Hello from India, as I just flew Air India’s Airbus A350-900 business class on the 9hr10min flight from London (LHR) to Delhi (DEL), as the first part of my review trip. Air India has obviously been through quite the journey in the past several years, as it has been privatized, and is trying to reinvent itself. Admittedly this process is all quite slow, given the delays with new aircraft and seats.
That being said, I couldn’t wait to experience the best of Air India, on the carrier’s A350. So, how was the experience? Really, really good. I was delighted, from the cabin and seats, to the amenities, to the food and drinks, to the service, to the entertainment and free Wi-Fi. In particular, I also loved how the airline is embracing its home country with just about every aspect of the service offered — it’s uniquely Indian.
If Air India can make this its standard long haul experience rather than the exception, the airline will be a force to be reckoned with. I’d gladly fly Air India again, and in many markets, would even seek out the airline. Let me share some initial impressions, and then soon I’ll have a full trip report…
Air India’s A350 business class seats are exceptional
For context, Air India’s A350 fleet currently consists of six jets, and they’re all planes that were initially intended for Aeroflot, but that Air India took over due to sanctions. This is the same product you’ll find on select Turkish Airlines A350s. Air India will soon take delivery of its first custom designed A350, which will feature the carrier’s new first and business class.
Air India’s A350s have 28 business class seats, in a 1-2-1 configuration. Specifically, this is the Collins Aerospace Horizon product.
Think of it as a very good staggered business class product with doors at every seat. Business class seats don’t get much better, so Air India gets high marks for that. I also found the cabin to still be in good condition, with everything working as it should (I had seen some complaints online about wear and tear on these planes, but was surprised to not notice that).
In bed mode I found the seat to be comfortable as well. Air India even has individual air nozzles on these planes, which is somewhat rare on non-US airlines, so that helps with getting comfortable (along with the cabin not being kept too warm).
There’s even a little bar in the galley behind business class, often described as a social area. I heard this can get quite full on daytime flights, though I was on an awkwardly timed redeye, so most people just slept.
When it comes to entertainment, there was a solid selection of movies, TV shows, games, and audio programming. I wouldn’t quite put it in the league of the world’s top entertainment systems, but you definitely shouldn’t get bored.
Of course my favorite feature of any A350 entertainment system is the tail camera. How can you get bored of that?!?
Air India’s A350s also feature Wi-Fi in partnership with Panasonic. I found the speeds to be good, and best of all, the service was free with no data caps (technically it’s only free for an introductory period, but it has lasted for some time, and there’s no indication this will be changing).
Air India’s business class amenities are extensive
Air India sure showers you with gifts when you board a long haul business class flight. For one, there was top notch bedding — a thick pillow, a mattress pad (which doubles as a pillow until you “unroll” it), a cozy duvet, and a light blanket.
Then there’s a Ferragamo amenity kit, stocked with all the essentials. Though perhaps my favorite part of the kit was the gorgeous bag it was presented in, with a lotus mandala design, and a golden maharaja keychain of sorts.
Then pajamas were offered. I believe Air India offered Tumi pajamas for some time, but the ones I was offered weren’t branded, so I assume that’s no longer the case? Either way, I found the pajamas to be comfortable.
There were also slippers, useful for visiting the lavatory.
Lastly, there were headphones, presented in a beautiful bag.
Air India’s business class food & drinks are really good
I am obsessed with Indian food, as it’s among my favorite cuisine. I also think it makes for good airplane food, given that it typically reheats well, and is so packed with flavor. On my flight, lunch was served after takeoff, with a dine on demand concept. How nice that Air India offers that nowadays (while carriers like Emirates don’t).
Service began with drinks and mixed nuts. Air India serves Laurent Perrier champagne nowadays, which is great. I’m impressed by how Air India has upgraded its alcoholic drink selection over the years.
For the starter, I selected the spiced watermelon with whipped feta, honey, and olive tapenade. Yum, and it was super spicy. I will say, the bread roll was just kind of hard and not hot, but I wasn’t going to waste any calories or cabs on that anyway, when I knew there was paratha coming with the main course.
For the main course, I ordered the paneer kofta, served with paratha, daal, and raita. Again, you can’t go wrong with this kind of food on a plane, and it was simple and delicious.
Next up, there was the choice of dessert, fruit, and/or cheese. I selected the rajbhog with rabdi (cheese dumpling with cardamon flavored reduced milk). Yum yum yum yum. I also had a cheese plate. It was worth however long I have to spend on the elliptical to work it off.
With a planned 4AM arrival, the pre-landing meal was more of a midnight snack than a breakfast, which is my preference anyway. This included a side of curried couscous with cauliflower, and a chicken shawarma and tahini sandwich, accompanied by fish cakes, cauliflower fritters, and sweet potato and chickpea falafel. There was also a dessert of saffron phirni with gulab jamun.
I loved the way that coffee was presented, in very cute maharaja mugs, with delicious cookies from India’s Le15.
Now, in the interest of being constructive, there were a few areas for improvement. For one, it would be nice if they replaced cutlery between the appetizer and main course, rather than just putting them back on the day to be reused. It’s of course a minor detail, but would make for more of a restaurant style experience.
Furthermore, it would be nice if Air India expanded its hot drink selection to include espresso and real cappuccino (rather than the powdered cappuccino it offers). Lastly, the cabin lights for the pre-landing meal were (dimly) turned on three hours before landing, which seems mighty early for that, especially with many people looking to maximize rest, given the 4AM arrival.
Air India’s business class service is warm and attentive
Air India has long offered warm hospitality, and this flight was no exception. I was being served by cabin manager Bendangjungla and flight attendant Sidhant, and they were warm and professional. It’s really nice how much Air India tries to personalize the service.
For example, the cabin manager (who was ex-Vistara) came around during boarding to explain the seat to each passenger, and welcome them onboard. Then she said goodbye to each business class passenger before landing. You really get the feeling that there’s a sense of pride among employees at Air India, and that they’re really invested in the company’s transformation.
I also have to commend the crew for keeping the lavatories clean throughout the flight. Some Air India passengers struggle to clean up after themselves in the lavatory, despite the airline literally having an announcement after takeoff about lavatory etiquette.
Bottom line
I’m delighted I finally had the chance to fly the “new” Air India, and goodness, it didn’t disappoint. The A350 cabin was great (as expected — it’s a plane I’ve flown before on Turkish), the inflight entertainment was solid, Wi-Fi was free and pretty fast, food was delicious, amenities were good, and service was hospitable.
If Air India can keep this momentum going and implement a similar (or even better) product across its long haul fleet, it’ll be a force to be reckoned with, and can compete with the best of them.
The catch is that even though Air India was privatized several years ago, the airline is only at the start of its transformation. Currently you’ll only find a great hard product on half a dozen A350s, but hey, that’s progress. Sadly the carrier’s 777 cabins are largely falling apart, and that’s a much more common experience for the average passenger at the moment. Hopefully in a couple of years that looks materially different.
What do you make of Air India’s A350 business class?
