Review: Air India Business Class Airbus A320neo (DEL-KUL)

Thank you for this article too Ben …. I simply luv the opportunity to bait the bigoted trolls once again …. 🙂

No racist posts yet? Amazing!

Give the trolls time VS …. 🙂

Is there any reason to choose the bulkhead row over the second row or vice versa? The bulkhead wont have the foot rest bar, right?

I seem to remember another review a while back with same phone power connector problem and kids running around. Deja vu?

Hard pass on Air India. Safety first

New cabin looks nice!

For DEL-KUL, I'm surprised you didn't opt for Malaysia Airlines, which often operates a330 with lie-flat up-front for the 5+ hour flight, often a redeye (maybe it was schedule-dependent, or you wanted to do the review.) Even AirAsia operates a330 with angle-flat up-front on that route.

Probably you read the first impressions post. The full review always lags by a couple months in some cases.

It was so nice to have seen your nod to the ex-Vistara 787-9. As I’ve said so many times before, I do wish you could’ve flown the ex-Vistara A321neo or 787-9 on the DEL–SIN sector, as they provide a greatly superior hard and soft product with lie-flat seats. Of course, the folks in Taipei must be laughing at them, given that Starlux has vastly superior cabins and service on its A321neos — the best of both worlds, which KE and CX cannot yet match on theirs.

Once again lipstick on a pig

Well well well, right on queue you little fraud. You were never a British RAF pilot.

@ 1990 -- Indeed there are better products, but it was all on one ticket, and I wanted to review the A320neo, even if it's not the best. For me, the goal isn't always to fly the best product, but the one that's the best value and/or most interesting to me. But I do have plans for a Malaysia Airlines trip soon. 🙂

@ GV -- Indeed no foot bar, but otherwise not a meaningful difference, as I see it. And yes, regarding the deja vu, I had shared some initial impressions when I took the trip. 🙂
https://onemileatatime.com/insights/air-india-a320neo-business-class/

Why would you risk your life reviewing a product that no sane person would be interested in? You're a father with a small child to think about.

No screens? How cheap.

Nice seeing the worlds cleanest Delhi air/sky from the airport photos. Too bad you never left the airport!

So Walter Mitty …. I will bite, put your money where your mouth is …. prove your outrageous claim. You have one chance to Redeem your name.

Who in their right mind would go to that horrible corrupted country?

And so what?

The pilots didn't board until halfway through the boarding process? That's a little bit concerning -- I would've expected that they'd have been on the plane for at least 30 minutes before even boarding began, preparing the flight doing checks, etc.

“I could deal with the lack of seat back entertainment, but then you’ve at least gotta have Wi-Fi, in my opinion!”

…or you could try and entertain yourself without having to stare at a screen. Read a book, do crossword puzzles, take a nap or have a conversation with your travel companion (yikes!).

the man has a job that won't get done without wifi

I think there is merit in this comment. I always have a book to read or a puzzle book. Music on my phone.

And if there was an entertainment option via your own device I wouldn’t be marking down the airline too much.

I almost never log into WiFi on flights. I understand you need to for work.

"For DEL-KUL, I'm surprised you didn't opt for Malaysia Airlines, which often operates a330 with lie-flat up-front for the 5+ hour flight..."

Thank you for posting this. I have an upcoming KUL-DEL flight, but it's the earlier one on the 733 MAX (ew); I didn't know the later flight was an A330, so I may change over to that one if my schedule allows, so thanks again.

"...a small child..."

TWO small childs.

"And so what?"

Nothing, just a sad sack both passive-aggressively pitying Ben for not making the same choices the poster would have made, and suggesting that it's pitiable that Ben "never left the airport."

While we cannot name them all, if you take the number of people who fly into all Indian airports + the number of people who arrive in India by road + those who arrive by rail + those who arrive by foot + those who arrive by ship, and ask all of them, you'll have your answer. Go get it. We'll wait here.

@ Frog -- Airlines try to compete on product (presumably that's why Air India spent the money to retrofit these planes). Nowhere did I mean to suggest that someone couldn't possibly find a way to pass the time on a flight without Wi-Fi or seat back entertainment. My point is to say that these amenities are the norm between India and Southeast Asia on full service airlines, so this isn't very competitive.

@ TrumpGambit -- Respectfully, would you suggest I also never get in a car? Air India has had a single (and very tragic) fatal accident in decades. Flying Air India (or any airline) is still exponentially safer than getting in a car, a risk most people take on a daily basis, without thinking twice about.

I discussed more about my philosophy on airline safety in this post, if you're curious:
https://onemileatatime.com/insights/airline-safety/

It's been years, but I'd also like to return to Malaysia, especially now that the new PH in KL is finally open. I wish there were five-star options in Borneo as I'd really like to see the orangutan there, but, I suppose they haven't followed Rwanda with luxury 'primate' tours yet. What happened to O&O Desaru (permanently closed)? Eh, still MO there. Wasn't Aero just talking about being in Langkawi, too?

Mr Ben

delhi weather and pollution and air quality very bad
u could have chosen better cities Bombay *mumbai) or
Bangalore (BLR) BLR is equivalent to San Jose
next time please visit these two ciities and add one more
chennai (formerly Madras IATA 3 letter MAA) also
you will enjoy original and brand name foods in five strs
and four star hotels typical indian food veg briyani chicken
briyani mutton briyani briyani with eggs added
u will enjoy food after rum with coke u will be in heaven

Seems like most aspects of the flight were pretty good - seat, food, drinks, service. The primary thing that didn’t meet your approval was lack of seat back entertainment / WiFi and you docked it two stars for that?

Great review Ben. Great to hear that the soft product is vastly improved. AI is super short of wide bod aircraft right now- so they cannot use them on such routes when more compelling routes are not served. I think a well priced AI A320 fare with a great soft product can compete with the A350/A330s that TG or MH uses on these India-BKK/KUL routes. Honestly having flow TG and MH on some of these India- SE Asia routes- the aircraft are super old, not in great shape, and soft product is just about ok. In fact, the SQ SIN-BLR A350 aircraft that I took a couple of months ago was strictly ok. AI doesn't have a real choice at this stage, but I actually think they can compete with TG and MH for sure.

Whoever is behind “The_REDEEMER” login has proven themselves to be the lowest of the low, when it comes to honesty and integrity. Sneaking out to make wild accusations before cowering back into your hovel. Small minded individuals like that do not deserve to be acknowledged.

President Trump and the ICE Officers will gladly assist you.

I would and do. And regularly receive the most warm, hospitable welcome of any country I've ever visited.
India has its issues, for sure, some of them very frustratingly difficult to change, it would appear, but I presume your viewpoint comes from a lack of experience of actually going there. India has much to offer.