Welcome to my first Indian domestic trip report!
This is Air India's A350-900 VT-JRF at New Delhi.
Introduction
What a way to celebrate my first ever Indian domestic flight experience by flying on the airline's brand new Airbus A350-900. 6 of these aircraft were supposed to be delivered to Aeroflot but as you know the political situation between Russia and Ukraine has left the Russians to face lots of sanctions which means Aeroflot and the other Russian carriers are not able to take delivery of any new aircraft and receive maintenance or spare parts from the aircraft manufacturers or any 3rd parties. For this, I will leave it as it is. Airbus sold these aircraft to Air India and the configuration and cabin products of Aeroflot would remain. Later on, Air India placed an order of another 40 A350 (a split mix of -900 and -1000) to operate along with these 6 aircraft and will configure their new Airbus A350 with its own configuration. For now, nothing is announced about the configuration of the new batch of A350. Whatever it is I am glad I am one of the fortunate ones to be able to experience this special batch of A350. Hope you enjoy my version of my J Class experience on Air India's Airbus A350-900! Without further ado, let's begin this trip report!
The last time I flew with Air India was on a 5th freedom route in 2014, you can check out the trip report over here . Let's say I didn't have the best first impression of this airline and I believe some of you have read about the negative reviews of the airline in almost all aspects of air travel with this airline. However, with the Tata group and SIA stepping in and taking over the ownership of this airline, I believe we should give the airline some time to get things right. With the merger happening between Air India and Vistara, I believe under the new management, this airline has the potential to be one of the best airlines in the world. It's too early to say now but for now, they have a lot of work to do to win people's hearts especially the local people.
Airline's website/mobile app
This website is certainly a big upgrade over the previous version I used ten years ago. The interface of both the mobile and website version are much better and I was able to complete my booking without issue.
This is the website's version.
Comfort plus is equivalent to Business lite for most airlines.
For a short flight like this, I am happy with the Comfort Plus' benefits.
This is the configuration of the A350 Business Class layout. For a better layout, you can checkout Aerolopa's version
The website will state the benefits you get for booking the class (Business Comfort Plus or Business Flex).
In total I paid 17,296 rupees (About US $207 and S$277) for this one-way experience. Great deal right?
This is the mobile app version, unfortunately it doesn't have the full screen for the tablet version.
When you are at the "Manage my booking" option, you will be able to see your flight details and select your seat and make changes to your flight if necessary.
This is what I was expecting for the inflight meal.
The app also informs you which lounges you are eligible to access.
Even though you had done your check in online, you can still go to the business class counter to obtain the beautiful boarding pass and the lounge access card.
At that point of time, these seats were taken up.
Once all these are done. You will receive notification on your phone about your flight.
When I did a check on the app's flight status, I had a bit of shock when I saw the photo of the A320 aircraft with the A350 registration. Fortunately that photo was changed to the correct photo just a day before my flight.
Here it is below, this time it was showing the correct aircraft type.
I did a check on the flight schedule of AI687 for the past few days, there were certain days, the aircraft was changed to other types such as A321ceo, Boeing 787-8 and even the Boeing 777-300ER was deployed on this route. So when the time was closer, I got a bit nervous.
To make matters even more exciting, the aircraft VT-JRA was grounded in Dubai for a few days probably due to a technical issue with the aircraft and that could have caused an impact on the scheduling side so the airline made a few changes to the flight schedule which affected some flights probably with the lowest load factor to be changed to other aircraft types. Fortunately for me, my scheduled aircraft type remain intact and I am able to give you my version of the airline's A350 experience.
About Mumbai Airport
Chhaatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport is the second busiest airport in India that serves the residents living in Mumbai and the MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan Region.) This airport was opened in 1942 and is a hub for Air India, Vistara and Akasa Air. This airport is managed by Mumbai International Airport Limited (A joint venture between Adani Enterprises and Airports Authority of India) and operates 2 terminals. Terminal 1 is used for domestic flights and Terminal 2 for both domestic and international flights. The airport may have 2 runways (runway 14/32 and runway 09/27) but only one runway is in operation (09/27) and if this runway is in maintenance, the other runway will be in use. The layout of the runways is in an X-shape configuration so it is not possible for both runways to be in operation for aircraft collision will take place if that happens. Therefore it is common for flight delays in departure and arrival especially if the weather is bad. I got to experience it during my time at this airport.
Photo of the runway (Acukwik.com)
On the day of departure
Arrival hall at Bombay Airport (Landside)
After arrival from my previous flight (SQ A350 from SIN), I cleared immigration and picked up my luggage before heading over to the departure hall to check in for my next flight. Exciting as it is flying on SQ's A350 J Class, this one is the highlight of this trip, to experience the airline's brand new aircraft type, the Airbus A350-900.
This is the arrival hall. Just like any other airports, once you enter the country, you need to clear immigration before connecting to another flight to your destination. I found immigration stricter than in the US as the officer asked me as quite a number of questions before allowing me into the country.
There is a sleeping area at the arrival hall.
I made my way to the escalator at the end of the hall. For Indian airports, you are required to show your boarding pass and ID/Passport in order to enter the departure hall (landside). The reason for this is to restrict the number of people in the terminal.
Departure Hall (Landside)
The design of the ceiling caught my attention.
With the glass windows allowing lots of light in, it certainly brightens up the whole place. I can imagine how nice it is at night.
Notice the small disks of colored glass recess on the underside of the ceiling? It helps to reflect light into the departure hall.
The "tree trunk' pillar looks really nice.
Checking my flight, it was departing as scheduled.
Namaste, Air India! This is where I queued up at the business class check-in counter to obtain my boarding pass and invitation to the lounge.
Another look at the interior of the terminal.
Check in time!
You know you are in Mumbai airport when you see this uniquely complex structure.
The color of the alphabet (light blue) representing the check-in rows may not be easy to see for some, a darker color should have been used.
Check-in completed! Time to head over to the lounge.
Air India's check-in counters at Mumbai airport is located at row D.
Once done, I went to explore more of the departure hall (landside) before entering the airside.
What do you think of this terminal?
One last look at the landside before heading over to the airside.
After passing through security, you will see this (below).
Here we are, this is the airside.
Look at how busy Mumbai airport is with these number of flights.
For domestic terminal, this is considered to be quite good as there are lots of shops and restaurants to check out.
What does this design of the ceiling look like to you?
It looks like repetition of petals of flower to me.
For plane spotters, go to the food court as you are able to photograph aircraft to your heart's content.
This is Air India's Boeing 777-200LR (VT-ALG), it was bound for San Francisco.
Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787-9 bound for London Heathrow.
There is an Air India A350 preparing for departure (behind the Virgin Atlantic 787 aircraft).
British Airways Boeing 787-9 was preparing to return to LHR.
I decided to walk around first before heading to the lounge.
Along the way, you will notice the Indian paintings and sculptures.
This painting in particular looks beautiful.
There are plenty of seats around and airport Wifi is available, however you need a registered number in order to log in.
After that, I visited the Adani Lounge, entering through the Business Class entrance. There are 2 entrances, one for the eligible credit/debit card holders (below)
For the business class passengers, you enter the lounge through this entrance. (below)
After the lounge, I made my way to gate 53 where my aircraft was waiting.
The inbound flight AI865, VT-JRF.
Later on I got a notification from Flightradar24 on AI687 and it turned out to be an error. VT-ALH was towed to another gate and operated on another flight.
The flight status information on Air India's app was accurate.
A Macdonald's outlet at Bombay Airport.
This was where my gate is, at the far right hand corner of the hall.
There are fast food restaurants at the food court.
I wonder where does this staircase/escalator lead to? At that time, it was out of bounds to all travelers.
My ride: VT-JRF
One quick look at the traffic. By this time, the Air India Boeing 777-200LR was ready for its 17+ hours journey to San Francisco.
Indigo A321neo is a common sight at this airport and Go First aircraft can be spotted at several airports in India.
Soon it was time to board.
We were told to wait just before entering the jetway towards the aircraft.
It was nice once again to board from the first door.
My ride: VT-JRF (Photo: Julian Pachlatko)
Airbus A350-941
VT-JRH (Aeroflot (NTU: Not Taken Up) Aircraft - VP-BPW)
Configuration: C28 W24 Y264
Engines: 2 X RR Trent XWB-84
Delivered to airline in April 2024
589th A350 built
Built in Toulouse (TLS)
Flight route: BOM-DEL
Miles: 705
My seat: 6K (Photo: Aerolopa.com)
Date of departure: 9th July 2024
Airline: Air India
Flight: AI687
Route: BOM-DEL
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
Registration: VT-JRF
Seat: 6K
Terminal: 2
Gate: 53
Load: 70% in J Class
Flight time: 1 hr 35 mins
Current Flight Time: 1 hr 43 mins
Departure Schedule: 1600
Boarding: 1515
Pushed Back: 1608
Take Off: 1636
Arrival Schedule: 1830
Current Arrival: 1818
Departure runway 27
Weather Condition: Raining
Arrival Runway: 11R
Weather Condition: Cloudy
About these 6 Airbus A350-900 (VT-JRA, -JRB, JRE, JRF, JRH and JRI)
When sanctions hit Russia, it was obvious that none of the Russian airlines were able to take delivery of new aircraft from manufacturers outside the country therefore Airbus has to find buyers for the 15 undelivered A350 of Aeroflot. Turkish Airlines ordered 6 of them and later on Air India decided to induct 6 and that is significant because the airline at that time was a primary Boeing wide-body operator. As for the remaining 3, they were not built yet so Airbus removed them from the order book. Since these aircraft were already installed with Aeroflot's cabin interior and configuration, the Indian airline decided to make some minor changes and that also means the airline did not have to wait long to take delivery of the 6 aircraft.
The Air India pilots and cabin crew selected to operate the A350, have to undergo crew familization program before being allowed to operate the aircraft. Since this is a new aircraft type, the airline is required to complete a certain number of hours before being allowed to operate it on international routes. That is why for the first year of operation, the A350 does mostly on the selected domestic routes and slowly introduced the aircraft on longer international routes when the time comes.
My Flight Experience
After boarding the aircraft, I took a few photos of the cabin before settling down. The cabin crew were professional and friendly and I was served by this experienced cabin crew who took my order and offered me my pre-flight beverage. I chose the local buttermilk drink to kickstart my lovely flight.
On this flight, there were 3 Captains on board, presumably to gain more experience. One of them informed us about the weather and possible thunderstorm at Delhi Airport and he mentioned about the smooth ride when they flew in from Delhi so we could be expecting smooth ride during cruising but possible turbulence when we approach Delhi.
Once we reached runway 27, we departed just minutes after our scheduled departure time. Take off was smooth and once we were above 10,000 feet, seatbelt sign was turned off and the cabin crew started working. It was time to switch my seat to lie-flat position to check out more on the seat. I was pleased to say that I was able to stretch my legs at full reclined mode.
Meal service started not long after taking off and it was quite tasty. Indian food never disappoints! Although the meal was different from what I was expecting (menu vs website), the quality was there. The Masala tea I had after that helps to wrap things up after the delicious meal. For the rest of the flight after the meal, I closed the sliding door and set my bed to complete recline mode and for the first on board a flight, I never felt this much privacy. The cabin crew didn't have to open the door to communicate with me, she just looked at me standing in front of the sliding door to ask me if I need anything else. It was definitely good service.
As expected, once I was settled and was falling asleep, an announcement was made. It was one of the few announcements I was dreading to hear and that is the arrival announcement. This was one of the few flights I would like the flight to go on and on for a long time. I think that sums up everything I feel about the flight. Anyway, fortunately for us, the ride into Delhi was smooth, hardly any turbulence and furthermore the Captain told us the good news and that is the stormy weather forecast earlier had cleared. So overall, this flight was smooth. An hour and 40 minutes plus in the air felt like only twenty minutes.
Once we touched down, we took another 15 minutes to taxi to our gate. Well done Air India for this memorable flight! I am glad the worst didn't happen (aircraft change).
My view on the Business Class Product
I am impressed with the interior of the business class cabin. The seat itself was comfortable and I was able to lie flat without issue. The only thing I have to complain about is the lack of the hand rest on the window side but other than I felt comfortable and after trying out the lie-flat bed, I have no problem flying long haul with this business class product. What I like about it is the ability to close the sliding door to increase privacy and also the nearby storage options to keep your thing secure. The seatbelt is quite similar to the one in a car and that is very much preferred over the 3-Point Seatbelts which I experienced on my previous flight (Singapore Airlines A350-900 Business Class). Overall, I like this product a lot and recommend you reader to give this product a try if you have the chance.
Welcome on board Air India's A350-900!
About the Economy Class
There are 264 Economy Class seats configured in a 3-3-3 seating configuration and these are seats manufactured by Collins Aerospace featuring the MiQ seats.These seats have a seat pitch of 31 inches, seat width of 18.5 inches and can recline up to 8 inches. In addition, each Economy Class passenger gets to enjoy the 12 inches HD touchscreen IFE system and also get to charge their devices with the USB-A sockets.
The warm color of the seats makes the cabin quite cozy in my opinion especially with the mood lighting.
The seat pitch doesn't look too bad.
For the bulkhead row, the IFE system is stored at the handrest area and you can only use it during in-flight.
About the Premium Economy Class seats
There are 24 seats in this cabin and just like the Economy Class seats, they are manufactured by Aerospaces Collins, featuring the MiQ series. These seats are more comfortable than Economy Class as they have a better legroom space of 38 inches and one less seat in each row (2-4-2). The seat width on the other hand is the same as Economy and also recline up to 8 inches. Another difference is it has a slightly bigger HD touchscreen display, 13 inches and also comes with both universal AC and USB-A sockets for each passenger.
Premium Economy Class photos
The 2-seater on the window sides do make a difference in comfort especially when traveling in pairs.
There is more armrest space for each passenger.
For the bulkhead row seats, the IFE screen is stored at the handrest area.
The legroom space looks spacious.
There are only 3 rows of Premium Economy seats in this section.
Good thing about being one of the first to board is able to photograph the Economy and Premium Economy cabin before heading over to my seat.
Apparently this is a bar counter and will probably be used only on international routes. (Below)
The galley is quite spacious, I suppose it can be used for passengers in J class to pick up their own snacks or beverages during the flight.
Today's trip report will be based on this class and more importantly, my experience.
About this business class product
There are 28 Collins Aerospace Horizon seats arranged in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration. The odd number seats for the window side is closer to the aisle and also for the middle seats, the seats are configured together. While for the even number seats, the window seats are closer to the window side and for the middle seats, they are configured apart from each other, each being closer to the aisle. All of these seats have direct access to the aisle and are equipped with the privacy door. These fully lie-flat beds are about 6 foot 6 inches long in length and have a seat pitch of 48 inches when it is in the sit-up position. The seat width is 22 inches and it comes with a 21 inch HD screen, personal wardrobe, vanity and secure storage cabinet. Lastly each passenger can charge their devices with the Universal AC and USB-A sockets available.
Business Class photos
There is privacy in this business class suite and when the sliding doors are closed, you are like in your own world.
I like the design and colors of the seats. They are light for my eyes yet blend in well with the brown headrest and the blue seats.
Notice the seats of all the 3-class in this photo (below)?
The mood lighting certainly helps to lighten up the atmosphere.
With a light load in this cabin, I went to explore some of the seats. I guess the crew should have gotten used to the attention from the airline enthusiasts.
Just remember not to get in the way of the cabin crew especially if the flight is full if you intend to check out the cabin.
Row 7 is the last row for the business class cabin. One advantage about this seat (window seat closer to the aisle) is that if you can place your belongings on the mini table besides the small cabinet without worrying about your stuff getting stolen.
Seat 6K is where I am sitting on this flight.
A ground engineer was around to ensure everything was working properly.
With the middle overhead space removed, the cabin looks spacious.
There is a divider between the two seats, you can keep it close if you are sitting next to a stranger.
Seat 7A with the sliding door closed.
What do you think of this cabin product? I am certainly a fan of it.
I tried out the couple seat, this is how close you can get to your seat mate.
If you prefer privacy, you can close the door.
More photos of my seat
Seat 6K - The reason why I chose this seat is because it was the last row for the window seat in this cabin and I can include the winglets and engine in the background for my photos (Check out my window view photos further down this trip report ).
Each amazing suite comes with a private space which includes a sliding door and amenities.
This lamp light makes the atmosphere even more cozy in my opinion.
In front of me is the huge IFE screen and a cabinet to hang your clothes.
However, there is no storage space to place my haversack so I have to place it in the overhead compartment but at least the footwell has enough space for my legs to stretch out.
I had an issue with the foldable tray table. I tried opening it up but couldn't so I called the friendly crew to help and he too couldn't do so and luckily an engineer was around to fix the issue. Fortunately his magical fingers did the trick and he was able to fix it within a few minutes.
The foldable tray table (Photo: Princeoftravel.com)
The footwell space
Opening the cabinet door, you can place your tablet or similar size items on the top compartment while jacket/cardigan can be placed at the bottom compartment.
The overall view of the business class seat.
There is also another storage space to place your smaller items inside. Do not forget to remove them after the flight.
A mirror to look at.
Charging USB ports are available.
Control console to use instead of using the screen to navigate the airline's entertainment system.
What is lacking about these seats is the lack of armrest on both sides. For this seat, the console is on my left and I can rest my left arm on it but it is too high up and after a while it gets uncomfortable.
The sliding door can be used only during inflight. I recommend you to close it after the meal service is done.
The orange and pink mood lighting complement each other.
Namaste VT-JRF!
Oh yes, I am certainly a fan of the golden pillow!
The control console panel and the control console for the IFE system.
Instructions for business class passengers
There is also a literature and drink holder near the console panel.
The lamp light for each passenger in the suite.
There should be a sticker to indicate a shoe rack, I didn't know about it until I saw Ajay's blog after the flight. During the flight when I took off my shoes, I placed it on the ground just in front of the wardrobe as I couldn't find anywhere suitable to place them.
That's me enjoying the flight!
I had a seat mate across the aisle. With the door opened, I could see what shows she was watching.
With the remote control available, you can also use it to browse through the contents of the IFE system.
I like the seatbelt sign display, pretty neat and easy to see.
Some of you will be pleased to know that air vent is available in this cabin.
Between the air vents and seatbelt sign display is the lamplight.
This is how my seat looks like when I closed the sliding door. The cabin crew stick their head into my compartment and asked whether I want anything. They passed me my beverage without opening the sliding door.
This flight is too short to enjoy this. Don't you hate it when that happens? Just as I was settled in, the captain announced to all of us that the flight had begun its descent and requested the crew to prepare for landing.
Before I know it, we were on our final approach. The camera view of both the landing gear and tail is really an additional bonus especially for aircraft enthusiasts like myself.
With that, my flight with Air India's A350 has come to an end. Overall, I like this cabin product, the seats are comfortable and with the sliding door closed, it gave me a lots of privacy. The only bad thing is the lack of armrests and for a long flight, it might be a bother. However, the comfort of the seats and the ability to lie flat without issue get my thumbs up.
Automatic window shade
There are 3 types of window shade. This is the automatic window shade which is electronic controlled with a button , the second one is the conventional window shade which is the pull up and down type and lastly, the electronic dimmed windows which works similarly to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner window shade. Which shade do you prefer best? For me, I like this one, it completely blocks out the light from outside with a click of a button.
Partially opened
Completed closed
Completely opened
The electronic dimmed windows (Starlux A350-900)
This system works faster and is more effective in blocking the light than the 787 Dreamliner's version.
The conventional window shade (Vietnam Airlines A350-900)
You need to pull down or pull up the shade in order to use it.
My lie-flat bed experience
I was able to fully stretched my legs at a fully reclined mode.
This is how my view angle looks like when I was lying flat.
No issue with my legs fully stretched out. (I am 6 foot 4)
What's provided for each passenger?
I hope they are not serving business passengers on the long haul flights with this reusable earphone.
The remote control, looks like a game console.
The golden pillow
Blanket is suprisingly provided for such a short flight.
In-flight magazine
Disposal Bag
A bottle of water
This is a welcome drink, I chose the buttermilk drink. I have to say I really like it and it wasn't what I expect it to be. It taste sour because of the lactic acid created during the fermentation of lactose.
The beautifully designed meal menu.
The food and beverages selection for this flight.
Air India's earpiece.
Unfortunately the IFE system was a let down, it has limited number of western movies. Hopefully that won't be the same when the Delhi-London A350 flights begin.
Hope you are enjoying my trip review so far!
Lavatory Check
I like those lights on the mirror, makes me feel like a 90s popstar!
In-Fight Entertainment System
Airline's WiFi
The airline has wifi installed on the aircraft but unfortunately the authorities has not given permission for airlines to activate the in-flight wifi in the country so for that we, passengers, have to remain patient. Hopefully the approval comes soon.
IFE System
I certainly love the size and the screen resolution of the screen.
The remote control to the IFE entertainment system.
The flight Map
Camera (tail section)
Camera view (landing gear section)
The safety video featuring a famous local dancer.
On the ground, I like to watch the camera view from the landing gear.
We reached the threshold of runway 27. You need a lot of patience when travelling at Mumbai Airport as it can take a while for you to depart depending on traffic.
Off we go!
Let's check what movies are there.
Nothing much interest me. To be honest there isn't much selection of movies to watch,
The camera view from the tail section of the aircraft.
We were on our way!
I decided on this movie for this flight.
While watching the movie, I set the remote controller to the flight map mode.
I can enjoy the movie and watch the flight map at the same time.
Once we started our descent, I changed the channel to the camera mode (landing gear) to enjoy this view.
Let's see how good the landing is.
Well done to the PIC (Pilot-in-command)!
After taxing for some time, we reached the gate.
Here we are. This has to be one of the fastest flights in my years of flying.
With that, the IFE system was reset to prepare for the next load of passengers. This aircraft would rest for a few hours before departing for Dubai later that evening.
What's for lunch today?
Notice the selection of meals are different on the website and menu.
Website
I was prepared to order the Malai Chicken Tikka but that plan changed after reading through the airline's menu. So this is something the airline needs to fix. Small issue that can be easily fixed.
Menu
I ordered the Kasundi Chicken with Peppers. It was delicious, I am definitely a big fan of Indian food.
For beverage, I chose the Masala tea to enjoy it together with the Blueberry Cheese cake.
Window view photos (Take off to Landing)
The rainy condition caused some delays in departure and arrival but fortunately for us, we didn't wait long to obtain the clearance to push back and depart.
We taxied to runway 27 for departure.
This Emirates Boeing 777-300ER was on its way back to Dubai.
Soon, it was our turn.
We lifted off effortless towards the grumpy skies.
If you are departing from runway 27, sit on the right side of the aircraft as you can to see beautiful view of the airport.
Goodbye Mumbai, I hope your weather improves the next time I return.
As you can see, a lot of places were raining at that point.
We started flying through the clouds.
Fortunately, it wasn't bumpy.
That is the coast of Mumbai.
We flew through some layers of clouds but it was not turbulent.
Almost out of the clouds, last layer to fly through.
The weather was much better at this point.
At this point, we started our descent.
The weather at New Delhi was certainly better.
I am certainly a fan of this new livery.
We were on final approach into New Delhi.
Touched down with the reverse thrust kicking in to slow the aircraft down.
Once the aircraft slowed down to the maximum taxi speed, we taxied out to the taxiway.
Our taxi to the assigned gate took around 10 minutes.
An Air India A350-900 (VT-JRI) was spotted.
This flight certainly went past too fast for my liking.
At least it took a while before reaching our gate. I had a good time doing some plane spotting.
We stopped at one of the gates at the international terminal.
As our flight landed at the international terminal, we were informed that we were to disembark the aircraft by the stairs, that means we get to see the aircraft on the tarmac and the airport bus would transport us to the domestic terminal. In addition, this was also the first time I disembarking from the right side of the aircraft and that makes this flight even more memorable.
It's rare to exit the aircraft on the right side of the plane.
This is the Roll Royce XWB-84 engines, with 84,000 Ibf thrust.
Notice the swirls in the engine? It helps to keep birds away from the engine. In some ways, the birds with their sharp eyes may spot the swirls during their flight and change direction to avoid collision.
Thanks for the ride, VT-JRF! A big thank you to the pilots for transporting us there on time.
My flight summary
These photos below were taken on the airport bus.
Korean Air Boeing 777-200ER
Air India A321 (Old livery) and Airbus A350-900 (New livery)
Airport tarmac
The old and new livery of Air India. Which livery do you prefer?
Air India's A320
Air India's Airbus A321ceo
Here we are, we have reached the terminal 3 domestic arrival hall.
Just a few minutes of walking, we were at the arrival hall.
After picking up my luggage, I made my way to my accommodation.
It took me a while to figure out how the Uber system works and thankfully the taxi driver waited patiently as it took me sometime to figure out where the meeting point was.
That's all folks!
My ratings
Airline Mobile App/Website (User-friendliness): 4/5
Airport Experience (BOM Terminal 2): 3/5
In-Flight Service: 4/5
In-Flight Entertainment System: 4/5 (The lack of Wifi is not the airline's fault)
Seat Comfort: 5/5
Cabin Ambiance: 5/5
Seat Condition: 5/5
Punctuality: 5/5
In-Flight Meal (Business Class Standard): 4/5
Cabin Cleanliness: 5/5
Overall rating: 44/50
Percentage: 88%
Conclusion
I think the airline has gotten themselves a winner with this aircraft. Not only is the A350-900 a wonderful plane to fly on, the in-flight products are quite amazing (Thanks to Aeroflot) and it certainly gives some competition against its fiercest rivals but for that to happen, the airline has to start upgrading its current fleet as soon as it can. But like they say, it would take a while to do so, so it is one step at a time. With the TATA management and SIA in control of the company, we can expect greater things to come and hopefully with the merger between Air India and Vistara, a more consistent soft and hard products are implemented and the common days of complaints about the poor maintenance of aircraft, frequent cancellation of flights and bad service on board are over.
This experience is a complete different one from my previous Air India's 787 experience, much better in terms of almost everything from the soft to hard products. Let's hope that the airline would be able to use this platform and transform to a better company and if that happens, perhaps the management can work on to make this airline one of the worst in the world. Only time will tell.
This has to be one of the most enjoyable and memorable flights for me as my business class experience has certainly been an eye opener for me and get a preview of what to expect for Air India's A350 long haul flights. After experiencing the good in-flight service with a better in-flight product than the current products, I hope this airline strive especially after the merger with Vistara and give the Middle Eastern airlines a run of their money. A lot of hard work is needed but I feel this rejuvenated airline is heading the right direction.
Hope you enjoyed this trip report. Have a good one and thanks for reading!
For the Business Class lounge visit at Mumbai Airport (Before the flight), click here
For the next trip report (Flying with Indigo from New Delhi to Mumbai, click here
Cheers!
Charles
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