This is the final review in my journey to Sydney, covering Air India’s domestic Business Class flight from Mumbai to Delhi and the long-haul Business Class sector from Delhi to Sydney
In this post:
Mumbai – Delhi
The terminal building is large, airy, modern and was calm at this early hour and I was swiftly checked in for my business class flight to Delhi. Domestic and International flights, although at the same terminal, are segregated, so I made my way through the domestic and security checkpoint, which was relatively painless. I took the decision not to visit the (third party) lounge, instead keeping moving as I was starting to flag a little.
Boarding started exactly one hour before departure, with business class called first and I made my way onboard. After a friendly greeting at the door of the ex-Vistara A320 from the crew, I popped myself into my seat 1F.
The cabin was beautiful, ‘proper’ aubergine coloured leather upholstered seats, purple mood lighting and best of all, only four customers in the eight-seat business class cabin, so two seats each.
Already at my seat was a pillow and a bottle of water and soon I was offered a pre-departure drink of orange or apple juice. A choice of hot or cold towel followed, along with the presentation of the menu, which contained FOUR main course options.
The crew seemed extra attentive on this short flight. As soon as the crew member noticed I had finished the small bottle of water at my seat, she immediately replaced it with a fresh one. Meal orders were taken on the ground with the crew member introducing herself and using her name also.
The door was closed five minutes early; we pushed back one minute ahead of time and were airborne at 06:10.
Once in the air, a tablecloth was laid and my meal tray presented. It was a fabulous meal for such a short flight and drink top ups were proactively offered.
Soon enough, the seatbelt sign was on for landing and following yet another hot towel, we touched down in Delhi and were on stand five minutes ahead of schedule.
My onward flight to Australia would not be until after midnight, so I had booked a day room at the Aloft Hotel in Delhi ‘Aerocity’, which is a precinct of modern hotels and shopping just a few minutes’ drive from the airport.
Delhi – Sydney
Being completely honest, this was the flight I had some anxiety about taking. Not only was it the longest, but it was also on one of Air India’s 787-8’s, which have a dated business class and having watched and read several reviews online, often poorly maintained cabins with non-functioning seats and IFE.
Check in & Lounge
Flying internationally from India requires patience due to the endless security and document checks. By the time you get on the plane, your passport will have been checked about ten times, and your boarding pass will be covered in various stamps.
I headed to Zone A, where Air India’s premium counters are and was swiftly checked in by a very friendly agent. Like at LHR check in, an ‘assistant’ appeared and offered to guide me to the lounge via the ‘priority passport control desks and security lane.
Despite a significant international presence at Mumbai, Delhi is the only international airport in India where Air India maintains its own lounge. However, it has been closed for renovations for some time now and in the meantime, Air India directs passengers to the third party operated ‘Encalm Prive’ lounge.
Now, a third-party lounge to temporarily replace an airline’s own flagship lounge is generally considered a disappointment, but not in this case. Quite simply put, the Encalm Prive lounge is one of the largest and best equipped third party lounges I have ever visited. This lounge hosts pretty much all lounge eligible customers from all international flights, so despite its vast size is by no means a ghost town. However, once you walk past the main seating area, it just continues on and on and on with more seating available.
There is a large, tended bar in the centre of the entrance area; however, with a big sign reminding patrons of the 25-year age restriction to order a drink legally in India.
Flanking the bar is the large dining area, which consisted of more options than I could possibly recount. Cold cuts, salads, soups, various self-serve Indian, Western, Southeast Asian hot dishes, as well as some live cooking stations.
Also dotted about were some self-serve beverage stations with espresso coffee machines and soft drinks. There was also a detox juice bar (although closed), a spa with paid treatments, showers, a fitness room, smoking room, business centre and decent sized games room.
WIFI was free, but due to Indian government regulations, you must scan your passport at one of the self-serve kiosks, which will then generate a code.
I was shown to a table by my escort, who gave me strict instructions to be waiting here at 11:30PM, as I would then be escorted to my gate.
11:30PM arrived and as promised, my escort appeared and suggested we take a buggy to the gate. I like to walk, but I thought, why not, novelty factor and all, a bit of fun.
Boarding
Boarding started at 00:05. Group 1, including business class, was called first and for the third sector, there was no mad scramble at the departure gate, which was a nice change.
I boarded the 787 through the first set of doors, was welcomed by the crew and made my way to my seat 3D.
First impressions were positive – yes, the cabin is dated and in a 2x2x2 setup; however, it appeared on first sight well maintained and spotlessly clean. The cabin only contains three rows of seats, so despite having a neighbour, it feels incredibly roomy. There are no Tetris-like designs trying to cram as many ‘suites’ into a set space and no small or angled cubby holes for feet. Simply an open cabin with plenty of space. The trade-off, of course, is a lack of privacy, especially if travelling solo and the lack of direct aisle access if sat by a window.
I usually 100% select a window seat; however, I didn’t want to climb over or be climbed over, so I opted for an aisle seat in the centre pair. In fairness to AI, they are not the only airline to still feature a dated 2x2x2 setup on the 787-8. LOT, Kenya Airways, Aeromexico, Aer Europa, Ethiopian, Air China and others sport the same setup.
Waiting at my seat was a day blanket, pillow, mattress cover, duvet, amenity kit and a bottle of water.
Pre-departure drinks were shortly passed out and the choice was ‘sugar cane juice’ or ‘buttermilk’. Not familiar with either, I went for the buttermilk and loved it. It was a slightly salty yoghurt-based drink.
Menus and drinks lists were then distributed along with a choice of hot or cold towel. The service on the ground concluded with sleepwear being handed out, which was the same that were offered on the First Class flight from London.
The door was closed at 00:50 and I got excited for a moment as I noticed 4A and 4C both unoccupied, soI enquired about moving; however was advised they were blocked for crew rest. The crew did, however, offer for me to sit there for take-off and landing, which I did.
We pushed back one minute early, and the crew took meal orders on the ground for the post take-off ‘refreshment’, which I declined and just ordered a drink.
Fifteen minutes later, we were soaring into the Indian sky.
In Flight
With this flight departing at 00:55 and arriving in Sydney at 19:00, I wanted to be strategic about my rest. I was exhausted and would need sleep; however, I did not want to sleep too much, or there was no way I would be ready to sleep at a reasonable hour on arrival in Sydney. So, the game plan was to skip the first meal, try to get straight to sleep for four to six hours, then stay awake for the rest of the flight.
Within twenty minutes of take-off, I had my caipirinha and some nuts at my seat and within 35 minutes I was placing my seat in flat bed mode and I drifted off to sleep.
This flight offers three meal services, a hot refreshment after take-off, breakfast kind of mid-way and then dinner before arrival. I am glad they do not switch the lights on for the mid-flight breakfast service. I do recall a gentle tap on the shoulder at some point (the cabin was still dark), asking if I would like to eat and I declined and went back to sleep. I found the seat in bed mode extremely comfortable, perhaps more so than newer seats/suites out there.
I woke up about seven hours into the flight, which is when the (self-inflicted) drama started. I had placed my phone on charge before nodding off and must have knocked it during sleeping and it had disappeared down the side of the seat somewhere. Obviously, I was a bit panicked. I was still half asleep and the logical thing to do would be to call one of the crew, right? Partly because I didn’t want to be a pain in the butt and partly because of a daft decision, I decided I would first try to retrieve my phone myself and stuck my arm down the side of the seat and started fishing around. Until I realised now that not only was my phone still down there somewhere, but also, my arm was stuck. I could NOT get it back out, no matter how much I tried. After trying a good five minutes, I realised I would need help but couldn’t reach the call bell with my arm stuck! There were two crew members resting in the seats across from me and I managed to wake one of them up and sheepishly explained my predicament. She immediately came to my rescue and summoned some of the other crew to help. Panic was really starting to set in as my arm still wouldn’t budge and of course, the more I tried to remove it, the more it would swell. Eventually, the purser toggled ever so gently with the back and forward buttons, literally a centimetre at a time and eventually, I pulled my arm free. My arm was bruised and swollen and grazed, but the embarrassment and humiliation was worse!
But honestly, I want to call out ‘Yashika’, who was working AI302 6OCT. Not only did I disturb her rest, but she was also great in her day-to-day role in business class, and she was also incredibly reassuring and warm and funny.
Anyway, drama over, back to the flight.
Once I got some ice on my arm and popped a couple of ibuprofen, I had a coffee and a fruit plate. I have to say how quiet and serene the cabin was, there was no noise coming from the galleys, none from other passengers (well, apart from me waking everyone up), it was just extremely calming and relaxing.
As we were flying over the coast of South Australia with just over two hours to run, the lights were gently turned up and the meal order was taken for dinner. I opted for the chicken starter and chicken tikka main with a glass of sparkling water.
A tablecloth was laid, and the starter was served on a tray along with a bread roll, a slice of garlic bread and butter. The chicken starter was OK, not the most flavoursome of dishes. But what followed more than made up for it.
The main course was delicious and beautifully plated in the galley and both the taste, presentation (and temperature!) exceeded the Indian meal I had in First Class on the London to Mumbai sector. The tray was cleared away, and I had another buttermilk to drink.
The seatbelt sign was switched on, and the captain requested the crew prepare the cabin for landing and it was looking like we would have an early arrival by about half an hour. The captain soon came back on the PA to announce that a storm was passing through Sydney, and we had been asked to take up a holding pattern for around twenty minutes; however, we still arrived bang on schedule.
Final Thoughts – the ‘new’ Air India.
I can only share opinions based on my own experiences and some will say I got lucky. But based on these three sectors, all flights were pleasant (well apart from self-inflicted injury), on time and the seats and IFE were fully functional.
The app works well, and the ground service was exceptional at each touch point.
In terms of ‘the big stuff’, such as aircraft, Air India has a lot of work to do. Flying between London and India, we are lucky as most flights are served by leased aircraft with modern cabins. However, Air India also has a lot of ‘legacy’ 777’s with woefully outdated interiors and the 787-8’s definitely need an overhaul too. However, announcements have already been made that retrofitting of these aircraft will commence soon.
Then there is the small stuff that is easy to sort out – more polished, personalised service (crew introducing themselves in premium cabins, addressing customers by name) and more attention to detail (for example ensuring food is hot) as well as elevating the product especially in First Class (espresso-based coffee drinks are a must).
But Air India also has its strengths. Firstly, unlike quite a lot of Middle Eastern or Asian airlines that want to appear ‘international’, flying Air India really is a cultural experience with the colours, uniforms, and catering all giving a sense of having an identity. I also got the impression that they are really trying to improve, and I felt that they are modest about their small achievements so far. I was constantly being asked about my thoughts and feedback during my journey.
And I felt safe. A few friends asked me if I was not ‘scared’ to fly Air India on a 787-8, given the sad incident earlier in the year. Of course not. An airline cannot be judged by one incident; otherwise, I would never fly Air France, for example, using that rationale!
I really look forward to what Air India achieves in the future and who knows, if some of those regulatory hurdles can be relaxed, we might even see a new hub carrier.
