What really stood out about my flight with BermudAir was the friendliness of the cabin crew, the locally sourced food and truly Bermudian feel of the entire experience.

I took the business-class flight with a view to writing about the airline for The Royal Gazette, which paid for my fare from Fort Lauderdale to LF Wade International Airport.

This follows a review of the island’s Bermuda Direct Air Service, which provided a direct flight to the Dominican Republic via private jet.

The experience with BermudAir did not start off well as the flight on Friday was delayed by a whopping four hours. We ended up boarding at about 10.40pm and by the time we got into Bermuda it was 2am local time [Fort Lauderdale is an hour behind Bermuda].

Thankfully, there were shops and restaurants still open at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to help while away the hours. There was very little in the way of announcements explaining the lateness of the flight so I ended up asking the airport staff at the departure gate who informed me that there had been a mechanical fault with one of BermudAir’s two leased planes.

The on-board experience went a long way towards making up for the long wait. The cabin crew recognised several passengers as they boarded the plane — one passenger even got a great big hug from one of the air hostesses.

The interior of the Embraer E175 aircraft is clean, simple and modern, and the pink mood lighting created a soothing ambience.

“Aisle class” means that there are only two seats together throughout the plane, which adds comfort, convenience and a great view.

The business-class section at the front of the plane, separated off by a curtain, did not look physically different from the economy-class seats at the back. The one-way flight on economy light is $249, economy is $319 and business is $749. The seats look the same size and design in business, and there is no extra leg room. However, there are definitely perks.

Only business class offers more than snacks and drinks, although the food it offers is still light. I chose the “Italian club sandwich” — olive bread with homemade pesto, prosciutto ham, cheese, tomato and arugula. It was excellent, the bread itself with chunks of olive was particularly tasty.

There were regular top-ups of a delicious Malbec that Adam Scott, the founder and chief executive of BermudAir, recommends in a welcome in the menu. Dessert was a small but delightful brownie — I could have eaten two but managed restraint.

The food and beverages are curated in partnership with local establishments, which is a lovely touch.

Ahmani’s cookies are on offer along with wines from Gosling’s, Bermuda Craft Brewery beers, l’Artisan Boulangerie’s baked goods and 9 Parishes rum.

The menu includes a range of croissants and quiches along with herbal teas and 50 per cent Arabica filter coffee.

Business class provides oversized blankets and in a colourful tote that has the same design as on the tail of the plane. It doubles up as a Turkish beach towel that the passenger is invited to keep along with the tote.

There is lounge access for business passengers at Boston and Fort Lauderdale airports, and a full cancellation refund right up until departure.

All three classes offer free seat selection.

The airline, which also flies to New York‚ Westchester, was initially going to be all-business class but offered a mix of business and economy shortly after launching in August.

It launched its Dual Class suites with 14 business-class seats and 52 economy seats. The plane is fitted with 88 seats.

The flight was booked via Expedia, which could have explained why I was unable to check in online. Either way BermudAir’s website did not recognise my confirmation code, so I had to check in at the airport. It was no major hassle, just a little unnerving being told that the airline does not recognise your confirmation code.

All in all, the flight was pleasant and while business class did have that special touch, the airline’s economy flights bring the price down significantly.

One thing the airline can certainly boast is showcasing the island authentically through its customer service and offerings.