Sun Express Review from SpontaneousPathfinder35514

We booked a short trip to Uzbekistan based on a cheap Jack’s fare with Sun Express, with a stopover in Izmir, Turkey. It was almost half the price of the standard fare and a destination I have long planned to visit, and I checked accommodation and other aspects very carefully before booking. Sun Express failed to load our luggage for transfer at Izmir, so we arrive in a very cold Samarkand (-10C) and had to wait a full week till the next flight for our luggage and warm clothes and meds.

Their customer service was abysmal—nothing at the airport, the website either crashed or the enquiry form got no response, and repeated phone calls elicited no information. When our cases did arrive, there were hundreds of other cases as well, and we understood from several local sources that this is routine with Sun Express. The plane out was very uncomfortable and cramped, with no meals or drinks provided, though we expected this of a budget airline.

The return journey was also very difficult—the plane left Samarkand two hours late. The given reason was poor weather, though the weather in Izmir and Samarkand was perfect, so we suspect this was just a way of evading any liability for compensation. We had to rush through transfer at Izmir to catch our flight to Stansted with minutes to spare, but at least our luggage made it through this time.
We will be much more cautious about split flights and cheap fares in the future, and we want to warn other members of the possible risks.