Boutique Air

Unsafe flight and BAD customer service!
I flew from Oakland to LAX on ⁰¹⁄₀₆ (Wed) at 6:55am. I chose this flight because it was cheap and I needed to get to LA before noon to work. I got to Oakland airport early morning on the 6^th around 6am. It is understandable that the flight got delay due to weather. We arrived in Merced 30 mins late than schedule. After half hour layover at Merced, we took off from Merced to LAX. After 40 minutes, the plane was so shaking as if it was collapse. The pilot took an EMERGENCY landing near Bakersfield since a system in the airplane didn’t work. I am glad that I can survive.
WORSE PART: Once the pilot took EMERGENCY landing, he called the company, but there is no any options for us. The pilot just told us we can wait till the company calls us individually (But it never happen), or we can leave. HOW???
Super WORSE PART: No refund after this mess up, and no one from this crazy airline calls me after this event happened (3 days now)
I was LATE to work, the plane almost crashed and no refund.
If you want to waste money, time and maybe LIFE. Fly through Boutique Air! Worse ever airline.

Several reviewers have stated that the LAX OAK flight stops in Merced for refueling. The airline flies the Pilatus PC-​12 that has a range of over 1700 miles, so the stop is not for refueling. More likely they are flying a route subsidized by an EAS contract (essential air service) in and out of Merced. There are very few aircraft that you’d want to fly in that have a range of less than the distance from Oakland to Los Angeles. As many have stated, this is probably a fun adventure if you have a day to waste, but I wouldn’t count on it for on-​time transportation.

I’m leaving this updated review because I had Carissa from the Boutique Air headquarters in SF reach out to me about my awful flight experience on the 1^st.
She was kind, professional, and courteous in having me explain what happened.
I was refunded and also given a voucher for another flight. I appreciate them taking the time to call me and try to fix the situation. Great customer service from Carissa!

Avoid if you are trying to travel to anywhere. The airplane always break down and schedule is never on time. It’s understandable if it’s weather related but it is always mechanical issue and they could not give any set time. If you have about a day to kill go for it.

DO NOT FLY WITH BOUTIQUE AIR.
My wife had a flight that was supposed to depart at 12:45pm from MCE to OAK. When it came time to board, no one was around to assist, which made it apparent the plane was not leaving on schedule. However, they didn’t bother to tell the passengers that and simply left them waiting in the boarding room.
Nobody showed up to tell the passengers the flight would be delayed until half an hour later around 1:20. The agent said there were maintenance issues and that it would be another 30 min wait.
However, after another 30 min, the agent came back out to say it would be another 15 minutes.
After 15 min, the agent said 3:15pm. Basically, they kept prolonging the delay. Their ETAs were essentially pointless. Throughout this time of waiting for their «maintenance» issue to be fixed, not a single person touched the plane they were supposed to fly on.
I decided to read Unilocal reviews and encountered another reviewer who had a similar experience. It wasn’t until she called in to their customer service line that she found out the flight would be delayed another 5 – 6 hours, thus her entire day was wasted.
After reading that, I decided to call in to their customer service. The lady that picked up was incredibly rude and offered no help whatsoever. I asked what was the point of their ETAs if they weren’t going to stick to it and simply change it as soon as it drew near. I asked to be transferred to her supervisor and was placed on hold for 10 minutes. After which, the line disconnected.
I tried calling in and this time was placed on a cue system; I was 6^th in cue. As I waited for about 15 min to be next in line, the call went straight to an answering machine…
I called into their SF number and waited another 10 min, this time 3^rd in line. A gentleman by the name of Shawn picked up and I explained my issue. He told me the flight was delayed until 3:15pm and then realized that was wrong because it was now 3:30pm. He placed me on hold to figure out what was wrong. After about 10 minutes on hold, the line was disconnected again. I tried calling in and waited on hold another 10 min, until I was next in line. Another time, it went to a answering machine that said no callers were available to assist at this time and told me to leave a voicemail.
I have never experienced such terrible customer service before. Fly with Boutique Air at your own risk of wasting an entire day.

I was looking for a round trip flight in early Dec 2015 from the Fresno CA area to Vegas. Found Boutique Air through one of my searches flying out from Merced Ca (less than 1 hour drive away from Fresno) to LAS and they were about $ 100 cheaper than any other flight so I booked through this company via their website. I thought I was saving time and money because I usually drive to Vegas which is a 6 hour drive for me and was thrilled about flying for once. So a week before my flight, I get a call stating my fight has been re-​routed to Henderson NV. I would be landing and departing in Henderson, not LAS as expected but the company would provide free shuttle to and from Henderson to LAS. Later found out, this has been going on for 3 months prior to me flying and yet they still advertise they fly to and from LAS and waited 1 week before my flight to tell me?! That was an inconvenience but they said there was nothing they could do about it.
So the day of my flight, I check in early as instructed but our plane got held up at another airport and did not arrive until 20 min after we were supposed to take off already. They had to refuel and do all their standard inspections before we could board so we take off over an hour late. I was terrified of course, as this was my first time in a small private plane and the ride there actually wasn’t bad until we got to NV. It was VERY windy and there was A LOT of turbulence. I was hanging on for dear life!
So, fast forward to my departure from Vegas. The shuttle arrived exactly on time at the spot they dropped us off at. Took us from LAS to Henderson. I checked in and still had some time and so grabbed some breakfast at the diner upstairs. Came back down and had about 10 minutes before my flight. 10 min come and go still nothing. Wait another 15 min or so and the lady that checked me in comes in with 2 other guys (the pilots). They go to a corner, since they do not have a designated counter and talk between themselves for about another 20 min or so. The lady then approaches me and asks for my name again. I tell her and she turns back and talks to the guys and then returns and asked if I would be willing to sit up in front with the pilot. She explained that due to some unforeseen situation, one of the pilots had to stay behind. In order for the plane to be balanced, the pilot seats could not be left empty and so they needed the smallest/​lightest person to sit up front with the pilot to balance the plane. Unfortunately for me, I was the smallest/​lightest person but I informed the lady I would not feel comfortable sitting in front with the pilot. She assured me I did not need to do anything in regards to flying the plane, I just needed to sit in the seat next to the pilot. I still said I was not comfortable with the idea and really, it was not my responsibility or duty to make sure the plane was balanced, it was theirs. So they go back and talk some more and about 30 min later they come back and said that in order to balance the plane, they had to leave some of the baggage behind. Luckily, none of my bags had to be left behind but after more going and back forth we finally board and make our way back to Merced, about 2 hours or so late by now.
I was really looking forward to my trip and flying with this company but NEVER would I do this again, which is sad because I travel to Vegas often. I would rather drive the 6 hours in the comforts of my own car and on my own schedule than to ever go through this again. While the staff were all nice and polite, it did not make up for the constant and repeated delays, lack of communication and inexperience this company seems to display.

You get exactly what you paid for. Nothing more, maybe a bit less.
Although Boutique Air may seem like luxury flying on a budget, it is still a boutique airline with less benefits and resources compared to the bigger sharks like Delta, United, Southwest etc.
Here’s my experience flying from LAX to Merced:
We found the tickets on Google a few days before the flight. Although there were other tickets at comparable prices, my fiancé and I chose Boutique Air for the «cool» experience. We paid $ 99 (post tax)/ person.
Before flight: The day before the flight, we read the unclear baggage policy and came in confused. At first, we read it as allowed to check in up to 35 lbs regardless of number of bags. In actuality, you HAVE to check in all bags, except bags you can carry on your lap. Handbags, backpacks etc…
Check in Process:
No TSA. Because it’s a boutique airline flying to a private airport.
No online check in. No apps. In person check in only at the airport which was very pleasant. The agent was a bit slow but overall very polite.
At gate: there is a designated gate but there is no seating. There was only a door that had a sign that said «Boutique Air,» and there were no updated flight statuses. We had to go back and forth multiple times to check the status of the flight and ask if and when we can check in.
Main reason for 2 stars:
Flight delayed by 2.5+ hours with no resources to mediate.
1) when we checked in, the agent informed us that the flight was delayed by an hour due to aircraft leaving late.
2) at the gate, he tells us that the plane left Oakland at 10:20 (our flight was supposed to leave at 10:10) and should be here at 11:20 and we should be able to take off before 12. I asked what cause the delay and he explained to us that the windows were frozen due to cold weather and because their equipment was broken, they had to get another equipment from another airport which caused major delays. He says if they had the equipment onsite, it would have been done in minutes.
3) at noon, he tells us that aircraft is here but it uses a certain fuel that the gate doesn’t carry. It is now at the opposite end of the gate to get refueled so another hr delay. Flight should leave around 1pm.
4) at 12:45, says the plane is ready, apologizes profusely and takes us near the plane. But then, no. The agent gets a phone call and we walk back up. The plane has a flat tire, the airline doesn’t have a maintenance department so they need to contact a vendor ASAP to get it fixed.
5) at 1pm: The tire needs to be delivered from Merced and it is unclear when the plane will take off (talk about irony?!)
At this point, we rented a car and decided to drive up.
Overall, the agents were polite. They tried to offer us soft drinks, keep us informed best they can, and offer others the refund options when we brought it up. However, this airline did not have any backup plans and when everything that can go wrong, went wrong, it left the customers extremely unhappy, their employees strapped with nothing to offer to their customers. They couldn’t get us to another flight, couldn’t offer any perks or points or vouchers.
Will I recommend it? No. At least not until they figure out how to operate an airline properly.

This review got Boutique Air’s headquarters’ attention. Someone got in touch with me via email saying they’d like to discuss the situation.
I called.
They offered me a refund and said that they changed the information in their website to make it clear that one should check-​in 45 minutes early, not 30, when flying out of LAX and thanked me for pointing it out to them.
They also gave a me a voucher to book a round-​trip in the future.
So…they heard me out. I guess this works!

I was scheduled to fly Boutique Air from Las Vegas to Phoenix and was notified that the flight was being rescheduled to fly from the Henderson Airport instead of the McCarren airport. On arriving at the Henderson Airport I was notified that the flight was cancelled due to mechanical issues and was promised a voucher and refund. I have received no communication since my intitial request either through Travelcocity or Boutique Air. I have called despite being deaf and have emailed and no response. I am not getting any sort of communication about a refund much less a voucher. While Boutique Air has some good customer service people, they have not done much about communicating as to how I am to be refunded for an issue that was their fault and not mine nor sent a refund or voucher as promised.
Update — I received 1 email from Boutique Air saying that they would look into this. I finally received a refund through Travelocity from Boutique Air, the agency that I booked this flight through. I still have yet to see any promised voucher from Boutique Air for the hassle they put me through with their cancellation, switching airports and delayed refund.

Flew from LAS to PHX this weekend (Sunday after Thanksgiving).
Departure was diverted from McCarran (the big Vegas airport) to a smaller executive terminal in Henderson. Boutique informed me of the change several days in advance, and provided a shuttle (private car) from from McCarran to Henderson, as I was only connecting in Vegas.
I really appreciated the heads up, and subsequent call from the driver to let me know he was on my way to pick me up the day of the flight. Upon arrival at the airport, check-​in was very personal, relaxed, and quick due to the small plane and number of passengers (total of 7)
On board we were ready a bit early and left ahead of time which was nice. Small plane meant very quick loading of people and passengers. Departing from the executive terminal meant no lines and not very far to walk. The plane itself was quite comfortable, free soda and peanuts. All seats have windows (except back left) although the leg room was a bit cramped. Taking off from the smaller airport was faster too, no wait.
Arriving in Phoenix on Sunday evening after Thanksgiving should have been chaotic, but we simply walked off the plane, grabbed our bags, and bypassed the terminal out a side entrance. Pretty slick.
For the price paid the value was excellent.

I had the opportunity to fly with Boutique Air, and even though I was initially skeptical about flying on such a small plane, I was pleasantly surprised. Check in was quick and easy, and I was able to get through it within about two minutes. The people were professional and really, very kind. Once on the plane, it was obvious that plane well maintained. Even though it was small, there was a lot of leg room. It was kind of loud, but I had earphones on the entire time and I could not hear anything when they were in. There was barely any turbulence, which is always a good thing. Along with this, I ended up getting home over two hours before my scheduled time because of how quick and to the point this little airline was. Overall, it was a great experience, and I definitely plan on using Boutique Air again and will definitely be recommending it to friends and family!

tl;dr: Awesome and cheap flights, but only when everything goes smoothly.
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Cost: I needed OAK-​LAX round trip within 5 days notice, and Boutique provided one at $ 175. That, and considering it’d be in a tiny plane, I was all in. I purchased via Priceline.
Checking-​in: From habit, I tried checking in a day before the flight. The check-​in form on their website threw back my information without a great error message, and had me follow up via a customer service phone number.
I called customer service and… wasn’t very impressed. It pretty much felt like the rep was entering my information on the same website I tried, just at ¹⁄₃ the speed that I had done it. After 10 minutes, I politely excused myself and hung up.
I eventually tried putting both my first and middle name (which I noticed I included during the ticket purchase) in the «First Name» field, and was able to make it through check-​in myself. Chalk one up for mediocre web design.
Leaving Oakland: There’s only room on the plane for basically a small backpack as a carry-​on, so the rolling suitcase I was using had to be checked in (has to be 35 pounds or under, I believe!), for free.
It’s a weird feeling when you’re waiting with only 2 other people at a gate built for 200, like something is just *wrong*. And something did go wrong. Our flight time arrived, and we were still sitting at the gate, and there was no one at the gate any of the 3 of us could talk to. One of us tried the same customer service number, and didn’t seem to have much up-​to-​date information either. We got a not-​so-​confident message that the plane was just arriving and only running a little late.
About 15 minutes past scheduled departure time, the same person who checked my bag came to check our tickets and lead us to the plane.
The Flight: not much new to say, except it really does feel surreal to get on the tarmac of a busy airport, let alone board a plane that seats 8. There’s a very brief stop at Merced to refuel. It was just enough time to exit the secure zone to use the restroom and go through security again (the line was just the 3 of us).
Leaving LAX: ironically, LAX was the exact opposite experience that I had at Oakland, or at any other flight I’ve taken at LAX. They checked my bag again, I waited at a gate area that was more populated, and the airline representatives actually came to get me at the gate when it was time to board — the actual meeting area was an exit door around the corner. Punctual, confident, and reassuring.
So to sum up, I had one excellent flight experience, and two let-​downs on the service side of things. I would give them another chance, provided some things get ironed out.

I took a ride on their LAX to OAK route today (they just started it a few days ago) and for the price, it was a great experience.
We walked down the stairs from Terminal 3 to the Tarmac and caught our first glimpse of the plane. I’ve seen bathrooms that were bigger. Yikes! Of course, I’m used to flying Delta (not that they have huge bathrooms). It was a full flight with 8 passengers and two pilots.
Our pilots were superb pulling double-​duty as flight attendants. The Captain was knowledgeable, engaging, informative, with the right mix of professional personality. It’s a tiny plane and there isn’t much room to move about, but there are power outlets and the seats are comfortable. There is a restroom on board, but I don’t think anyone would use it unless it was a dire emergency. I’d love to see a safety video with someone demonstrating how to unfold the doors for privacy between the pilots & passengers. In terms of the actual flight, it was smooth and I didn’t feel worried being in a prop plane. It was a little louder than I expected, but I was able to zone out with my headphones on for a quick cat nap.
Anyhow, we landed in Merced for a refuel, and to swap a couple of passengers. This is a TINY airport and the restrooms are outside of the «sterile» security area. So, if you need a potty break — you’ll have to go through the TSA screening to get back to the waiting room. I think we were on the ground for maybe 30 minutes. After that brief pit-​stop, we were back in the air for about 30 minutes before landing at OAK.
I would totally fly this route again if I had a quick day or weekend trip to Oakland or San Francisco, and would strongly consider flying with Boutique Air to Las Vegas instead of driving.

Best airline ever!!! I was a little skeptical booking this airline since I wasn’t sure if it was safe. I read the Unilocal reviews and decided to take my chances. However. when boarding my flight, I was completely surprised! No long security lines! I arrived 30 mins before the plane took off and I still have plenty of time to just sit and relax. Hassle-​free check-​in. The interior of the plane is beautiful, leather seats, free snacks and drinks, the passengers and pilots were both very friendly. Since the plane flies lower than usual commercial airplines, you’re able to get an amazing view of the cities you’re flying over. I love this airline and I wish it would fly to more cities other than LA and Vegas!

Flew with Botique from LA to Vegas and back and must say I was extremely surprised. From the ease of check-​in, To the flight itself, the whole process was great. Price was competitive with any other airline out there. I plan on flying boutique for all my Vegas outings, and may even look into renting the whole plane for a group trip. Thanks Botique!

Flew with Boutique Air from LA to Las Vegas round trip and it was a great experience. Good service, on time departures, and a hassle free and nice way to travel in general. A really nice pilot and copilot as well.

Had a chance to fly on this relatively new airline. The experience was surprising exclusive but affordable @ the same time. I have never flown out of the exec terminal of SFO, so WOW, it’s so much easier… No need to kick off the shoes or being scanned. Just checkin and fly :) :)
The inside of the plane is smaller than your commercial jets and I def had some hesitations about flying on a small plane, but the pilot was so professional and competent, the landing was incredibly smooth.
Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who is looking @ a good SF-​LA route and want to skip the lines and hassles of a commercial flight and fly out of the exclusive exec terminal of SFO while ONLY paying commercial ticket price!