air india business class trip report

Review of Air India Business Class

With Tata's takeover (or "take-back") of Air India – India's national flag carrier is certainly looking at an exciting future ahead, being hailed as the "biggest turnaround in aviation history". Due to a loss-making venture stretching back decades, Air India has long had a less-than-stellar reputation, with underwhelming and outdated soft- and hard products that render it far behind its competitors. However, Tata's to-do list for the airline has made airline pundits quietly optimistic that a makeover of Air India is well underway that will catapult the airline and its Executive Class offering into a source of national pride and regain the prestige it once held.

The airline has recently announced new premium cabins, logo and livery . 

Air India's main hub is Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, and the carrier is headquartered there too. Being the national flag carrier of India, it operates the largest number of international flights from the country with a combination of Airbus and Boeing aircraft. The airline has more than 200 female pilots - not unusual in India, where 12.4% of pilots are women, but more than double the global average of 5.4%.

Air India's mascot is the Maharajah, who sports a turban and large moustache and is intended to represent the warmth and hospitality you can expect from Air India. It is imprinted on many of Air India's paraphernalia – including the boarding pass. Speculation suggested the Maharaja Mascot might be changed following Air India’s takeover and merger. However, the carrier has said the Maharaja is one of the many historic assets it wishes to retain.

 Air India is starting to receive new aircraft starting with A350-900s that were originally commissioned by Russian carrier Aeroflot. They will not - however - feature the cabins unveiled by Air India. These will only appear on the new A350-900s - of which two are now in service on domestic routes - and also on the airline's existing Boeing 777 and 787s that will be retrofitted. The work is scheduled to start on these in mid-2024 and take around 30 months. 

Wednesday, 1st May marks a new era for Air India. The airline will fly one of its new Airbus A350-900 aircraft from Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) in Delhi to Dubai  before returning a few hours later. The route is normally operated by an Boeing 787-8 but Air India has scheduled the first international flight for its new Airbus A350-900 - after initially operating them on domestic routes only. Air India has said that once staff become more familiar with the aircraft on international routes, the A350-900s will be scheduled for longer routes.  

The airline's livery combines design elements from the merged Air India and Indian Airlines liveries. The body of the plane is white with a red underbelly. The vertical stabiliser and engine covers feature the Air India logo - a red swan in flight combined with an orange 'Konark Chakra' - a chariot wheel from the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha. One notable feature of the livery is the red arches painted around each window - a remnant of the former 'Palace in the Sky' livery.

Air India's frequent-flyer program is Flying Returns, and members can earn points with Air India and its 25 partners, as the airline has been a member of the Star Alliance since 2014. There are three tiers - Silver, Gold, and The Maharajah Club (for members accruing more than 75,000 points during a 12-month period).

Airport experience

Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi is the busiest airport in India in terms of both passengers and cargo, and served more than 67 million passengers in 2019. The airport is named after India’s third Prime Minister, the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, himself the first Prime Minister of India.

Indira Gandhi International Airport is in Palam, Delhi, 16 kilometres from the city centre. There are three terminals: Terminals 1 and 2 both handle domestic flights, while Terminal 3 - one of the biggest terminals in the world, operates all international in addition to some domestic flights. 

Air India operates Domestic and International Maharajah Lounges, which can be found on the mezzanine level next to the food court area in the respective terminals. All Air India First Class, Business Class, Flying Return Elite members and Star Alliance Gold customers can access the lounge prior to their flights. The lounge offers a variety of seating options. There is a selection of hot food, snacks, a salad bar, tea and coffee. There is also Wi-Fi, television, workstations, recliners and showers, along with a wide selection of newspapers and magazines. The majority of Air India’s Maharajah Lounges are based in India, with the only international lounge located at New York’s JFK airport and London Heathrow airports.

Air India no longer provides a complimentary Chauffeur Pick-up and Drop-off service to Executive (Business) Class and First passengers on long-haul routes originating outside of India.

Air India provides a complimentary Chauffeur Pick-up and Drop-off service to Executive (Business) Class and First passengers on long-haul routes originating outside of India. However, this service has been suspended due to the pandemic, and doubts remain whether it will return.

Cabin & Seat

Air India currently operates Boeing's wide-body aircraft on its long-haul routes. The Boeing 787-8 comes with 18 Business Class flatbed seats in a 2-2-2 configuration, a seat width of 22 inches (56 centimetres) and a pitch of 74 inches (190 centimetres). Whereas the Boeing 777-200LRs and 777-300ERs are equipped with 35 Business Class flatbed seats in a 2-3-2 configuration, a seat width of 19.95 inches (50.6 centimetres) and a pitch of 76 inches (193 centimetres). It is worth noting that although the airline markets the seats on the B777 as flatbeds, it is more of an angled-flat rather than fully-flat.

While Air India's existing interiors are dated, and without direct aisle access, better news is on the horizon for travellers thanks to the Tata-Group-owned airline merging with Vistara in 2024. With the merger comes the promise of an extensive overhaul of all long-haul 777 and 787 Business Class Cabins with latest-generation Business Class seats and best-in-class in-flight entertainment systems to begin rolling out in mid-2024 to coincide with the merger. 

In addition to the upgrades, Air India has made the world's largest ever aircraft order of 470 narrow- and wide-body Boeing and Airbus aircraft, including 20 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, 10 Boeing 777-9s, 34 Airbus A350-1000s, 6 Airbus A350-900s, which will significantly modernise and greatly expand the airline's fleet.

The first new narrow-body aircraft will see service in late 2023, with the majority penned for 2025. However, Air India isn't resting on its laurels and is taking delivery of eleven leased Boeing 777s and 25 Airbus A320neo-family aircraft from other airlines, including Boeing 777-200s from Delta Air Lines, containing the Delta One Suites, which sees a vast and immediate passenger upgrade experience over the existing Air India Business Class product. A further six 777-300s are planned for the first half of 2023, and the first of the wide-body Airbus A350-900s – intended initially for Russian carrier Aeroflot – will begin joining the airline's fleet by the end of 2023 and will likely retain the Russian airline's cabins. 

These are exciting times for Air India and its passengers, and the substantial aircraft orders will provide a significant economic lift with their manufacture.

Air India has introduced a bright and airy Business Class cabin. The suites are configured in a 1-2-1 layout - complete with all the modern coveniences of a modern Business Class offering - including full lie-flat seat, wireless charging, ottoman and sizeable touchscreen monitor. All have direct access to the aisle. The suites feature a grey & aubergine colour scheme - accentuated with rose gold and silver accents. 

This new cabin feature on the airline's A350-900 aircraft along with a new First Class and Premium Class offering.   

The flight search on BusinessClass.com features images, videos and seat maps for most airlines and aircraft. Search results also highlight details including seat pitch, width and recline. You can visualise the seat and cabin configuration of the flight in which you are interested before making your choice.

As a full-service airline, Air India offers a range of refreshments and meals on all flights. Passengers receive one major meal during a flight of five hours or less, one major and one minor meal on flights between five and nine hours, two major meals and one minor meal on flights between nine and eleven hours, and two major meals and one minor meal on flights over eleven hours.

Air India has updated the entire in-flight menu choices, including international, modern Indian fusion and delicious regional Indian dishes. Passengers on international flights can now expect a nutritious and healthy gourmet meal service that also now includes vegan options such as vegetable kebabs, Thai red curry with tofu and vegetables, and Medu Wada (lentil fritters) to name just a few of the plant-based alternatives. Meals vary according to the flight/route, but the main sample dishes include mixed vegetable paratha, kadai panner, masala dal and brown rice. International main dish samples include grilled prawns in fennel cream sauce, baked fillet of fish with a herb almond and garlic crust, chicken mortadella salad with English mustard, and zucchini cheddar steak with red pepper sauce. Dessert lovers will find various exotic treats ranging from Mango passionfruit delight and espresso almond crumble mouse cake to Khajur Tukda with Kesar Phirni and single-origin chocolate slice.

A wide selection of special meals – religious, children's, medical, and dietary - are also available on request.

Admittedly, the food on Air India is the highlight. Although the meals somewhat lack presentation that does not necessarily feel "premium" – as different courses tend to be served on a single tray with no branded cutlery or celebrity chef collaborations – they make up for it in taste. The curry dishes are as tasty in 40,000 feet as they are on the ground. However, do be careful if the flight attendant casually mentions that "it may be a bit spicy" – heed the warning!

Passengers in all the premium cabins are in for a treat when it comes to cutlery, chinaware and glassware. 

First Class will enjoy their Indian meals from gold-copper thalis. 

All cutlery will be made from stainless steel and tiffin box-shaped salt & pepper shakers with a gold finish will almost-certainly become a “collector's item”. The chinaware will feature Indian - Mandala - designs. And there will also be an amazing-looking tea service. Premium Economy passengers will enjoy a deliciously-designed service plate. 

Alcohol is not served on domestic flights but is available on all international flights. Laurent-Perrier La Cuvee Brut Champagne is offered during boarding - with a side of nuts and a selection of wines and spirits, soft drinks, juices, tea, and coffee can be ordered once airborne. It is surprisingly pleasant to find that Air India often carries a wide variety of different fine wines from the vineyards of Chateau de L'Hestrange, Les Oliviers, Chateau Milon and wines from the Piedmont region of Italy, even on shorter international flights. The new beverage menu also includes premium spirits and beers. There is also a wide selection of teas onboard that is true to its roots, and one ought to round off the meal with a masala chai (spicy tea) whenever possible.

The airline tends to roll out the beverages on selection prior/during the main meal service, so one can at least physically see the choices on offer.

The  flight search on BusinessClass.com  includes information on which Champagne is served in Business Class and First Class on many airlines. We do our best to keep track of any changes, but feel free to  let us know  if there is something we missed. 

Service onboard has traditionally been hit-or-miss and inconsistent, but one can expect a friendly "namaste" from the cabin crew upon boarding. It is to be expected that the cabin attendants serving Business Class passengers will be the airline's more senior crew. With the large expansion of the airline fleet comes the need to find new pilots and cabin crew, and the airline has recently advertised these positions with an extraordinary response. Following Tata's takeover, the airline's image change promotes friendly interactions onboard, and 4,200 new cabin crew and 900 new pilots will form the cornerstones of Tata's makeover plans.

Air India's uniforms are designed by the National Institute of Fashion Technology, with female cabin crews choosing from three different outfits, including a traditional bright yellow sari with a red border, a long black jacket with trousers, and a yellow kurta (a long, loose-fitting, collarless shirt extending below the knee) with black trousers. Male attendants wear black jackets, trousers, a blue pinstripe shirt, and a red tie. New rigid grooming rules have been applied to the male and female crew, and a new uniform is expected to be introduced soon.  

Air India has showcased new celebrity-designed uniforms for its cabin and cockpit crew - reflecting the airline's refreshed brand identity. The attire, crafted by renowned Indian designer Manish Malhotra, encompasses ombré sarees and bandhgalas for cabin staff, and sleek double-breasted suits for pilots.

The junior female crew will wear striking red-to-purple ombré sarees, paired with red blazers. In contrast, senior crew members will don aubergine-to-burgundy sarees accompanied by matching aubergine blazers. An innovative option allows the wearing of sarees over trousers, offering a blend of Eastern and Western fashion while providing the female cabin crew with a choice that resonates with their personal style. 

The cockpit crew's attire will consist of new black double-breasted suits, adorned with a pattern reflecting the Vista, symbolising “the professionalism and prestige” associated with piloting. The uniform accessories include black and burgundy block heels, pearl earrings, and sling bags for the female crew, while the male staff will be equipped with black brogues.

Entertainment

Existing, non-retrofit aircraft are equipped with Thales i3000 in-flight entertainment system. Passengers can choose between Hindi and English content, including international (Hollywood) and domestic (Bollywood) movies, television shows, cartoons and music. It's a modest offering, but it does the trick – although it is a bit sad to be able to spot the actual pixels of the screen, such is the lack of resolution. As previously stated, a considerable retrofit programme is in place on the long-haul fleet that will see the introduction of new state-of-the-art IFE systems. However, the exact details are unknown at the time of writing. It's also worth noting that Air India does not currently offer inflight Wi-Fi but has plans to introduce services on its long-haul flights.

The flight search on BusinessClass.com includes information on Wi-Fi and inflight entertainment.

Amenities & Facilities

The airline has recently unveiled a new range of amenity kits by American luxury travel & lifestyle brand TUMI, which will be offered to passengers in First Class, Business Class and Premium Economy. The Business Class kits offer a hard shell mini-case inspired by TUMI's 19 Degree collection. Passengers receive a bonus vegan leather patch which can be monogrammed with their initials at TUMI stores. The kits contain products by Malin + Goetz and include lip balm, hand and body lotion and face mist. An eye mask, dental kit, ear plugs, socks, pen and tissues are also supplied.

TUMI also supply sleepwear made from recycled materials, with each sleeper suit comprising the equivalent of twenty-three 500ml plastic bottles – resulting in 18 million plastic bottles being diverted from landfill sites annually.  

Air India has unveiled a raft of soft-enhancements including premium bedding, tableware and amenity kits. Air India has partnered with the luscious Italian family-owned fashion house Ferragamo. Business and First Class passengers will receive a travel set includes luxury soft socks, high-quality eye masks, and earplugs made from recycled plastic, while the toothbrush is crafted from wheat straw. There are also tubes of lip balm, toothpaste, moisturising hand cream and a comb. First Class passengers will get an added bottle of scent.

Air India is introducing its own line of premium bedding - for Business and First Class which includes memory foam mattress toppers and duvets and Premium Economy - lush blankets.

Short & Medium Haul

Air India currently operates a wide range of the narrow-body Airbus A320 family of aircraft on its short and medium-haul routes. The cabin comes with 8 or 12 Business Class recliner seats, depending on the aircraft type, and is in a 2-2 configuration, with a width of 21 inches (53 centimetres) and pitch of 40 inches (102 centimetres). A rule of thumb is that there are 8 Business Class seats on the A319, while both the A320 and A321 have 12 seats. Also worth noting is that a few A320s are in an all-Economy configuration and do not have Business Class.

But with the massive order of new aircraft, the short- and medium-haul fleet will see the introduction of 210 new Airbus narrow-body aircraft with much-needed updated products and interiors made up of 140 A320neos, 70 A321neos, plus an additional 190 Boeing 737Max aircraft.

On flights up to 90 minutes, cold snacks are served with beverages. Flights between 90 and 120 minutes are served meals by 'time of day' with vegetarian options and beverages, and for longer flights up to 5 hours – meals by 'time of day' with multiple choices are on offer with tea and coffee. Alcohol is not served on domestic flights, and cabin crew are empowered to refuse alcohol to any intoxicated passengers on international flights.

Air India is now flying two newly delivered A350-900s with First Class, Business Class and Premium Economy cabins. They are being used on domestic routes until the crews are fully familiar with their upgrades.

The  flight search on BusinessClass.com  includes information on CO2 emissions for each flight. Our quality algorithms also give a higher score to flights operated by the most modern and environmentally-friendly aircraft.

Sustainability

Air India is investing heavily in expanding its global fleet with highly advanced aircraft with industry-leading fuel efficiency. The use of the Boeing 737MAX aircraft on domestic and short-haul international routes will see a reduction of 20 per cent in fuel and emissions compared to the aircraft it will replace. Meanwhile, the long-haul Boeing 777X will be the largest aircraft in the Air India fleet and the world's largest twin-engine jet. While the Airbus A350 is a proven efficient and quiet long-haul aircraft.

The airline has also minimised the usage of single-use plastics onboard its aircraft by around 80 per cent on its global network. This has been achieved by a series of initiatives, including completely revising how passengers are served water – removing all 500ml bottles from economy class, replacing plastic straws with paper straws, plastic stirrers with wooden stirrers, and introducing 100 per cent compostable materials in place of plastic alternatives.    

Decarbonisation must and should be a priority, and given its access to feedstock and solar energy, India is well-placed to become a leader in Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Indeed, in March 2023, Vistara of the Tata Group became the first Indian carrier to operate a wide-body aircraft using sustainable aviation fuel on one of its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. Air India is certain to follow suit soon.  

What We Love

• The Tata takeover - an opportunity for the beleaguered national carrier to reinvent its Business Class experience under the guidance of its original owner.
• The food – arguably the best aspect of flying Air India Business Class - if you enjoy Indian cuisine.
• The Maharajah - you can’t imagine a design agency today proposing the cheery Maharajah, but he embodies some traditional customer service values that Tata will be keen to embrace.
• The Future is Now! Air India is on course in its aim to be one of the leading airlines in Asia by 2025. With new A350-900s and retro-fitted Boeing 777s, it's installed First Class, Business Class and Premium Economy cabins - all new - that will help it on its quest. Also, new uniforms, tableware, amenity kits, livery, logo .. it's all part of the plan! Service is still King … well, Maharajah … let's see how the Air India of the present/future looks! Watch this space!

BusinessClass.com searches hundreds of travel sites at once to help you find the best premium travel offers for both flights and the finest hotels.

Flight Review: Air India (777-300ER) Business Class From Delhi to New York

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

Before I joined TPG more than two years ago, I had a career at various tech publications, where, as part of my job, I reviewed products ranging from batteries to briefcases to smartphones . While gadgets might seem dull in comparison to incredible first-class flights booked for pennies on the dollar — and oftentimes they were — I haven't come across a product that I truly despised until this Monday, when I flew Air India's 777-300ER from Delhi to New York-JFK. It was not a good experience.

I was moved — I mean, Air India's business class missed the mark on so many levels. So much so that I whipped up a post entitled 20 Things I Hated About My Air India Business-Class Flight to NYC , a counterpoint of sorts to an article that followed my second-most-recent United MileagePlus redemption: 6 Things I Loved About Thai Airways 747 First Class .

So, as you may have gathered, Air India's 777-300ER business class was really, really bad. Before I dig into this flight in the detailed review below, here's a quick look at the cabin and seats from my Instagram collage. I'm still disgusted by that towel. The seats were filthy.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUFdvnrBN3M/

So, given how crappy this plane looks inside, it's probably safe to assume that it's a few decades old, right? After reviewing pictures of the business-class cabin, TPG aviation enthusiast JT Genter guessed that this 777 had been manufactured back in 1995, making it 22 years old. Nope! Boeing delivered this aircraft, VT-ALP, in August 2009 — it's been flying for less than eight years and this poor plane has not aged well.

There are two airlines flying nonstop between New York City and Delhi (DEL): Air India from JFK and United from Newark (EWR). United's fares start at around $4,300 for a round-trip departing the US. Flights from other US cities connecting at Newark are more reasonable — Washington, D.C. is $3,500 round-trip in biz, for example, which isn't bad at all. Meanwhile, as of this writing, Air India flights can be had for less than $3,800 round-trip over the next two weeks, though most dates are priced above $4,500. And a one-way Air India flight from Delhi to JFK will run you more than $2,300, which isn't terrible, either, especially when you consider that you'll earn 5x points per dollar if you pay with the The Platinum Card from American Express, netting you 11,500 Membership Rewards points on the one-way, which is in turn worth $230 based on TPG's most recent valuations .

Note that Air India also operates two other flights from the New York area: a nonstop to Mumbai (BOM) on the 777 and a flight to Ahmadabad (AMD) via London (LHR) on the far superior Boeing 787 .

I decided to redeem 80,000 United miles for flight, given that I have a pretty significant stockpile thanks to transferrable points I earn with the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve cards. In theory, I could also have redeemed 75,000 miles from Aeroplan, but there seems to be an issue related to booking partner awards on Air India's US nonstops, which complicated the situation a bit.

Booking this award wasn't as simple as transferring points and selecting Air India on United's site though. For whatever reason, I wasn't able to see availability on this flight on United or Aeroplan's websites, but a United supervisor was able to confirm space after working at it for 30 minutes or so. Some of Air India's other flights show up online and seem easy for agents to track down, so there must be something wacky going on with the US nonstops specifically.

Airport and Check-In

I was hoping to score seats in the rear mini-cabin (more on that below), so I attempted to check in about 36 hours prior to departure — Air India web check-in opens up 48 hours out, so in theory, there was plenty of time to take care of formalities before we arrived at the airport.

Unfortunately, I kept getting an error message that our reservation could not be found, even though I was able to pull it up under the Manage Flights option using my five-character Air India record locator. I tried all of my browsers and got the same error, so I gave United a call to make sure the award had been ticketed correctly. The agent said everything looked good on her end, but when she got the same check-in error I was seeing, she called up Air India and added the rep to the call, who explained that the airline was simply experiencing some IT difficulties at the moment. He suggested I try Firefox (which didn't work as well), or just wait to check in at the airport (which is what we did).

Several locals I chatted with in the days leading up to the flight insisted that we arrive at least three hours ahead of departure, explaining that the immigration and security lines would be out of control , and would easily take us more than an hour or two to navigate. A couple of employees at our hotel, the Andaz Delhi, seemed to think two hours was more than enough, however, so we decided to depart at 11:30pm for our 1:45am flight. Since the hotel was just a few miles away, we were at the check-in desks roughly two hours before our scheduled departure time.

I noticed several gigantic window decals as we approached Terminal 3, declaring DEL the "World's Number One Airport." There's no way that award could have been the result of passenger feedback, though — and apparently this distinction applies specifically to Asia Pacific airports with between 25 and 40 million annual passengers.

In India, you need to prove that you're flying before you can enter the terminal. I pulled up our reservation in my United app, which seemed to do the trick, and we were through to the empty Air India check-in area a couple minutes later.

Initially, the airport seemed pretty quiet in general, even though Delhi has many late night/early morning departures.

There was no line to check in, which took five minutes or so, including checking my mom's bag through to JFK. The agent didn't proactively add a "Priority" tag to the bag (which we were entitled to as business-class/Star Alliance Gold passengers), but he stuck it on when I asked. And I'm glad he did — my mom's bag ended up being the first one out upon arrival in New York!

The check-in agent suggested that we use the dedicated business/first-class immigration line. It was more than a bit challenging to find — and airport employees weren't very helpful in helping us locate it — but once I found the proper line, we managed to get through both immigration and security in less than 25 minutes, an eternity when compared to the PreCheck line at some US airports, but more than reasonable for an international departure from India.

The Air India Lounge

I made it into the terminal around 12:15am, which was 30 minutes before our scheduled boarding time of 12:45am.

I didn't really want to spend any time in the Air India lounge, but I needed to stop by for the purposes of this review. The lounge sign after duty free listed out every lounge but Air India's, though I spotted it on the second floor just beyond the sign.

I was welcomed by a cardboard cutout of Air India's Maharaja mascot and handed over my lounge invitation at the desk. That wasn't enough, though — the agent needed my boarding pass as well.

I was directed to the left side of the lounge, which is for business-class passengers and Star Alliance Gold members (first-class passengers head to the right).

There was a variety of seating, including a few options that offered a bit more privacy (thanks to a partition wall).

The lounge seemed to be roughly 25% full, perhaps due in part to the fact that it isn't exactly easy to find.

There were light refreshments available, including some salad items...

... and four hot items, including two vegetarian and two "non-veg" options. A makeshift sign implied that you can ask lounge staff to microwave your meal — I'm sure they'd be just thrilled to get that request.

Drinks were very limited, however. Budweiser was the only beer available, and there were water bottles and juice boxes, along with a small selection of liquor at the nearby staffed bar.

I decided to find a seat so I could test out the Wi-Fi, which turned out to be so bad that webmail took a minute to load. I couldn't even get the speed test tool to work, so I'd plan to get any online work done before you arrive at the lounge. Oh, also, that food below isn't mine — it had been sitting on the table since I arrived perhaps 15 minutes earlier, and nobody stopped by to clean it up at any point during my visit. There was abandoned food/drink throughout the lounge as well.

With only a few minutes to go until my scheduled boarding time, I got up to check out the rest of the lounge, when I came across a hallway that seemed far longer than the biz lounge itself. So, naturally, I walked to the other end.

And what did I find? The Air India first class lounge... so, oddly, it seems you can enter the business-class lounge then walk down the bathroom hallway to the first-class lounge.

The highlight there was definitely much improved seating and privacy, since there were only two other guests.

The first-class buffet section was empty though, with the exception of a dancing Maharaja, who didn't seem bothered in the slightest that a biz passenger had snuck into the first-class section.

After 30 minutes of bliss in the lounge (oh hey, sarcasm!), I wandered back to the terminal and on to my gate. There are a few shops that might be worth checking out, including one with live music (at 12:45am — go figure).

The terminal itself was clean and modern, which was a nice surprise.

After passing through a second security checkpoint (specifically for US departures, it seemed) I made it to the gate. I discovered that first and business-class passengers actually had their own gate at the other end, so I hung around there for a few minutes until boarding began, since it was far quieter than the economy area and much closer to the plane.

We boarded about 20 minutes late (at 1:05am), but 40 minutes was still plenty of time to load up the 777.

Air India 777 Business Class Cabin

I boarded through the forward door, so I had to walk through the small one-row first-class cabin, which has just four seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. It's a huge step up from business class, but hardly a pinnacle of luxury. (First-class awards cost a whopping 140,000 United miles each way. No thank you!)

Our seats in the center section, 8DEF, were located just behind the first-class partition. Air India's 777-300ER product is hardly competitive — in theory it's not as tight as 2-4-2 on older United 777-200s , but United's seats are much more comfortable, even on that dated plane. Air India's seats are arranged in 2-3-2 configuration — each seat measures just under 20 inches across and has 76 inches of pitch, though we seemed to have a bit more than that in the bulkhead row.

With just three middle seats available to book (more on that in a bit), they're fairly easy to avoid.

There are three rows of 21 seats in the forward cabin, and two rows of 14 seats in a mini-cabin behind.

Interestingly, Air India blocks a whopping six business-class seats for a crew rest area, leaving just 29 seats for sale (or redemption). The curtain also makes paired seats in the rear cabin much more private than those up front, given that the center seats are blocked off entirely.

There are just two lavatories for business class, one on each side of the plane between the two cabins. They were clean when we boarded, but absolutely filthy when I went back to change out of my pajamas some 14 hours later. Clearly the flight attendants aren't tasked with maintaining lavatories during the flight.

The lavs are pretty bare bones, though there were a few (not particularly high-end) amenities mounted to the wall.

During boarding, the crew activated what I'm describing as a "kaleidoscope" light show, with the overhead and window lights changing color every few seconds. First we saw green...

Then red...

And blue...

Boy did it make taking pictures interesting!

As I mentioned above, business-class seats are arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration, compared to 1-2-1 in first class and 3-3-3 in coach. At less than 20 inches wide, they're especially narrow — less than two inches wider than the seats in economy.

At boarding, each seat had a light blanket, a small pillow and a second larger pillow. I imagine those items were clean, but given how filthy everything else was I wouldn't be surprised if the same pillows had been used for the previous flight. I tried not to think about it...

There's a fixed table mounted between each seat, so center seats have two tables and window-side seats have one. The seat controls are located at the end of the armrest. The labels seemed to have worn off mine and a few of the buttons were broken, including the main recline button. My only option to recline was to press the lie-flat button, which made it impossible to position the seat exactly as I would have wanted.

These are "flat-bed" seats, apparently, but I was never able to get mine to a full 180 degrees — so they're more angle-flat, in my opinion. There's a flip-out footrest, which is nice to have, in theory, except that it seems to be designed for especially short passengers — I'm 5-foot-9 and I was too tall to use the footrest comfortably. (I did find the comforter to be of decent quality though, which definitely helped when it came time to get some sleep.)

And then there's this... the filth. This is what my moist towel looked like after I spent about 20 seconds wiping down the seat. Disgusting.

There's also a flip-up partition between seats that was perhaps even dirtier than the seat itself.

(My theory is that Air India sourced these seat dividers from decommissioned folding fans, which, after decades of use, had spent another few years marinating in a cocktail of industrial waste. The airline then let them dry before attaching snaps and installing them between the seats on their brand-new flagship planes.)

I really didn't want to touch anything else at that point, but I had more exploring to do. Like the tray table that pops out from under one of the armrests.

There's a wired remote control under the other armrest (note that the in-flight entertainment does not include a touchscreen, so this remote is all you've got).

There's a USB port and a universal power outlet (mine didn't work, despite the green light).

And then headphone jacks (one for each seat) between the backrests.

The seats were in pretty bad shape. I find it hard to believe that they're less than a decade old — clearly they haven't been cared for well, as confirmed by the shoddy patch job below.

But what about storage? Well, there isn't any — not within the seats, at least. Yes, we were at a bulkhead row, but seats in other rows only had a water bottle holder and a small seat-back compartment. Our bulkhead pouch was the same size you'd expect to find in economy on a domestic flight, so I ended up storing all of my essential items in a plastic bag that I tucked in beside the in-flight magazine and safety card.

I was very happy to see dedicated air vents, though — many newer 777s don't have them, which means you're at the mercy of the flight attendants when it comes to climate control.

In addition to the pillows and light blanket, there were slippers at my seat when I boarded...

... along with socks and an eye mask (but not earplugs) in a paper bag.

I thought that was the extent of our amenity kit until a flight attendant appeared to offer pajamas (woohoo!) and a proper amenity kit just before departure.

The amenity kit was unique — it was decently constructed and had a mix of Indian-made items, including herbal toothpaste and a bar of soap (like, an actual bar).

The inside of the bag was pretty neat, too, with a soft fabric and Mr. Air India.

The provided headphones were garbage, though, so I just used my own.

In-Flight Entertainment

Speaking of garbage, here's the in-flight entertainment screen. Since we were in a bulkhead row, our monitors were pretty far away from the seats. They were also on the smaller side (about 15 inches, it seemed) and very low-resolution. Content (when I managed to get any to load) only appeared on a portion of the display.

The system was far out of date. It wouldn't have been current in 2009 when the plane was manufactured, either, so I'm not really sure what Air India was thinking here. For movies, there was a modest selection of English-language films, along with Hindi, Regional and International sections.

There were just 10 new release films loaded, including the nine below...

... and a 10th on the next page.

The English section also included some older flicks — about 40 or so, though none that really interested me.

There were a few more options in the Hindi section.

Navigation was painful — it took an eternity to load each screen, and my system tended to freeze up from time to time.

Not impressed with the movies, I was hoping that I'd find something to watch in the TV section, but there wasn't much to speak of there either.

Like, here's the entire Comedy section — there are just seven episodes to choose from.

You can also keep yourself entertained with one of the two 777 external camera views. Oh wait, no you can't. They wouldn't load.

But at least there's a flight map available... nope, that didn't work either.

How about a magazine?

Since there isn't a touchscreen function, you'll need to select content using the wired remote.

Of course mine was broken — like, physically broken, as you can see on the screen below.

That wasn't the worst of it, though. My controller stopped working many times throughout the flight.

After I made the request several times, a flight attendant hit the reset button on my system in the hopes that that might fix the remote issue. Except she turned off my sister's as well, while she was in the middle of watching a movie. Sadly that didn't help — the remote issue seemed to be independent of the main IFE system.

Food and Beverage

Since my IFE system was busted, my power outlet didn't work and my laptop wasn't fully charged (I was planning to use the remaining battery power to edit photos), I decided to participate in all three meal services to help pass the time.

Just after boarding, a flight attendant came by with a tray of hot and cold towels. (The crew was mediocre at best — it was clear that nobody was thrilled to be working the flight, though I did finally manage to get a flight attendant to crack a smile at the end of the last meal service.)

The towels were followed by orange juice, water and a lime drink.

I selected the lime drink. I didn't care for it.

I wasn't sure if there would be a meal after takeoff, given that it was after 2:00am at that point and we hadn't received any menus. However, about 30 minutes after departure, flight attendants wheeled out a cart with aluminum buffet trays, with shrimp, two chicken options, sauces and "veg" options for the vegetarians on board. (Apologies for the photo quality here and below — I was dealing with some pretty nasty blue cabin light.)

I asked for a sampler of all three "non-veg" options. The shrimp were greasy and overcooked, as was the chicken at the bottom of the plate. The other chicken dish was pretty good, however — I just wish I had asked for more of that.

There was also no drink list available. I asked the flight attendant which white wines were on hand, and she said "an Indian white and… another white." I went with the Indian white, which was from Sula.

I assumed that food above had been the appetizer, but a flight attendant came by to collect my tablecloth a few minutes later — that was it for the first meal of the flight.

There were some pretty unappealing packaged sandwiches available between meals, along with bags of peanuts and almonds.

About halfway through the flight, the crew started serving breakfast to anyone who happened to be awake. I decided to wait a couple hours to have mine — I ended up eating about four hours before landing. My tray appeared a couple minutes after making the request, and consisted of a mushroom omelette with chicken sausage and potatoes, fruit, mango yogurt (delicious!), a corn muffin and an absolutely terrible croissant.

Then my mom decided to ask for breakfast a minute after my tray arrived. Much to my surprise, she was offered a choice of entree, and went with the scrambled eggs (which were tastier than my omelette, but hardly fantastic).

Then another two hours passed before the main meal service began. First, we were offered menus (finally!) and a choice of peanuts or almonds.

This meal actually sounded pretty promising, especially the chicken dish, which I had once or twice during the trip.

Then, a few minutes later, the beverage cart made its very first appearance — more than 12 hours into the flight!

I asked for a glass of Champagne — judging by the bottle (and the bottle alone), Air India serves H.Blin, which I hadn't been familiar with. There was a half-bottle on the cart, which retails for about $20 on the ground. It wasn't remarkable.

I also ordered a glass of water, given that I was starting to feel very dehydrated at that point (with a middle seat and a broken remote — and therefore a broken flight attendant call button — it was pretty much impossible to get anyone's attention without disturbing my family during the flight).

My tray appeared a few minutes later, consisting of a pretty good salmon appetizer, terrible bread, my entree of chicken with spinach and rice (all very tasty!), a side of lentils, plain yogurt and Indian bread. (As much as I enjoyed the entree on the plane, I'm almost certain it made me sick — I was in pain throughout the rest of the day.)

I also got a small baggie of miniature papadums. They were a-okay as well.

Meanwhile, my mom ordered the vegetarian entree, which she seemed to enjoy.

And my sister got the salmon, which was edible (but hardly restaurant quality).

After the meal, flight attendants wheeled out a dessert cart with cheese, fresh fruit and two desserts: cheesecake and an Indian dish with gulab jamun (those super-sweet syrupy dumplings).

My mom requested the cheesecake, which was fine.

I asked for the jamun, which was flavorful, but the cheese seemed to offer nothing more than an opportunity for Air India to say it serves cheese. I also got a box of chocolates that, of course, I didn't have anywhere to store.

Overall Impression

What can I say... Air India is the worst. I wasn't expecting a great product, but I was shocked by just how terrible of a flight this was. At the end of the day, the airline got us home safely from India to New York, and we even arrived 25 minutes early. But I was eager to get off the moment I stepped foot on this 777.

Will I fly Air India again? Certainly not voluntarily, and I'd actually be more likely to choose economy on a handful of airlines ( such as JAL ) than business class on Air India.

But my sister made a very good point — with fantastic food, a very comfortable seat, loads of entertainment and great service, she didn't get much sleep during our Qatar A350 journey from Philadelphia to Doha at the beginning of our trip. Considering how terrible Air India was, however, she decided to sleep most of the flight, and didn't feel like she missed out, despite skipping the movies and meals. Ultimately, my sister, and my mom, made it clear that they preferred to fly nonstop on Air India's crappy plane than on Qatar with a stop in Doha. Go figure.

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I flew 13 hours in business class on Air India from New York to Delhi. The seat was awkward and offered no privacy, but it wasn't as bad as I feared.

Posted: February 1, 2024 | Last updated: April 7, 2024

• Air India has a reputation as having an awkward business-class product with regularly broken seats.
• Though the airline is introducing better products , the old seat will fly until at least 2025.
• I tried out the dated product from New York to Delhi — it wasn't great, but it could've been worse.

Air India is getting a makeover.

Everything started in 2021, when the Tata Group agreed to buy back the airline it originally founded in 1932. During its golden days, Air India was considered a top-tier carrier with fancy on-board bars, lounges, and luxe cabins.

But the government took over in the 1950s and ran Air India into disarray. Worn-out planes, broken seats, and dirty carpets were just a few of the complaints regularly coming from passengers.

Under Tata, the company has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in a revamp , including updated uniforms and business-class seats.

To see the transformation, I tried out Air India's old — and notoriously awkward — Boeing 777-300ER business-class product from New York to New Delhi (Business Insider paid a media rate).

Here's why the cabin wasn't as miserable as I thought it would be.

The Tata Group had a full-circle moment when it reacquired Air India after being ousted in 1953.

The philanthropist and private pilot JRD Tata launched Air India as the country's first commercial airline, and it became famous for its in-flight luxuries.

The carrier was nationalized after India gained independence from Britain in 1947.

The company has vowed to restore Air India's reputation after decades of financial and quality struggles.

"Everything is in the process of reinvention," Air India's new CEO, Campbell Wilson, told Business Insider in an interview in January.

"We have announced a $400 million retrofit program for our legacy wide-body fleet , which will see the complete stripping of and refitting all interiors — new seats, new in-flight entertainment, and finishings," he said.

Reports in outlets like Reuters and The New York Times have described Air India's planes and seats as commonly worn and in poor condition.

Reuters noted that many of Air India's business-class seats were in "poor repair," while a Times report described less-than-stellar customer service and on-time performance over the years.

Given its reputation, I had low expectations going into my 13-hour flight from New York to Delhi last month.

Samantha Rosen, a reporter at The Points Guy, described a bad experience on Air India in 2020, calling it the worst business class she'd ever flown.

Three years before that, another reporter, Zach Honig, pointed out 20 things he disliked about the business-class experience.

Despite the reviews, the flight really wasn't that bad — here's why.

I've flown in more than a dozen business-class products over the years. Surprisingly, Air India's wasn't the worst.

I could see Air India's rebrand starting from the moment I checked in at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The display along the back of the check-in area showed Air India's new logo and color scheme and flight information for routes to Delhi and Mumbai.

Checking in took about five minutes thanks to the dedicated business-class line, though the economy queue looked quite long.

A long line of economy travelers queued with mountains of luggage. I'd budget extra time for check-in if you can't get your boarding pass on the app or if you need to check bags.

I made my way through security and to the Air India lounge to wait for my 12:30 p.m. flight.

Security was quick because of the business-class line — though next time I'd just stick with TSA PreCheck to avoid the hassle of taking off my shoes and separating my electronics.

I've been to this lounge several times as it's part of the Priority Pass network, and it's just OK.

The Air India lounge offers free food and drinks (alcohol included) but is small and crowded.

However, Air India is planning to refresh its lounge at JFK as part of its aim to become a more elite carrier.

Boarding started at about 11:30 a.m. Business-class passengers were among the first people ushered onto the Boeing 777 plane.

The aircraft, registered VT-ALK , was delivered to Air India in October 2007 — making it about 16 years old.

I made my way to seat 9D and enjoyed a welcome drink and hot towel as I settled in.

The towel and the drink are common perks in business class. I thought the juice was tasty. I could've also opted for an alcoholic beverage if I wanted.

My first impression of the seat was that it was extremely dated and that a key amenity — the power outlet — was broken.

There was duct tape on the aisle seat next to me, and my power outlet wasn't working.

The product also lacked ample storage, with just a seatback pocket, a shoe cubby, a cupholder, and a small side table to work with.

The tiny table between the seats was really only big enough for drinks, and everything else was a long reach away.

What looked like a useable cubby between the seats held a life jacket, while the armrests were already used for the tray table and TV remote.

There was no obvious storage space for the headphones, so I just draped those over the seat lamp.

The tray table was pretty flimsy — it wasn't the sturdy, adjustable tables on five-star carriers like Singapore and All Nippon Airways.

After flying five-star Asian airlines and even some Western ones like Condor, I thought the table left a lot to be desired.

The awkward part, however, was the 2x3x2 layout.

I've flown on more than a dozen business-class products; this was the first time I'd experienced this configuration.

This means customers in business class could still be assigned a dreaded middle seat.

This isn't exactly "elite," and it was one reason I worried about flying Air India. Luckily I got an aisle seat for the 13-hour journey.

There were no dividers or doors to separate people — so there was little to no privacy.

Fortunately there was no passenger in the middle seat next to me, which helped.

I couldn't avoid seeing the people next to me sleeping, meaning I wasn't hidden either.

Like most passengers around me, I hid under the blankets and wore my eye mask — it was the only way to feel somewhat cocooned.

There were some good things about the seat, though, like the legroom, the leg rest, and the bed.

The bed is angled, so it's not perfectly flat but rather slopes down.

This didn't bother me because I curl up to sleep, but taller and larger travelers may find the bed uncomfortable and narrow.

I actually found that despite the lack of direct aisle access, there was enough space to shimmy around an aisle-seat passenger.

The beds don't stretch to the TV, so a passenger in a middle or window seat could step over to the aisle without disturbing someone — if they're careful, anyway.

Still, this isn't an ideal setup and is something Air India is addressing with its $400 million refurbishment project.

The television was fine, with plenty to watch — though the screen was dimmer than I'd have liked.

The screen was also far from the seat — it wasn't a huge deal, but I wished I would've sat closer to the TV. Thankfully, a remote was included.

I recognize where the new management is trying to make up for its product shortcomings.

"We acknowledge we've got a way to go, but despite the shortcomings we have, we want to at least be as good as we can and make updates in key areas," Wilson told BI in January.

This was made clear by the soft product.

The soft product includes things not physically attached to the plane, such as linens, food, service, and amenity kits. The hard product would be the seat itself.

The amenity kit was made by Tumi and came with everything I'd need for the long-haul journey.

The kit was also in a hard-sided case, which I can reuse on future trips.

I loved the pajamas, slippers, and linens provided.

The sleepwear was warm and cozy. It was a nice perk after not getting pajamas on recent flights with airlines like the German carrier Condor and the French boutique airline La Compagnie.

I was also surprised by the food. Though it wasn't perfect, I liked most items served, and the bread was the best I've had on a plane.

The first meal service started about an hour after takeoff, with two more that followed.

I wish the second meal had been served later in the flight so I could've slept more between lunch and dinner.

For lunch, I ordered grilled Mexican prawns for an appetizer and millet steak for my main dish. I loved the prawns, but the entrée meat was dry.

My other appetizer option was hummus, and I could also order butternut-squash soup with my meal.

The second Western entrée option was a fish fillet with black-olive mash, which I skipped because I don't like olives.

Indian dishes including murg khatta pyaz and khubani paneer korma were available.

For dessert I had fresh fruit and a custard-like sweet with pistachios.

The menu said the dessert was a saffron phirni with mini gulab jamun and pistachios, which I thought was tasty.

I opted for a chicken sandwich for dinner. It was good, but I couldn't each much as I was groggy from my nap.

To prepare for the time change, I used melatonin to force myself to sleep after lunch. This meant I woke up pretty groggy and didn't have much of an appetite.

For this meal, I liked almost everything except the side dish in the top left corner of my tray. The texture was just too soggy.

My favorite part of the dining experience was when the flight attendants pushed a cart filled with smaller dishes through the cabin.

There were a handful of à la carte items like sandwiches, chicken, and fish. I opted for the fried fish paired with a green sauce and more bread.

After the last meal, we were about an hour from landing. The flight attendants came by with coffee and cookies before tidying up the cabin.

I changed back into my regular clothes and enjoyed a cappuccino and cookies.

We were treated to some amazing views of the Himalayas.

The downfall of an aisle seat is missing the views out of the plane windows. But luckily other travelers were willing to share their space for views like this.

The Boeing 777 plane finally landed after 13 hours in the sky — which, I should note, included flying over Russia.

Air India flies over Russia, which is facing sanctions .

This fact gave me a little pause, considering the airline's recent diversion in Siberia with US-bound passengers on board . But Wilson told BI the airline was following the Indian government.

Overall, my experience on Air India's business class was comfortable, and the food was mostly great.

I can tell Air India is desperate to make up for its shortcomings, and it's taking advantage of the soft product.

Plus, the cabin crew really did try to get my power outlet working — I'll give them credit.

According to Air India, a business-class seat in February on my route costs about $5,500 for a round trip. The flight on American is about $9,000.

That's a $3,500 difference, though I've flown American's Boeing 777 business class and found it much better than Air India's. The choice comes down to factors like cost-benefit analysis and airline loyalty.

FlightAware data indicates the American flight is at least an hour longer because it circumvents Russian airspace.

While the lack of privacy and the awkward setup on Air India make for a more mediocre product than what competing airlines offer, they're likely not dealbreakers.

The lack of privacy didn't bother me during sleep hours, especially with the lights off. But I can imagine other travelers would expect more, given the business-class price tag.

The cabin on my flight was full aside from the middle seat open next to me — so people are clearly paying for the upgrade.

I actually liked it better than La Compagnie and Air New Zealand.

At least on Air India I could step over my neighbor if I were in a middle or window seat — this is more difficult on La Compagnie .

Air New Zealand offers better privacy , but I disliked that I had to wait for a flight attendant to set up my bed. On Air India, I could adjust the seat with a button.

Passengers won't always have to worry about the old business class as Air India continues introducing products.

Air India has myriad long-haul business-class cabins in its fleet.

Some long-haul passengers may find themselves on a leased Delta or Etihad Boeing 777 aircraft.

Wilson said Air India acquired 11 planes from carriers like Etihad and Delta that still sport that airline's product.

So, for instance, if you fly from Mumbai to New York-JFK on a Boeing 777, you may actually experience Delta's business class with sliding doors, not Air India's legacy product.

Starting this year, passengers can experience Air India's new business-class product the carrier recently unveiled on its new Airbus A350.

Air India is the first airline in the nation to receive the A350. It has fit the cabin with a much nicer product, complete with sliding doors and direct aisle access for all travelers.

The plane also includes significant upgrades to premium economy and regular coach.

Granted, the hard product is that of the Russian carrier Aeroflot — the jet was destined for the Kremlin before being reallocated to Air India.

The jet changed owners amid Russian sanctions .

Air India has added its flair to the A350, and the new branding is scattered throughout the product — from the small details on the glassware to the pillows' purple color scheme.

While Air India's dated 777 business class is still flying until at least 2025, passengers have better cabins to look forward to.

"The project starts in the second half of this year on our legacy 787s and the 777s," Wilson told BI, referring to the $400 million retrofit.

"By the end of 2025, the entire legacy wide-body fleet will also be upgraded to match what we're getting on the A350," he continued. "So, essentially, our fleet will be completely reborn by then."

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Air India business class is great value. - Air India

“air india business class is great value.” review of air india.

I had a bad back prior to taking this trip so wanted to pay extra for a decent flat seat. After reading and watching so many poor reviews for Air India I was nervous about booking with them, but the business class seat price was very reasonable. I’m so glad I did as I couldn’t fault the service. The seats were dated but very comfortable whether upright or in full recline mode. The food was good and the drinks were readily available. The staff were particularly friendly and I was ushered through every business class fast track service on my way through Mumbai to Chennai. Overall, for the same price as a much longer Air France premium economy ticket, I got an excellent deal and would fly with them again.

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• Average 1,658
• Terrible 2,932
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101 - 105 of 9,619 reviews

Never flown AI, though have been 25 years on the road. Reason being that AI has always been considered as one of the worst airline in terms of service. Now as TATA took it over, decided to give a quick try on short trip to SIN. First leg verdict is horrible-on half of the plane (787) the entertainment system did not function. Even worst-even the reading lights did not work, as they are using same remote as screen. Everything was broken-table, remote buttons etc). Food was reasonable for 8 H flight, but very tiny portions. Service attitude was miserable-no smiles, no chat. I spoke with crew-they told that for them hardly anything has changes, except it has been getting more strict for them. Currently in the AI lounge in Delhi-this lounge should not bear Star Alliance lounge sign-very miserable food, few soft drinks and today there is NO alcoholic beverages due to some holiday-you must be kidding me. My recommendation-stay away as far as possible on AI, TATA takeover has not changed anything.

Horrible experience, flight was late 6 hours, everyone waited in the airplane, plane was smelly and dirty. No food was served for those 6 hours. Staff was not helping anyone. Staff didn't clean the washrooms for the whole flight which was 14 hours of flying time plus 6 hours of delay, total of 20 hours. Do not waste your money on this airline, it is worse thing that ever happened in aviation history

Aircraft was filthy dirty and smelly. No inflight entertainment. No mixers to go with any alcoholic spirits, therefore only cold drinks available were water and beer. Seats were very uncomfortable and dirty, could not relax as too afraid to put head on headrest as they were so filthy. Never been on such a dirty airline.

1. The sound system didn't work, 2. The small screen kept on falling down, 3.No salt and pepper on-board, 4.No sanitary kit on-board, 5. The fish served was very dry, 6.Champagne and wines were room temperature, 7.Crew was very nice,

I flew the Air India A350 in all the three cabins back-to-back!

March 4, 2024 by Ajay 4 Comments

Since then, Air India pressed into service the second A350-900 aircraft as well , and both these planes are being flown with Air India or Airbus examiners who are using the short rides between Mumbai – Bangalore – Hyderabad and Chennai to gain landing cycles and release pilots after their check rides so that Air India has an approved pool of pilots to take these planes abroad.

Booking these flights.

The only time I could find on my agenda to experience the aircraft was at the end of February 2024. The fact that the aircraft operates through Delhi NCR only one day a week also limited my choices, as I did not want to fly the aircraft just for the heck of it but also to be able to review it.

Air India’s A350-900 on display at the Hyderabad Wings India 2024

Eventually, the trip worked out like this.

• Delhi to Bengaluru on board AI869 in Business Class on the A350 ( Review )
• Bengaluru to Mumbai to Chennai on board AI589 in Economy Class on the A350
• Chennai to Hyderabad on board AI587 in Premium Economy Class on the A350
• Hyderabad to Delhi on board AI840 in Economy Class on the Boeing 777

To book the trip, I pegged it to availability on the A350 Business Class awards. I booked the Delhi – Bangalore flight using 12,500 Turkish Airlines miles + INR 580, while the flight itself was selling for about INR 40,000, so there was tremendous value in using those miles there.

Air India’s A350-900 Business Class

Air India was offering the Bengaluru to Mumbai and the Bengaluru to Mumbai to Chennai segment on board the A350 at the same price. Those flying to Chennai won’t be able to alight in Mumbai, though. I thought that testing the seat and the cabin for two segments rather than one would be a good idea. Hence, I booked the Bengaluru to Mumbai to Chennai rotation instead of getting out of the plane at Mumbai itself. These tickets were booked on Air India’s own website , given that Air India gives you extra points for booking directly.

Air India’s A350-900 Economy Class

From there, it became a bit tricky. I could have flown the same plane back to Bengaluru, but as you can imagine, I could either book Bengaluru-Mumbai-Chennai, Mumbai-Chennai-Bengaluru or Bengaluru-Mumbai, Mumbai-Chennai or Chennai-Bengaluru. So, I figured I could take a quick break in Chennai and step out for lunch at one of my favourite eateries in town before returning for the day’s final flight.

I booked myself on Chennai – Hyderabad, which operates in the evening rotation of the A350, in Premium Economy. From there, I also wanted to get home back to Delhi rather than hang out at an airport another night. So, the first possible flight available for me would be the one that I wanted to book (AI 840). However, with only one hour between the scheduled arrival of AI587 and the scheduled departure of AI840, I wanted to make sure that I ticketed these flights together so that if any delays happened in my arrival of AI587, I’d be automatically accommodated on another flight rather than being shown the door.

Air India’s Premium Economy on board the A350-900

The Air India website was not able to ticket these together given this was a mixed class ticket, so I called the friendly neighbourhood travel agent to get the job done. Insisting on getting the two tickets on the same PNR also meant I paid 12% GST for both rather than 12% for one sector and 5% for the second one (in Economy).

Air India’s Economy Class on board the 777

Eventually, the whole trip was back-to-back, and it allowed me to see how the aircraft and the crew would hold up across three different cabins and sets of crew. The only thought at the back of my head was that what if the A350 was grounded and I’d actually be making the whole trip on an A320neo, and in vain?  It is a different thing that by the time I stepped on the last plane on my 30-hour whirlwind journey, I was knocked out.

I’ll write the details about each of the sectors in the coming days, but here are some quick first thoughts about the business class section.

Let me know what you would like to know more about, and I will try to fit in the details to the extent possible. 

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Ajay Awtaney is the Founder and Editor of Live From A Lounge (LFAL), a pioneering digital platform renowned for publishing news and views about aviation, hotels, passenger experience, loyalty programs, travel trends and frequent travel tips for the Global Indian. He is considered the Indian authority on business travel, luxury travel, frequent flyer miles, loyalty credit cards and travel for Indians around the globe. Ajay is a frequent contributor and commentator on the media as well, including ET Now, BBC, CNBC TV18, NDTV, Conde Nast Traveller and many other outlets.

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Air India made my journey a nightmare. I will never flight air india again in my life. On a 8 hours flight, nothing was working, no movies, no music, no screen, no light for reading, staff was very unpleasant and never around, food is crap. Ans price is very expensive so I call that cheating, or stealing money from the customers.

@Alex, if you book Air India knowing that you were flying on one of their old aircraft, I mean, the joke is on you.

Hello Ajay, I am hoping to book Air India in October, Vancouver Canada to Delhi, then connecting to Kathmandu. I am confused by the difference between Comfort and Comfort Plus. Is it worth paying the extra charge for Comfort Plus? What does Comfort Plus offer you. Thank you for your feedback.

Has anyone noticed – the actual tail art on the Air India A350s are different from the renders? The black shade in the centre is not aligned and makes it looks really ugly. Is it a defect or diliberate change from the renders?

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Air India Takes Delivery of First Airbus A350 + Cabin Details

Air India took delivery of the first of 20 Airbus A350-900, becoming the first Indian carrier to operate the Airbus A350. The aircraft which made its journey from the Airbus facility in Toulouse, France, successfully landed in New Delhi on Saturday, the 23rd of December.

The Airbus A350-900 with registration VT-JRA will initially operate short-haul flights, according to the airline’s CEO Campbell Wilson. Originally intended for Russian carrier Aeroflot, this Airbus A350-900 took an unexpected turn to join Air India’s fleet.

Air India, which plans to induct a total of six A350 planes in the first phase, will take delivery of the remaining five A350s by March 2024.

The Indian flag carrier had initially planned to order 40 Airbus A350-1000s. However, in response to the ongoing situation, the airline opted to swap six of its orders for the -900 variant from Aeroflot. Moreover, the Indian flag carrier recently updated its A350 order and the carrier will now incorporate an equal number of both A350-900 and A350-1000 into its fleet.

Air India A350-900 Cabin

With the delivery of the first A350-900, the first cabin photos of the aircraft have been revealed. However, the first six A350s will be equipped with Aeroflot interiors as planned for these aircraft initially, with minor changes to reflect Air India’s branding.

In Business Class, these A350-900 will feature the Collins Aerospace Horizon seats, in a 1-2-1 configuration, providing direct aisle access and doors to each individual.

Meanwhile, the six A350-900 will feature 24 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration in Premium Economy, whereas the aircraft will feature 264 Economy seats in a 3-3-3 configuration.

Initial Plans and Transition to Long-Haul Operations

Air India’s CEO, Campbell Wilson shared that the initial phase would focus on domestic and short international routes for the A350-900 for fleet familiarization. Experienced instructors will guide this process, building a skilled pool of crew members to support long-haul A350 operations in the coming months.

Being the first carrier to operate the aircraft type in India, Wilson said that several post-arrival regulatory processes need to be completed. This includes customs clearance, various regulatory approvals on equipment, and a series of ground tests and proving flights to demonstrate procedures in action before scheduled passenger services commence.

“Thereafter, we will be operating short sectors for a few months so that we can familiarise our pilots with the new aircraft under the tutelage of experienced instructors, and build a pool sufficient to support long-hail A350 operations later in the year.” Air India CEO, Campbell Wilson.

Air India’s New Uniform

Recently, Air India introduced new uniforms for the airline’s cabin and cockpit crew.

In an internal message sent to the carrier’s staff, the Air India CEO stated that new uniforms for the airline’s ground staff and Air India Express staff will be introduced soon.

The Tata Group-owned full-service carrier has recently secured regulatory approval for the engineering line maintenance of its A350 aircraft, paving a major step forward in ensuring the smooth operation and maintenance of all six A350 aircraft which are to be inducted in the first phase.

Air India new uniform. pic.twitter.com/ORuyPgn1HA — Pradeepᵀᵒˣᶦᶜ (@pk_rsy) December 12, 2023

Feature Image via AIN

Air India would be wise to give priority to sorting their cabin crew attitudes.

That is the most unimpressive new aircraft interior I think I have ever seen ( modern day aircraft).

This is great news. I recently flew ORD-DEL first class and although the service was fine, the equipment was not in a good state of repair. The 777 I flew on was 14 years old and showed every hour of its age.

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Simple Flying

The different ways to earn points with air india's flying returns.

Reward Points can be earned from flying Air India and Star Alliance partners, credit card spending in India, and limited other sources.

• Flying Returns switched to revenue-based earning for Air India flights in 2024.
• Points earned from partner airlines vary based on distance and fare class.
• Limited credit card and retail options are currently available for earning points.

Flying Returns is Air India's loyalty program. It was completely refreshed in early 2024, with significant changes to earning and spending points as well as elite status qualification.

Like many other airline loyalty programs, it has now changed to a revenue-based earning model – at least for Air India flights. As Air India is a member of Star Alliance, there is also the option to earn points from all alliance member airlines. There are limited credit card and retail options, too, for earning points - these may increase as the new program develops.

Earning points from Air India flights

One of the most significant changes to come from the 2024 overhaul of the program (the first major change in a decade) is the switch to revenue-based earning. More and more airlines are making this change, with points being awarded based on the ticket price instead of the flight distance and booking class. It is generally agreed that such a model is less rewarding, especially for lower-priced tickets in premium cabins.

Air India Introduces Enhancements To Flying Returns Program

Members earn Flying Return Rewards Points based on the ticket price for all Air India flights (including fuel surcharges but not including taxes and other fees). The earning level varies based on the member's elite level in Flying Returns. Note that Rewards Points are different from Tier Points. These are earned at a different rate and are used to determine elite status level in the program.

• Red members earn six Rewards Points per 100 INR spent
• Silver members earn eight Rewards Points per 100 INR spent
• Gold members earn nine Rewards Points per 100 INR spent
• Platinum members earn ten Rewards Points per 100 INR spent

There is also a points bonus for booking directly. Members (of any elite level) that book on the app or the Air India website earn an additional two points per INR 100 spent.

Love learning about points and miles? Read more of our loyalty news and guides here .

Earning points from other airlines

Air India is a member of Star Alliance . As such, and as is common with all member airline loyalty programs, points can be earned from flights with all member airlines. Star Alliance is the largest of the three main alliances by number of members – with 26 airlines. There are no other (non-alliance) partners where points can be earned.

Points are earned with all partner airlines based on the distance flown and the ticket's fare class/booking code. Only Air India flights earn in the revamped program based on distance; this is common with most airline loyalty programs, as it can be challenging to access the underlying ticket price with partner-issued tickets.

Each partner airline has a different earning rate. These are given as a percentage of the flight sector distance, depending on the booking class. Flying Returns publishes tables of these rates for each airline on its website. In general, rates tend to be 100% or more for premium economy, business, and first class.

Some first class tickets can earn up to 250%, and business earnings are up to 200% with many airlines – including Aegean, Asiana, TAP Air Portugal, SAS, Croatia Airlines, Lufthansa, and Air New Zealand. Rates for economy classes vary from 25% up to 100% in some full-fare economy classes.

As a couple of examples, the tables below show the earnings rates for United Airlines and Lufthansa:

Earning points from credit cards

Second to flight-based earning, earning from credit cards is becoming increasingly popular with loyalty programs and co-branded credit cards. Air India currently only offers one co-branded credit card. According to the airline, more cards will be added to the revamped program in due course.

The only card currently on offer is from SBI. There are two versions: a Platinum Visa card (with an annual fee of INR 1,499) and a Signature Visa card (with an annual fee of INR 4,999).

These earn points at the following rates.

Platinum Visa card:

• 15 Rewards Points per INR 100 on Air India flights for the member
• Five Rewards Points per INR 100 on Air India flights for others
• Up to two Rewards Points per INR 100 on other spending

Signature Visa card:

• 30 Rewards Points per INR 100 on Air India flights for the member
• Ten Rewards Points per INR 100 on Air India flights for others
• Up to four Rewards Points per INR 100 on other spending

Earn points from other spending – hotels, car hire, and retail

Flying Returns Rewards Points can also be earned from a range of other sources. These are currently quite limited but may increase as the revamped loyalty program is further developed. Currently, earning sources include:

• Hotel stays. Flying Returns does not currently have partnerships with any of the major hotel chains (as many other loyalty programs do). Options in India include Leela Palace Hotels and Resorts (earning five Flying Returns Points per INR 100), Rainforest Hotels (earning ten Flying Returns Points per INR 100), Rosete Hotels and Collection (seven Flying Returns Points per INR 100), and Soneva (earning five Flying Returns Points per INR 100).
• Car hire. Likewise, there are no partnerships with the major car rental companies. However, points can be earned with bookairportcab.com (five Flying Returns Points per INR 100), Discover Cars (ten Flying Returns Points per INR 100), and Zoomcar (five Flying Returns Points per INR 100).
• Lifestyle and experiences. There are several other India-based partnerships for earning points. Full details are on the Flying Returns website. These include Antara River Cruises (five Flying Returns Points per INR 100), Sherpa (25 Flying Returns Points per INR 100), Kiels (five Flying Returns Points per INR 100), and Tattva (13 Flying Returns Points per INR 100).
• Points can also be earned at the Bicester Collection in Europe (at a rate of five Flying Returns Points per four Euros spent).

Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today.

Do you regularly use Air India's Flying Returns program? What do you think of the changes made to the program in 2024? Feel free to discuss how you earn and use points in the comments section below.

Flying Returns

Is Air India’s A350 Dubai Debut a Warning Shot to Emirates?

Gordon Smith , Skift

May 2nd, 2024 at 10:42 AM EDT

By bringing its new flagship plane to Dubai, Air India is making a statement of intent about its global ambitions. 

Gordon Smith

Air India’s new flagship has made its debut on the international stage. On Wednesday night, Flight AI995 departed Delhi for Dubai, operated by an Airbus A350-900 for the first time. 

Until this week, the new widebody plane had been flying domestically, linking key Indian cities including Chennai and Hyderabad.  

Air India’s decision to place the A350 on the Delhi to Dubai route before any other is notable.

The UAE city is one of the largest transit hubs anywhere on the planet. Emirates, its hometown airline, is the world’s biggest international carrier, with almost a million passengers flying through Dubai each week.

Data from Cirium Diio shows Emirates alone provides tens of thousands of seats a week to and from India.

Along with other mega-airports in the region such as Doha (home to Qatar Airways) and Abu Dhabi (home to Etihad), the Gulf serves as a critical location for global connections. The revitalized Air India wants a much bigger slice of this lucrative segment. 

The national airline is in the middle of a five-year transformation plan that promises to bring Air India back to its world-class glory. One of the key metrics for success is removing the need for so many Indian passengers to transit through the Middle East.

The Significance of Dubai

By bringing the A350 to Emirates’ home and hub, Air India is making a statement of intent. The airline wants to fly more people directly to India, as well as being a notable onward transit location in its own right. 

Speaking at the Skift India Summit in March, Air India’s CEO Campbell Wilson, identified what he believes to be the carrier’s competitive advantage over ‘one-stop’ regional rivals.

“It’s no wonder that some relatively small geographies or population bases want to tap larger, faster growing ones to augment what they don’t have themselves. Upwards of 70% to 90% of people are not going to that place, they’re going through that place,” he said.

Wilson told Skift that India will become less reliant on overseas carriers, thanks to a revitalized national airline: “Those passengers can be served by an Indian carrier or indeed a carrier from the ultimate destination market. And I think given the state of Indian airlines, and the fact that they’re very nascent and newly privatized and the market is developing professional modality, I think it’s appropriate for India that time be accorded for the maturity to come, for the growth to come, for the 470 aircraft that we’ve purchased to come, and for us to connect India non-stop to many places around the world, so people have a much faster, much more convenient, much less emissive way to get from A to B.”

A Friendly Rivalry?

Sir Tim Clark, the president of Emirates Airline has previously rebuffed the competitive threat posed by the ‘new’ Air India. “I have never looked at Air India as a foe or threatened by it. I do not consider them as a threat now,” he said in comments to the Mint Indian newspaper. 

Sir Tim suggested that the two airlines could in fact be complementary, with potential synergies for both parties: “Rather than considering Emirates as a threat to India, look at us as someone who is going to help Air India in doing all things it needs to do.”

Why Has Air India Been Flying the A350 Domestically?

It is common for airlines to introduce a new plane type on a ‘soft launch’ basis. This typically includes flying shorter, domestic routes to bolster crew familiarization. It also offers the company a chance to iron out any teething issues before the plane flies more complex long-haul services.

Wilson told Skift that Air India is currently taking delivery of a new aircraft every six days – a rate he described as almost without precedent. While the bulk of these are smaller narrowbody planes, larger long-haul aircraft such as the A350 are also part of the mix. 

Considered by Air India as its new flagship, the A350 has a three-class cabin configuration with 316 seats. This includes 28 business class suites with full-flat beds, 24 premium economy seats and 264 economy options. Skift was onboard the A350 in January for a sneak peek – read our verdict here .

Up to 40 of the European-built planes are on their way to Air India, with 20 of the current -900 variant, and 20 of the larger -1000 type.

The airline currently operates a total of 72 flights a week to Dubai from five Indian cities, of which 32 are from Delhi. Flights AI995/6 were previously served by the carrier’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.

Watch Campbell Wilson Speak at the Skift India Summit 2024:

Skift India Report

The Skift India Report is your go-to newsletter for all news related to travel, tourism, airlines, and hospitality in India.

Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch

Tags: air india , dubai airport , emirates , Etihad Airways , india outbound , india travel , Middle East airlines , qatar airways

Photo credit: Air India Air India

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