Flying Air India Business Class from Mumbai to Bangkok

Air India has been undergoing a major transformation, but does its Business Class experience live up to the promises?

I flew from Mumbai to Bangkok to find out, just a couple of days after taking an excellent Air India domestic Economy Class flight from Kochi to Mumbai.

After seeing countless social-media horror stories about dirty cabins, broken seats and poor service, that first flight had completely changed my expectations. Now it was time to see what Air India could offer at the front of the plane.

A confusing start at Mumbai Airport

Check-in at Mumbai International Airport was smooth, with friendly staff and dedicated Business Class facilities.

Unfortunately, things became confusing afterwards.

Despite signs advertising fast-track facilities for premium passengers, I wasn't given clear directions to priority security or immigration. After being pointed through the terminal by various airport staff, I eventually joined the normal queues and spent around 30 minutes getting through security and passport control.

When you've paid for Business Class, priority airport services are part of the experience, so this was disappointing.

The Adani Lounge

Air India doesn't have its own dedicated Business Class lounge at Mumbai Airport, instead using the third-party Adani Lounge.

The lounge itself was pleasant. It was spacious, cool and peaceful, with plenty of seating and views across the airport apron.

However, the food selection was relatively limited. It was adequate for a light breakfast and coffee, but didn't compare particularly well with some other international Business Class lounges I've visited.

For India's flag carrier at one of the country's most important airports, a dedicated Air India lounge would certainly improve the experience.

Boarding the Airbus A320

Priority boarding worked better. Business Class passengers were called first, although everyone was then transported to the aircraft on a fairly crowded shuttle bus.

Once onboard, however, my opinion changed immediately.

The Airbus A320 cabin was immaculate, with a fresh, recently refurbished interior. I had selected seat 1A, right at the front.

The seat was wide and comfortable, there was plenty of legroom and I had a great view from the window.

It felt considerably more spacious than Economy Class.

Breakfast in Business Class

Once airborne, breakfast was served.

I chose the omelette, accompanied by chicken sausage, tomatoes and broccoli. There was also soup, a croissant-style pastry and fresh fruit, followed by coffee.

It wasn't an extravagant meal, but it was a good breakfast for a relatively short morning flight.

Food had also been one of the highlights of my previous Air India Economy flight, and catering appears to be one of the airline's strengths.

A very comfortable flight to Bangkok

After more than three hours onboard, we began descending towards Bangkok.

The Business Class cabin had been extremely comfortable. I could stretch out, recline the seat and relax throughout the journey.

A walk towards the back of the aircraft highlighted the difference. Economy was considerably more crowded and noisier.

There was no inflight entertainment, but that's not particularly unusual on shorter A320 services.

Most importantly, the cabin crew were excellent.

They were attentive, professional and helpful throughout the flight – completely contrary to some of the negative stories about Air India that circulate online.

Would I fly Air India again?

Having now flown Air India twice – domestically in Economy and internationally in Business Class – I came away impressed.

Both A320 cabins were exceptionally clean and comfortable, the food was good and the cabin crews were excellent.

The weakest part of the experience was on the ground. Mumbai Airport's confusing priority arrangements and the lack of a dedicated Air India lounge prevented the Business Class journey from feeling completely premium.

But once onboard, it was a different story.

Air India exceeded my expectations on both flights, and I would happily fly with the airline again.

So when you see those Air India horror stories online, take them with a pinch of salt. They certainly didn't resemble the Air India that I experienced.

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