Air Vistara A320 Business Class Review - MLE to BOM (Maldives to Mumbai)

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.

The wine list

Tablecloth set up by the flight attendant

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 offering for 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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Air Canada A330 Business Class Review - London Heathrow to Montreal (LHR to YUL)

After visiting the stunning Maldives, this was my last flight on my way back home to Canada. Check out my previous reviews of Air Canada’s Business class from Mumbai to London and the amazing scuba diving in the Maldives. I had a short layover at London Heathrow Airport where I visited the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge and had time to take a shower and eat breakfast. Air Canada Business Class passengers receive complimentary access to this lounge. Soon afterwards, I headed to the gate to board my flight.

I always leave an Airtag in my suitcase so that before boarding, I can track my luggage location using the Find My App to make sure it’s loaded onto the plane (Airtags only work with iPhones but you can also use a Samsung SmartTag or a Tile). They are also useful to locate your luggage in case the airline loses them). In this case, the app showed my suitcase was on board so I was worry-free knowing my luggage was flying back home with me.

Boarding started on time, with a separate line for Business Class and Premium Economy passengers. I soon found myself aboard the Airbus A330. As I settled into the Signature Class Suites (what Air Canada calls their lie flat seats), it became evident that this aircraft offers a smaller experience compared to the Boeing 777 and 787.

If you are visiting the UK or Canada, you can purchase your esim on the Airalo App ahead of time so you're connected as soon as you land and can call your Uber, use Google Maps and WhatsApp without searching for WiFi. If you sign up with my referral code C0887, you’ll get $3 USD off your first purchase!

SEATS

Having just flown on Air Canada’s Boeing 787 a few hours earlier, I definitely felt the difference but it may be more subtle otherwise. The first noticeable difference was the size of the suites themselves. The A330's Signature Class Suites are smaller than those on the 787. The screen is also on the smaller side.

The personal entertainment system

To my right was a storage compartment

The TV Could be controlled by a remote

The backside feature a full keyboard

Amenities

At my seat was the newly designed Aqua Di Parma amenity kit which included a toothbrush, toothpaste, lip balm, hand cream, socks and an eye mask. It was placed on the tray table which extends out then folds open further for meals. At my seat were complimentary noise cancelling headphones although I can’t comment on their quality since 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.

FOOD & DRINKS

After takeoff, the cabin crew started the meal service. It started with a drink and small snack. Note that no warm nuts were served in a separate bowl before or right after take-off as is often common on Business Class flights. Instead, I received a small bag of salted almonds. No menus were provided prior to dinner.

One peculiar aspect of the flight was the meal service. At 1 pm, the crew served what they referred to as “dinner”. Following this, a snack was provided at 4 pm just before landing. They served a smoked salmon platter with bread and salad as the appetizer. For the main course, I had their lamb dish which was delicious but nothing compared to what Etihad serves on their business class flight. I unfortunately didn’t grab a picture of the main course. For dessert, I had the chocolate pie with wine.

The Appetizer

Who are the plastics?

Cady found out she was really pretty!

Dessert

By this point in the movie, Susan from Planned Parenthood had urgent news!

After dinner, I clicked the lie flat button and watched my seat turn into a cozy bed. Each seat was provided with a pillow, duvet and mattress pad. I put on my Noise Cancelling Headphones to get some peaceful rest.

When I woke up, we were only an hour or so from landing. It was 4 pm EST at this point and the crew started another meal service. This time, we were offered a club sandwich and fruit salad. The meal was average.

In conclusion, this Air Canada flight felt lacking somewhat basic with an average meal service. The seats however, were very comfortable although smaller than what you would find on Air Canada’s 787 and 777.

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