-food merchandise, but there are no takers.

The flight is a bit bumpy as we fly through a turbulent area. After passing the Slovak cities of Trnava and Žilina, we continue over southern Poland, passing near Bielsko-Biała and west of Kielce.

At 13:50, the captain announces the start of descent, and a few minutes later the cabin crew asks passengers to prepare for landing. Meanwhile, we approach the town of Piaseczno, and after a slight left turn we head toward Frederic Chopin Airport in Warsaw, where we land at 14:14.

After a short taxi, we park at the remote stands and are taken to the Schengen arrivals area by three buses. I then leave the terminal and head home on foot.

LF: 95 %

Distance: 519 kms (280 nm)

Departure time (scheduled/actual): 13:25/13:24 (local time at the departure airport)

Arrival time (scheduled/actual): 14:35/14:14 (local time at the arrival airport)

Flight duration (scheduled/actual): 1h 10 min/0 h 50 min