MUMBAI- Air India’s (AI) new A350 has certainly created a stir in the aviation community and I was certain to try it once before it gets deployed on the international routes. I booked a Premium Economy seat in AI 0589, a two-hour flight from Mumbai (BOM) to Chennai (MAA). Luckily, I got upgraded to business class by the airline.
While there are multiple first-impression articles/videos on this new flagship aircraft, this review is mainly about the business class in the aircraft. While Air India has managed to offer comfort, it certainly is a few steps away from providing that ‘true business class experience.’
Air India A350 Business Class Review
But before we begin, the post is written by Ramprasath K, a frequent flier and guest author for Aviation A2Z. If you want to share your story with the world, share it with us at [email protected].
All photos shared here are copyrighted work of Ramprasath K if otherwise stated.
Quick Highlight:
Air India AI589
Aircraft Type: Airbus A350-900
Date of travel: Thursday, February 08, 2023
Departure: Mumbai (BOM), 10:05 AM
Arrival: Chennai (MAA), 12:05 PM
Duration: 2 hours
Seat: 1G (Business)
Meal Service: Breakfast
1) Check-in and Security:
Upon arriving at the terminal, to my dismay, there were no separate domestic counters for priority check-in! I approached the help desk, who then directed me to the international check-in counters. It appeared that the check-in process for non-economy classes was integrated for both domestic and international travelers.
While this combined approach works well in smaller airports, it led to some confusion at one like Mumbai’s. While the priority check-in counters didn’t have a long queue as anticipated, there were a few minor hiccups – the staff couldn’t find the ‘Priority’ baggage tag and had to call someone to get it from the domestic counters.
The template of the boarding pass handed to me belonged to that of an Economy class. While I don’t have a problem with that, it would certainly confuse the TSA at the express lane when you show up there holding a boarding pass that reads out ‘Economy’.
As I mentioned, I had originally booked a premium economy ticket, which got upgraded to business only during the boarding. Hence, I had to go through the regular security lanes.
But in general, like most other airports, business, and first-class ticket holders can take the dedicated express lane for security checks in Mumbai. Business class tickets also entitle you to access the airline’s exclusive lounges.
2) Boarding:
The delayed arrival of the aircraft from its previous leg made me certain of the imminent delay in the departure. In fact, I noticed it touch down the runway in Mumbai at around 9:05 AM with a 20-minute delay. The aircraft taxied down and was connected to the aerobridge by around 9:15 AM.
What can I say – the A350 is magnificent and shining in the new livery! Standing at the terminal, I watched the cleaning, loading of baggage & catering.
Finally, the boarding commenced around 10 AM, just five minutes before the scheduled departure time. Despite the delay, only one out of the two boarding counters at the gate was put into use.
The 35-seat changes (including cabin upgrades), coupled with the delay, put the ground crew under stress. One couldn’t help but notice the visible confusion and the many phone calls that were exchanged among them.
Nonetheless, they managed to put up a smile whenever a passenger approached. The priority boarding wasn’t missed out in this hoax – the passengers were called out in the order of their seating.
The boarding continued for another 20-30 minutes until the huge aircraft was filled. (Meanwhile, the IndiGo counter at the adjacent gate completed boarding for two of their aircraft.)
4) Business Class Cabin:
First of all, these were not business class seats but suites! Usually, domestic carriers (including the older Air India aircraft) have just wider seats in a 2+2 or 2+3+2 configuration. The ones in the A350 were rather individual suites like those in five-star carriers and came with a 1+2+1 configuration.
All these individual pods come with a fully lie-flat seat, a cubby/foot-rest, a table-top with a lamp, a vanity cabinet with a mirror, a coat stowaway, cabin doors for full privacy, sliding dividers in case of middle seats, a 21-inch HD touch screen, charging ports, facet & reading lights and direct aisle access.
The business-class cabin as a whole exudes a warm and plush vibe, enhanced by the purple hue, the light-coloured lining, and the ambient lighting. There were two lavatories, one on each aisle, with occupancy indicators. Both were well stocked up with toiletries, and all the controls were touchless, surprisingly, except for what would be the most used – the soap dispenser!
The pushback was finally initiated at 10:25 AM. Before the safety briefing, I was handed a cold towel and a welcome drink. The options included buttermilk and cold-pressed orange juice. While I cannot ascertain if it is cold-pressed or not, I can certainly say that it isn’t your typical packaged fruit juice. There were four capable flight attendants (2 males and 2 females) assigned to the 28 suites in the business class cabin.
The safety briefing did not sound like a recorded one as opposed to the usual one, but rather, one of the flight attendants spoke it out live, which to me is overkill. The three-point seat belts come with an additional shoulder strap (like those in cars) but are detachable from the main belt if one finds it uncomfortable.
5) In-flight Entertainment
Every seat gets a 21-inch Panasonic HD flatscreen and a mini controller/remote attached to the seat.
The in-flight entertainment system supports 6 languages and leaves almost no room for complaints, offering a decent collection of Hollywood and regional movies, TV shows, and a kids’ section. As a gaming enthusiast, I was unexpectedly delighted when the mini controller doubled up as a joystick.
The two cameras on the A350 – one on the tail and another under the belly – provide a live feed to the screen. There was also live tracking, comprehensive airport details (of almost all airports across the world), and an exclusive HUD for AvGeeks providing live flight data.
Overall, I’m pretty happy with the IFE. One can’t be easily bored, even on long-haul flights. The only bad thing is the quality of the earphones provided.
6) Meal Options
The menu offered several options for the main course, but none were particularly exciting. The meal itself was comparable to what I experienced in Vistara’s Premium Economy a few months back, just with a couple more exotic items on the plate.
Opting for the South Indian breakfast, I found it falling short of expectations.
The coffee was enjoyable – a freshly brewed cup with milk and sugar to taste – but it couldn’t quite rival the Starbucks collaboration on Vistara (UK). Surprisingly, the cutlery lacked any Air India branding, not even on the towels. Perhaps this might come in handy if the cutlery were to be handled from a shared facility after the merger.
The flight attendant returned with another round of confectionery, presented in a nice basket. I didn’t shy away from taking a muffin, but on the whole, the food was merely average.
7) Rating: So, why not a 10 out of 10?!
After my meal, I reclined my seat all the way back, requested the hostess to close the cabin door, and settled in for the final 30 minutes of my flight, watching a Tamil movie. The comfort was exceptional. One would experience no fatigue even during an 8-10 hour journey. There were a few minor (or not-so-minor) inconveniences.
- The controls on the seat were not so well-placed. The mini controller, tucked into the seat bucket to my right, seemed destined for accidental touches. The very edge of the tabletop is lined with seat control buttons – those responsible for controlling the recline, reading lamps, etc. Without dedicated armrests, the only options are to let your arm tuck inside the seat and get annoyed by accidental interactions with the IFE or rest it on the tabletop and end up triggering the seat recline buttons every time you move your hand. Throughout the flight, finding a spot to put my hand was a challenge I came unprepared for.
- The earphones were of very cheap quality, and I found an incessant noise throughout their usage. In fact, it was so bad that one of the earplugs stopped working after an hour, and I had to use a replacement. I guess it is sort of a temporary offering before they’d be swapped with a good headphones like on other airlines. I did see the 3-pin headphone jack alongside the universal charging port.
- The delay was pretty annoying as well. I think this is connected to the back-to-back trips the A350 does with turn-around times as short as 1 hour 15 minutes between each leg.
- I’ve heard that the movable fixtures on the business classes are typically unlocked with a wrench only after take-off. I did not observe any such practice on this flight. While the aircraft was on its steep climb, the tray table slid towards me, and the coat stowage cabinet opened on its own! Despite several attempts to put them back, those wouldn’t just lock and stay in place.
On the whole, these weren’t deal-breakers. Most of them are issues arising out of inexperience and can be put to rest with time. Moreover, once it is deployed in medium/long haul flights, the cheaper alternatives would certainly be swapped out for better ones, and with the pilots and the crew getting used to the aircraft and its features, things are certain to improve.
8) Touchdown and Final Thoughts
Finally, we touched down in Chennai and deboarded at around 12:40 PM. Nothing exceptional about the landing. I did observe the jerks. As expected, The business class cabin was the first to disembark. We exit via the newly constructed Terminal 4 in Chennai Airport (which did not look very different from the existing terminals). The baggage arrived in the first lot again, and it was no surprise here.
Air India has an infrastructure that is tantamount to that of first-class carriers. What it lacks, alongside a few pending upgrades, is the expertise it takes to deliver a flyer with a complete business-class experience.
But unlike the broken seats in Air India’s legacy business class, these can be fixed with training and time! I’d want to try it again post-deployment on international routes; till then, take care and will meet again with another flight experience.
Special Thanks to Ramprasath K for sharing the detailed and honest review, highlighting the ups and downs of the new A350 Business Class. It is certainly worth trying.
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