The New Air India: AI's Dreamliner in J class - Dream of the Maharajah

[SQueeze]

Background

This report is about Air India’s 787 in Business Class between Singapore and Delhi, something that I have been wanting to try for quite awhile.

AI’s J fares are super good (as low as SQ’s Y fares) and I have always been tempted to try except that I have always gravitated towards 9W because my work was usually to BOM rather than DEL and 9W offered superior products until recently – A332 with flat beds to BOM, offered at almost SQ’s Y fares. Now that 9W has gone downhill by downgrading all their 6 daily SIN services to 738s, and SQ has upgauged their services to A388s with flat beds, all the business pax naturally migrate to SQ and business fares on SQ are moving skywards ☹ With consolidation of SQ flights from 2 night flights to 1 night flight, the fares are now hitting the stars and it’s pretty impossible to get J seats ex-BOM or DEL on Thursdays and Friday evenings.

At around the same time as 9W downgauged their offerings, and SQ upgauged theirs, AI fortunately followed up on SQ by upgauging their services to 788 with flat beds. This started with SIN-DEL and will soon be followed by SIN-MAA-BOM by the winter. I only hope that SIN-BOM will go non-stop someday opening up more competition to SQ and reducing fares and increasing overall seat availability.

As of recently, my work started bringing me back to DEL and one of the options I consider is AI. The only drawback is that it is a dayflight and I would have to sacrifice quality time with partner and/or family to travel on it. I have therefore been flying SQ since April paying their skyhigh prices and fight for last minute weekend seats. This time, my partner happened to be unable to spend time with me and I thought I might as well make use of my Sunday for a leisurely morning flight to Delhi rather than the evening SQ flight. And there is nothing I regret about it. It was a great experience.

Flight Details:

Flight: AI 381
Route: SIN-DEL
Aircraft: 787-800
Registration: VT-ANP
Class: Executive
Seat: 3J
STD/ATD: 0915/0915
STA/ATA: 1215/1155

I arrived at a quiet Changi Airport T2 on the Sunday morning about 1.5 hours before the flight. I didn’t really know where AI counters are and forgot that AI business class check in will be at the SATS Premier Check-in Lounge, so I just requested to be dropped off at my usual Door 1 (SQ Business Class check-in).



Better than SQ’s own non-PPS business class passengers who check-in standing in the open floor, AI’s business class passengers may check-in at the SATS lounge which is also conveniently located next to immigration.



Check-in was sitting down (just like in T3 for SQ’s First Class pax). This morning, there were only AI's 2 flights and it was quite busy. But still, I didn’t have to wait more than 2 minutes to be checked-in.



The lounge is smallish and it has a sitting area towards one corner. There is also a magazine shelf at one side. It has quite a relaxing ambience.



Airside, AI uses the SATS Premier Lounge opposite MH. This used to be SQ lounge for KF Gold. It brings back some memories from a long bygone era.



This lounge is actually better-located than SQ’s current KF Lounge or even its Silver Kris business class lounge because there is daylight. The seats are still the same as before. It seems like there has only been minor upgrade.



The buffet counter.



The catering that morning was quite good too: nasi goreng, dimsum, omelette, and a few indian dishes but I won’t have indian knowing the quality will never match what I can have in India. And to me Indian food is at its worst on the buffet.



I walked to the gate with plenty of time to spare hoping to be able to snap a few pictures from the waiting lounge. But to my dismay, I found a rather long queue. At least, everybody lined up properly and patiently.

[SQueeze]

When I cleared the security, boarding had commenced. But I still managed to take a photo of the great beauty – VT-ANP, I believe one of AI’s newest if not newest. I love the distinctive nose, the curved wing, oh, it is so gracious. It was parked next to another 788 (ANA’s)



One last look at the beauty before I entered the first aerobridge towards Door 1 (business class only)



I entered into a fresh cabin in red and tan colour combinations. I read that the colour scheme didn’t fly with a lot of reviewers but for me, I think it’s great. The red is very indian and very distinctive to AI’s livery, and the tan balances the boldness of the red and the overall effect is distinctly Indian yet quite soothing. My favourite is the golden pillow. It is just so unique. I am not a fan of anything that is not along modernist and contemporary aesthetics (a la EK) but this gold wins me over. I wanted to take it back but decided it is not functional outside the cabin because of its size.

My pair of seats: it’s my pair because it’s a 10 out of 18 load today and almost everyone has a pair of seats to themselves.



Looking forward. AI has laid out this cabin in 3 rows of 6 seats each. I read that ET’s is a four-row cabin so AI’s considered spacious.



Legroom is very generous. More than I ever need. In fact, for a not-so-tall chap like me, I am more keen on width rather than this kind of pitch. SQ’s seats definitely suit me better. There is also a small ottoman which I don’t think is for seating. It has ample storage space (which I didn’t use) and I think is useful only as a bed extension which I don’t need because I fit fine into the bed without having to have my feet extended over to this ottoman. Magazine rack is sandwiched between 2 ottomans and I find it rather too far away from the seat. I had to get up to reach the area. But this is a small issue.



Up to this point, the service seemed great. Air steward was full of smile, immediately helped me to put my cabin bag to the overhead bin. So far, it has been very good and commendable. It is just like on SQ...... He then offered me a few choices of drinks: orange juice, water, another kind of juice which I now can’t recall. Anyway, I picked orange juice, a refreshing start to the day on a refreshingly new and surprisingly pleasant and above-my-expectation Air India.



Windows are amazingly large. Each row has almost 3 windows.
And the fun part begins: playing with electronic shading. It’s still a novelty to me.



Looking out to an SQ A330



And then push back. And we were on time. Well done so far AI: new cabin, clean, friendly crew, great seats, fun windows, and most importantly on-time!

[SQueeze]

A short taxi to the runway and off we go in the southwesterly direction towards Batam and then a sharp bank leftwards towards the north.



I still couldn’ t stop playing with the shading. This was over Johor at 10 am. It was beautiful and dreamlike. Almost like being underwater.







Arm rest is pretty wide for one person. Electronic control for the seat is in very visible position. It’s also very simple.



Charging station, IFE control, and bottle storage are under the armrest.



Soon after take off, amenity kits were given out. It’s nothing posh-looking since they are placed in a paper bag but I like it because it has an ethnic Indian appeal to this kind of presentation. It suits AI concept.



The content is very basic, just an eyeshade and a pair of socks. And basic as it is, SQ also offers just these items (if we consider these as part of an amenity kit). So is it AI on par with SQ now? LOL



Cabin was soon darkened to a medium shade and it was a calming ambience basked in a beautiful twilight blue.

[SQueeze]

Headset.



The inflight magazine. AI’s entry into Star Alliance graces the front page. They are indeed proud to be part of it. And so far, I think their standard is nothing to complain about.



Quite a diverse fleet from ageing 747s to brand new 787s to turboprops.



AI’s domestic network. DEL and BOM seem to be their largest hubs.



And the incredibly extensive West Asian network, deserving its own page.



Their international network. It looks very extensive at first glance but many of those routes are code-share. But still, they have an extensive coverage from Chicago to Sydney.



Looking into broad daylight while waiting for breakfast.



Breakfast was served an hour or so after take off. There was no menu. Only a choice: “what would you like to have, sir? vegetarian or non-vegetarian?”. It was not even explained by the crew what they were. I had to ask what were exactly coming. Only then I got the answer that vegetarian would be upma, chickpeas, and potato curry while non-vegetarian would be omelette. I didn’t think twice but picked the indian selection. I have had far too many omelettes onboard and there is nothing exciting about it anymore.

So that’s the first weakness of AI so far: not much variety for the meals.

And then breakfast was served. Bang, one tray and that was it. This is another weakness for them: the meal feels Y class not J class. And … the dishes were served in aluminium containers rather than chinaware. Fruit bowl still had a plastic cling wrap on it. Cutleries were in plastic wrap. Ketchup was in fast-food style package. Indeed, the meal is so Y class.



But at least it was tasty. I had no complaints for the quality. The croissant was buttery and flaky too. So while they fell flat in variety and presentation, at least the taste was not disappointing.

After the meal service was wrapped up, it was time to check the IFE.



And boy, it was disappointing. Very few English movies but there were tonnes and tonnes of Indian movies and not just in Hindi but also in Kannada, Tamil, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Telugu, and on and on. There are at least 10 movies in each of these languages. Hmm, AI is definitely geared towards Indian passengers both inbound and outbound. I believe this could be a successful approach to target the particular market: good indian food and good indian movies.

Since there were very few good English movies, and the Hindi movies seem to be the over-dramatized blockbuster types unlike the sober enlightening arthouse ones shown on Jet Airways, I contented myself with the inflight maps and there were a few versions: high-resolution, day night, total route, etc.



Then it was time to check out the toilet. And it was good, clean, and sleek. No complaints here.



The amenities provided are just like on SQ: lotion, cologne, toothbrushes, etc.

[SQueeze]

Post meal service, the cabin was darkened to the maximum. And this was controlled by the crew. We had no more control until landing time. And the ambience with the twilight blue was very calming and quite captivated me because it was beautiful in there.



Looking out to the beautiful graceful wing of the 787. i couldn't stop being captivated constantly by the shading.



Flight path to Delhi that day was slightly erratic over the Bay of Bengal due to weather.



Half an hour into arrival, the crew went around offering last call for the bar. I didn’t remember I was offered one earlier. I thought AI crew just disappeared completely after the meal service. Or may be they were going round a few times but I was too captivated by the window. I first declined but a few minutes later after they closed the bar, I changed my mind. I thought I had to check what AI could offer. To my surprise, the crew was more than obliging and there were no complaints, only smile.

I was given a packet of savoury crisps and a packet of peanuts with a bottle of wine! Yup. One bottle, and poured in front of me . Nice gesture ----



Descending over Delhi. And this was noon.



The crew lightened the shade to zero and voila, we were back to reality from the dreamlike twilight.



And we landed safely and were on schedule too.



It was a long taxi and then we docked at the last gate of Terminal 3.



Disembarking was only through the 2nd door and business class passengers didn’t get to get off first because it was already quite chaotic at the rear and the door was not secured in time for us to get off first. We had to squeeze into the crowd but we managed fine. It was quite orderly anyway, just crowded. And I am quite used to AI’s way after a few domestic flights with them.

One snap of the economy cabin with its 3-3-3 layout. Seats look very narrow. I don’t foresee myself taking their Y in this configuration and I don’t think I need to either because their J class are at Y prices! Incredibly good value.



One look to the beautiful bird from the aerobridge. They have modernised their livery but the indian windows still stay. Quite amusing to me.



And one last look at VT-ANP.



Conclusion

Well done AI for delivering a good onboard experience with this state-of-the art plane. I think they have exceeded my expectation. Their hardware is certainly on par with most major airlines and the seats are about the same as TK’s which I had tried 2 years ago. (4/5)

AI’s service is still miles behind SQ’s and I would consider it as just average: not much different than TK, or 9W – friendly enough, welcoming enough but may not apply to all. The grumpy old ladies are always there. The younger ones are generally better. Crew is definitely no hunks and babes like on Jet but for me, good service takes precedence over good looks. (3/5)

Meal’s variety is weak and so is its presentation but the taste is good. (3/5)

IFE’s variety is very bad. (1/5)

But the price is superb. (7/5) -

So I guess it’s going to be a 3.5/5 – slightly above average. And I am a super satisfied customer especially on consideration of their prices. I don’t think I ever have any more reason to fly SQ in Y. Welcome Air India to Star Alliance.

[yflyer]

Thanks for the TR! I always wondered what AI's 787's were like. Now that they are also part of Star Alliance, I would be quite tempted to fly them if the schedules fit my travel plans.

Not keen on 3-3-3 Y though.

I am amazed that J food is so basic. AI Y food, even in domestic, is quite delicious.

Many years back, my first flight to India was SIN-Chennai on an Air India A310 in Y, on my way to Bangalore. Very old plane, but very gracious service from the cabin crew, and the Y meal was excellent.

Since then, I have only ever flown AI domestic, but even on those short flights, like BOM-DEL the meals have always been very tasty in Y.

[eriond]

Thanks for the great TR on the new *A partner!

Considering that breakfast on board does not look too impressive, which lounge would you recommend for having breakfast prior to boarding - SATS or SKL(T2)?

I'm guessing the latter?

[SQueeze]

Thanks for the TR! I always wondered what AI's 787's were like. Now that they are also part of Star Alliance, I would be quite tempted to fly them if the schedules fit my travel plans.

Not keen on 3-3-3 Y though.

I am amazed that J food is so basic. AI Y food, even in domestic, is quite delicious.

Many years back, my first flight to India was SIN-Chennai on an Air India A310 in Y, on my way to Bangalore. Very old plane, but very gracious service from the cabin crew, and the Y meal was excellent.

Since then, I have only ever flown AI domestic, but even on those short flights, like BOM-DEL the meals have always been very tasty in Y.

Thanks for posting, yflyer

Despite the presentation and lack of variety, the taste is still pretty good.

I am not quite sure of the graciousness of the crew. My first time with AI was a BOM-LHR 2 years ago and I found the senior FAs (grandma-types) rather grumpy, one of them even slept on pax seat (well, there were only 100 pax on the 77W that time). On many other occasions, saw the juniors working hard in the galley only to have the senior nearby reading newspapers. And although I don't count exactly, I think for every 3 seniors on a flight, there is only 1 junior. And the juniors are the one who try to smile and be gracious. They need some cabin crew renewal.

For now, I can't help but conclude that Jet Airways employ eye candy hunks and babes, AI employs surly grandmas.

Thanks for the great TR on the new *A partner!

Considering that breakfast on board does not look too impressive, which lounge would you recommend for having breakfast prior to boarding - SATS or SKL(T2)?

I'm guessing the latter?

Thanks for posting, Eriond

Well, it doesn't look impressive but the taste is quite good. Don't skip it.
As for the lounge, how are you going to get into the SKL? You need to travel with SQ on J class to access it. I think you meant SQ's Gold lounge. I think I actually prefer SATS''s quality of food. I am never too impressed by the Gold lounge.

[eriond]

As for the lounge, how are you going to get into the SKL? You need to travel with SQ on J class to access it. I think you meant SQ's Gold lounge.

SQueeze, per the *A lounge access policy, any *A JCL BP grants you entry into the SKL. Tried this with TG, LH, CA, UA at SIN and it worked without a hiccup. I think the same rules apply to pax on AI since they've joined *A.

[MAN Flyer]

Interesting TR, thanks for sharing. I see what you mean about the catering.

As for the lounge, how are you going to get into the SKL? You need to travel with SQ on J class to access it.

No you don't. As eriond rightly points out, a JCL BP on a *A carrier gets you access to the SKL.

[viraj735]

Cheers for sharing your AI experience, SQueeze.

Shortly after reading your TR, I stumbled upon this.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...r/1299174.html

NEW DELHI: Air India has been forced to ground one of its planes after crew spotted rats scurrying around the cabin, The Times of India reported on Tuesday. The plane was on its way from New Delhi to Calcutta when staff became aware of the infestation, the paper said.
....
Air India official speaking on condition of anonymity said rats on planes were a "common phenomenon" worldwide and could "get in anywhere". The official added, "They follow the catering vans into the plane when they smell the food."