Review: Business Class on Air India’s A350-900 from Delhi to Bengaluru
Air India has been consistently in the news. From neglect under government of India control to being purchased by the Tata Group, the airline has seen it all.
Almost 3 years have passed since the national airline was privatized and it has been growing ever since. From placing one of the biggest orders in Indian aviation industry to getting a brand-new logo, the airline is on the path of major revamp.
Coming to the passenger experience, the last time I flew in Air India, I felt the airline was still the same. It seemed disorganized, and aircraft were in urgent need of refurbishment.
Ever since their merger with Vistara, I always made it a point to fly only on their Vistara branded Air India aircrafts.
Then the brand-new Airbus A350 entered, and promised the best-in-class passenger experience. By the looks, I felt these products could directly compete with one of the best airlines in the world, if marketed properly.
On my recent trip to India, I decided to travel on board their A350 in business class to personally check-out the hype in the market.
And there I was, randomly positioning myself to catch their A350 on the Delhi – Bengaluru sector. So, readers, sit back and enjoy the detailed trip report.
Air India Delhi to Bengaluru
Flight Details:
- Flight Number – AI 813 (DEL-BLR).
- Departure Airport – Indira Gandhi International Airport (Delhi).
- Arrival Airport – Kempegowda International Airport (Bengaluru).
- Registration – VT-JRE, 1.4 years old at the time of flight.
- Aircraft Type –Airbus A350-900
Air India Pre Check-in Experience
As a part of its makeover, the airline had launched its new web application and oh boy! It must be by far the most interactive and clean UI I had ever seen coming from an airline.
The aircraft along with its image is always displayed on my trips. A nice touch I would say, the check-in process was straight forward and pretty simple.
Arrival at Delhi International Airport
All Air India flights are operated from the T3 in Delhi. This terminal also handles all the international traffic for the airport.
I choose to hire a cab to reach airport this time as usually in the morning metro tends to be crowded. I did not want to be pushed around while I carry my luggage as well.
Check-in at Delhi Airport
I would again in short term my check-in experience with Air India in Delhi as “horrible”. This has been a constant experience ever since I have been flying Air India out of Delhi. And this time proved to be no different.
It all started with how the separate section meant for business class had no staff. Upon enquiring, the ground staff asked for a check-in agent, and I waited for nearly 10 minutes the agent arrived.
While I handed out my e-ticket to the agent I wished “Good morning!” and there was no reply from her. She just got on with her computer and vaguely issued my boarding card.
Usually with business boarding cards the ground staff hand. over an invitation to the lounge to the passengers. At least that’s what had happened when I boarded Air India’s business class 3 days ago in Bengaluru. Here nothing was handed over, and I had to ask “Is there a lounge access included in this?”
The staff member replied “Yes, if you want you can go!” I was shocked and surprised with this response.
Air India says it aims to be one of the best airlines in the world, but with such ground staff they would never be able to create a good experience for passengers.
Security Check at Delhi Airport
Perks of flying business class from Delhi incudes not having to wait in its notoriously long security check line.
There is a dedicated section for Business class passengers, and this meant I was in and out within 6 minutes from the security check area.
The Lounge Experience
Air India is the only airline in Delhi International airport which has its own private lounge. This is only accessible business class passengers and to Gold/Platinum members of Air India/Star Alliance.
It was recently renovated, although nothing was extraordinary or ultra-luxury. To be honest, if one were to visit the lounge in peak hours, I could easily see them struggling to find a spot to sit.
The lounge did have a decent spread of food options along with beverages.
Boarding Experience
The flight was on time, and once I stepped inside the aircraft, I could already see the reason why industry experts say this product could change the image of the airline.
The aircraft looked bright in color, with everything felt fresh and clean. The crew greeted every passenger with a smile and guided them towards their seat.
The Seat
I was shown to my cabin in the business class, and I must say this product was really something for an Air India flight.
It is more of a personal cabin with the doors. The seats have a bright blue color, and the infotainment system is by far the best I have seen on Air India.
There was a nice proper storage area for drinks, and a separate section for you to store your shoes and a section to hang in your jacket.
There was a small lamp over the wooden table area which gave the entire cabin a premium touch.
Soon after settling down, the crew came around and personally introduced themselves to each passenger seated in the business class.
I did notice one thing which was quite odd for me, the business class seat lacked a hand rest. Clearly in seating position on a long duration flight this would make the passenger feel uncomfortable.
The crew would be the highlight of this trip as during the entire duration flight. They were constantly checking in on passengers, asking if there was something more that could be done.
In-flight Service
Soon after boarding was complete, the crew came out with a choice of hot or cold towel, and then handed out menu cards with a welcome drink.
Right before take-off the crew came around to take orders for the meal, I enjoyed the A350’s tail mounted camera which gave me a good view of take-off.
The meal service started and as expected and the meal was of top-notch quality, the food was served in Air India branded cutlery and everything felt premium.
After the meal service was completed, cabin crew handed out the coffee. In my opinion, this had to be the best coffee I have tasted on-board any flight.
As soon as I was done with my coffee, the cabin crew cleared my table and asked me if would like the doors of the suite to be closed.
Once that was done, I quickly converted my seat into a bed and decided to take a nap. Honestly, the leg space was good enough for my height and it allowed me to turn around while sleeping comfortably.
The major flaw of the seat which made it uncomfortable while sitting turned out to be the best thing. When you sleep, the lack of headrest means you have more headroom.
Soon it was time to prepare for landing at Bengaluru, and the crew came around with hot towel and prepared the cabin for arrival.
Arrival at Bengaluru
We arrived at Bengaluru airport on time and disembarking was a breeze! As expected, my checked-in baggage was already on the belt even before I arrived so full points to Air India for that.
Conclusion
In my honest opinion Air India is changing. Considering the global supply chain issue, the airline is fixing things one at a time.
Air India really needs to fix their ground staff issue especially at a hub like Delhi – this can’t the experience at all.
This issue has been there for years, and many passengers have already complained about the same on many social media platforms. Sadly, the airline seems to be just avoiding the issue.
On the plus side, their A350 aircraft can be a game changer. The cabin crew is the highlight of this entire experience as their humility and attention to detail shows airline is on the right path to become a global player.
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