Check-in and Boarding
After wonderful 2 weeks in the Maldives, it was sadly time to head back to reality. My flight home started with a quick hop to Mumbai from Male on Vistara Airlines followed by a second flight on Air Canada with a stopover in London Heathrow.
Check-in at Male Airport was fast and the line was short. Unfortunately, while there are lounges at Malé Airport, Vistara passengers do not receive complimentary access so you'll be on your own here. The airport has 2 levels with some seating areas in front of each gate. There were also several restaurants and shops.
The Gate was being used for another flight initially but once that flight had taken off, the Vistara staff updated the info screen and opened the counter for boarding. Vistara has a separate dedicated boarding line for business class passengers. As I waited in line, I checked the Find My App on my phone to make sure my luggage was loaded on the plane. I always leave an AirTag in my suitcase so I can track my suitcase (AirTags only work with iPhones but you can also use a Samsung SmartTag or a Tile). They are very useful to locate your luggage in case the airline loses them). Boarding was quick and we took a shuttle to the plane just a short ride away from the gate.
Cabin
The business class cabin was laid out in a 2-2 layout rather than the tighter 3-3 layout in economy. The seats were wide and spacious. Unfortunately, I did not see any noise cancelling headphones as is commonly provided in business class but I always travel with my own Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones as they do an excellent job at turning the engine rumble and cabin noise into a quiet whisper.
The seats on board the A320 were spacious with a 2-2 layout and plenty of legroom
The armrest opened up to a sealed blanket waiting for me.
Food and Dining
Soon after boarding, we were offered a drink by the flight attendant. I opted for a gin and tonic which was served with a bowl of roasted almonds and cashews. The crew handed out dinner and drink menus at this time.
I was not expecting a full meal service on this short flight so I was pleasantly surprised by both the service and the meal. The drinks menu included cocktails and a wine list. After takeoff, the flight attendant came by to set up the tray table for dinner.
I chose the spicy curry dish, palak paneer and naan for dinner and it did not disappoint! Indian has some of the best cuisine in the world and this in-flight meal lived up to it.
There wasn’t much in terms of in-flight entertainment. I put on my headphones and listened to some music. After dinner, we were already approaching India and soon afterwards, it was already time to land.
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Conclusion
I wasn’t sure what to expect on this flight given that Air India generally receives negative reviews and having never heard of Air Vistara before, I was afraid it might be similar to Air India. However, even though a few amenities were missing, I was overall very pleasantly surprised with the seat comfort, food and service.
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