SriLankan Airlines takes luxury to new levels with its enhanced A330-300 business class between Colombo and Hong Kong, finds Nick Walton.
Check-in/Lounge
I arrived at the airport two hours early for my 7 am departure for Hong Kong, having already checked in online. SriLankan staff member Thilini was handling several difficult passengers (who were demanding upgrades) with professionalism and much more patience than I would have. After dropping off my bags I made for the Serendib Lounge, located one level up from security. This is a great and popular airport lounge, with a self-service bar and diverse dining selection, even so early in the morning, as well as showers and a sleeping room.
Onboard
We boarded at gate 7, with business class passengers enjoying reserved gate seating. Despite an on-time boarding call, many passengers arrived very late, delaying the flight. Crew served glasses of fruit juice and hot towels, taking orders for brunch as they waited for stragglers.
SriLankan’s newest aircraft, the A330-300 features a modern reverse herringbone business class product in a 1-2-1 configuration with 28 lie-flat beds across seven rows. The cabin was clean and fresh, with exotic flares of teal calmed by dominant cream; the aircraft even had that lovely new car feel.
Each 21-inch wide seat features a USB port, 110v AC power, entertainment controller and seat controller easily accessible on a shoulder-height panel. My window seat had plenty of privacy, an ample cocktail shelf, and a large 15.4-inch touch-screen personal monitor which hinges into the seatback in front and offers access to a very adequate collection of English-language films and television programs as well as plenty of Sri Lankan content. SriLankan also offers in-air connectivity, priced between US$5 and US$15 for 6-20MB.
Dining
For the first of our two meals on this two-sector flight to Hong Kong, we were presented with seasonal fresh fruit, with homemade yoghurt. A croissant, matched with a cheeky glass of champagne and a cup of black spiced chai tea from the airline’s extensive menu, was followed by a choice of a traditional Sri Lankan breakfast of milk rice and dry chicken curry; poached eggs on an English muffin with lamb sausage; or a cheese and spinach omelette. The omelette was cooked perfectly and was served with chicken sausage and stuffed tomatoes.
After the quick three hour hop to Bangkok we were served lunch; ratatouille timbale in grilled zucchini followed by a choice of chicken and cashew stir-fry; peppered red snapper with shitake mushrooms and steamed rice; beef stroganoff; or mushroom stir-fried noodles in oyster sauce. The chicken with cashew, egg fried rice and Asian vegetables was a true winner, as was its presentation, a far cry from the economy-on-a-tray plating found in many business class cabins today. I matched lunch with a gin and tonic made with a local Sri Lankan craft gin. Soon after the meal, we began our on-time descent into Hong Kong.
Service
Despite the flight being broken into short sectors, both crews were world-class. Cabin attendants were welcoming, efficient, charming, attentive and always ready to chat about your impressions of Sri Lanka and offer recommendations for your return visit. They are, in many ways, the backbone of the SriLankan experience and one of the reasons the airline continues to impress.
Summary
I’ve always liked SriLankan Airlines; the tiny unassuming carrier puts people first with a business class offering that might be light on gimmicks but is heavy on personalized service. The new business class product puts the airline on par with any other in the region.
Note: The author travelled on a fully-paid business class ticket with the airline’s knowledge
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