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aditya466 · Member Joined: 17 Dec 2014 Posts: 9

So, I'll start off by saying that flying UL wasn't planned and I was trying my best to avoid flying with them. My original plan was to join Jishnu and Abhijeet on 9W255. From BOM, Abhijeet was supposed to fly off to IXM, if I remember correctly. Jishnu would fly to DEL on Vistara, and I was to supposed to fly to DEL on 9W, where we would stay for a night at Vivanta by Taj at Dwarka for some spotting.

My Itinerary looked something like this:

12 July- 9W255 CMB-BOM
12 July- 9W351 BOM-DEL
13 July- 9W2657 DEL-IXC (I may be wrong, because I lost my ticket)

All booked in Business Class.

However, due to medical reasons, I had to cancel my ticket, because the doctor made a 7 day bedrest mandatory Evil or Very Mad

.

Since my parents and sister were anyway flying to DEL on UL on 17th July, my dad suggested I travel with them.I suggested keeping the 9W ticket and travelling on a further date. Long story short, I was booked on UL195 on 17th July with a return on 2 August. No questions asked, LOL.

so, my final itinerary looked like:

17 July- UL195 CMB-DEL
2 August- UL196 DEL- CMB

Once again, all booked in Business Class

The Airport and Lounge experience

Departure for UL 195 was scheduled to be at 1410. I had a quick breakfast with some friends at Negombo, a beach town 6km north of Bandaranaike Airport, and rushed to the airport, reaching there at about 1205.

Security was a 2 minute job. Seeing my ticket, he reminded me that I am eligible to use the Silk Route, which is basically a Service offered to UL premium passengers. The passengers are escorted to a lounge where an attendant takes care of your security, and baggage. The attendant will check you in and hand you over your boarding pass. This seemed too time consuming for me, so I decided to go the old fashioned way.

Post-security, I joined my family and we headed to check-in.

Check-in did take a few minutes as we had 4 bags. As usual, the agents were very friendly and were very co-operative.

She handed over our boarding passes and lounge invitations.

Immigration was another 5 minute job, with virtually no lines. The immigration officer was very friendly, and upon seeing my first entry to Sri Lanka was in 1998, began asking many cheerful questions, such as, "How is your Sinhala", "Which school do you go to". He proceeded to speak to me in fast, fluent Sinhalese, which I had trouble understanding. With a laugh, he stamped off my passport and I was on my way. I have got used to polite and friendly immigration officers in Sri Lanka, which is in sharp contrast to what I normally receive in India. That aside, we did some duty-free shopping, and headed to the lounge at about 1250.

The first thing that surprised me as we approached the lounge was the new entrance . The last time I was at CMB was in December so I didn't expect a change. However, the new entrance looked absolutely amazing.

I loved the new door and it really set the mood of what awaited me.
Stepping into the lounge, I was more amazed as the lounge had been completely renovated. The trademark yellow leather seats were gone, and in it's place, more classy darker colours were used. The reception has moved to a corner, making room for more seats. However, one of the best things about the lounge did not change; the view.

The lounge was fairly empty as this was a quiet hour for CMB. The best thing about this lounge which easily beats its rivals at CMB, is the wood flooring, abundance of natural light because of the "floor to ceiling" windows, and the excellent ambience. This lounge defines the purpose of a lounge, to relax and unwind before your flight. The quietness, and overall feel of the lounge was excellent, and is easily on of the best lounges I have ever visited.

Before I had a look at the food, I decided to look around at the planes parked right in front of the window. I could see a Spicejet bird parked on a remote apron. Other than that, it was all UL.

My phone camera couldn't get this in detail because of zoom

I kept my eyes peeled for a possible widebody swap for UL195, and I kept hope, no matter how bad the chances were. Since I could not see the other side of the gates, the hope stayed Very Happy

I walked over to the buffet, and had a look. It was above average, but I was definitely expecting more, as the expectations the lounge had set was very high.

The lunch they had on offer was:

Starters

Salad
Mezze
Sushi Bar
Freshly Baked bread

Main Course

Seafood Chow-mein
Steamed Rice
Kieved Chicken
Seared Lamb
Beef steak to order
Garlic fried vegetables

Desserts

Assorted caked and Muffins

There was also a self-service refrigerator with soft-drinks, a coffee-machine, and a fully stocked bar with a bartender to serve you.

I got my self some seafood chow-mein, the garlic vegetables, kieved chicken and a warm bun. A coke to accompany the meal.

The meal was great, with the only complaint being the coldness of the Kieved Chicken.

Just as I finished my meal, the lounge attendant came over and informed us that we should board our flight.

Overall, the lounge was excellent. I loved the new chairs, the new look, and overall service of the attendants. The bathroom was well stocked with shaving kits, dental kits, Branded amenities and Givenchy Cologne. I also noticed 2 shower stalls. The only negative thing I have to say about the Serendib lounge was the food, which was great, but was only above average. Overall, the lounge left me in a good mood, and I was looking forward to my flight.

The Flight

We proceeded to our gate,reaching there at 1350, and to my disappointment saw an A320 Crying or Very sad

While it wasn't a mood changer, I was definitely disappointed. Nevertheless, after some strict security, we walked passed an empty gate down the jetbridge.
I spotted 4R-ALN parked next to our bird, 4R-ABM. On the opposite side of the A320 was one of UL's few A340s.

4R-ABN, our bird to DEL

4R-ALN, UL's latest A333

And, the soon to be retired A340-300. I couldn't get the registration because of the mesh on the window.

We entered the plane to a friendly, "Ayubuwan" by an air-hostess, who upon seeing our boarding passes, escorted us to our seat. I helped my dad with his bags and the overhead bins and took my seat in 3F, with my sister accompanying me on the next seat.

I could not get a proper picture of the cabin because we were the last to board and all eyes were on us.

You can notice the cockpit is open here!

My family occupied 4 seats and there was one more elderly man in 1F. I looked into Economy and it seemed to be about 75-80% full.

An airhostess immediately started service on the ground, first offering hot towels, newspapers, and then a choice of orange or apple juice. I went with orange juice. The captain also made his announcements introducing himself, his co-pilot and his crew. He annouced a cruising altitude of 34000ft.

One thing I noticed was that the seats had been recently refurbished(I may be wrong). Also, that circular steel button which we are all used to pushing for seat recline(9W has those in their regional Premiere seats) , had been replaced by better clickable buttons. Also there was a second button which I did not know what it did.(Lumbar support?). The flight had not even started taxiing and I already knew that UL has beaten 9W in regional Business class by miles.(I flew 9W business class in early 2014)

We began pushback at 1412 and after holding for a minute, started our taxi.

Safety announcements and demonstrations were done quickly during our pushback and taxi.

A retired UL A340-300 in the hangar Crying or Very sad

The takeoff was longer than I expected, and our climb was very choppy. We took off towards the west and took a steep turn to the right to set us on track to DEL.

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We levelled off and the turbulence eased. I opened up the foldable PTV and put on the airshow, as usual.

I did not use these. Mad

After climbing 10000ft, seatbelt signs were turned off, and the purser personally began giving the menu for the flight to each passenger in business class.

The menu looked alright for a 3 hour flight.

The alcohol on board for the flight

The attendant began coming to each seat and opening up the tray table and laying it with a "Sri Lankan" branded "tablecloth", with which she took food and drink orders.

I went for the Chinese Chilli Chicken with a Coca Cola.

The drinks were brought almost immediately with some salted cashew nuts.

I had a look at the entertainment selection and found it to be very decent, especially since this was a narrowbody. They had the entire Metallica Black Album, with Nirvana and some Pink Floyd. I also noticed ghazals and some world music as well.

Since I wasn't hungry, I played multiplayer battleship with my sister, and listened to some music.

As we passed over Chennai, we hit some bad turbulence and seatbelt signs had to switched on again. However, the views outside were incredible.

Meal Service began at around 1530, which was a bit late, but I am not complaining since I was not exactly hungry.

The purser delivered the meal to me with a cheerful, "enjoy your meal". Warm Roti and Garlic Bread was also served.

The Salad was not that great, even with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It was a very unsatisfying starter. The Chilli Chicken, however, was amazing. It went very well with the rice. However, the tofu tasted utterly disgusting and looked even more disgusting. The most unappetising part of the meal was the desert, which was sliced fruit. To make things worse, the pineapple was raw. Are you even trying UL?

All in all, it was an OK meal. The only thing that stood out was the chicken. This is the only area UL loses out to 9W, as 9W has excellent catering.

By the point the meal trays were collected, we were over halfway into our flight.I decided to check out the washroom and freshen up, as I had nothing to do. Since the Washroom is right next to the cockpit it was very was cramped. However, it was well stocked with cologne, shaving kits and hand cream.

After coming out of the washroom, I had a long chat with the Purser, who also spoke to me about my schooling in Colombo and where I live. He also told me of the comical situation in our flight, where the captain was not leaving the cockpit, even for a washroom break. He told me that the captain is very scared to leave the co-pilot alone, after the events of the GermanWings crash, to which he started laughing. This is the level of special attention the attendants of UL give you, which has never happened to me on 9W. UL has really stepped up their game.

At this point I decided to take a nap(and test out the recline). I was amazed by the recline on the seat. The recline was unreal, with it being almost lie flat. Along with the legrest, I had an almost lie flat seat on regional business class! I dozed off and woke up to an announcement that we would be beginning our descent soon. I took the opportunity to take some photos of the view outside before Delhi's smog ruins my chances of a proper photo.

We began our descent, and after some turbulence and turns, I could finally see land. I snapped some quick pictures of our approach into Delhi, and videoed the whole landing.

The approach was uneventful with the usual announcements and shakes. However, on final, this was the first time I heard the autopilot disengage beep in my seat. Having spent a lot of time on FSX, that beep was familiar. I confirmed this with members of the Whatsapp group and was surprised that cockpit sounds are audible in the cabin sometimes. I learnt something new every time I fly!

Landing was fairly smooth, and I saw an Indigo A320 holding short of the runway. The taxi to the gates was the same, uneventful, with the same announcements, "Welcome to Indira Gandhi International Airport", "Thanks for flying Sri Lankan".

We parked next to an Oman Air bird,

Disembarkation was via jet bridge.

Welcome to Delhi!

We headed to the First/Business Class line for immigration, which was filled with Y pax. Fortunately a officer came over to them and removed them, leaving only my family and a few other pax in the line. Immigration was quick, with no questions asked. By the time we got to baggage collection, our bags were already there. Having collected our bags, we exited the airport to the next journey; Our 6 hour taxi ride to Chandigarh!

Overall the entire experience of UL Business class was excellent for a 3 hour flight. The best part of the flight was the personal attention from the crew due to 5 pax being in business class only. I felt the lounge experience, along with the general attitude by UL staff played a major part in the positive experience in this flight. I will definitely pick UL over 9W in regional business class any day (sorry Jishnu!)

abhijith16 · Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 9:12 am Post subject:

Excellent TR, Aditya!

Too bad we couldn't meet, but I do hope we meet (hopefully in the US!)

Cheers mate!
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sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

Aditya, I was also supposed to be a part of the Delhi rendezvous with Jishnu and his dada, and Shukla-ji, but we ended up missing you, sadly for a medical reason. Aditya, you should write more often. We want to hear more from you.
Thanks for a lovely second trip report. Thanks to Jishnu and now you, we know much more about the BIAL than ever before. The Serendib lounge looks excellent, with its lovely views. I also see that you do not share Jishnu's love for the Palm Strips restaurant, and its club sandwich Smile

But you had a lounge to get into!
The UL inflight product looks superb, and the `from the bar' looks awesome. I wonder how the selection in Y is. I could initially not believe my eyes when I saw `arrack' on the menu, but UL do so with some elegance. I remember Jishnu's picture of the same.
The Indian bread with your lunch, please describe it a bit more. This does not look (at least form this resolution) like a product made from whole wheat (ATTA), it looks more like refined white flour (maidA). Second, was it lightly done in oil? Was something greasy spread over it? It doesn't look too greasy, either.
The purser's statements were interesting.
A 6 hour taxi ride to Chandigarh, hmm...why, when one has more comfortable options available, a short flight, or one of the three Shatabdis?
Or was it just for the door-to-door trip, with lots of luggage?
Cheers, Sumantra.

jbalonso777 · Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2015 7:27 am Post subject:

I've said a million times UL is the best airline in the whole world! Very Happy

Food is better on 9W? Hmm, and that's where I thought UL were better!
From what I saw in July, 9W did not have Death Magnetic (for those of you who do not know - its Metallica's latest album....from 2008 Rolling Eyes

), but UL has Metallica? Okay, UL is surely the best airline in the world now Smile

Interesting conversations!

I wonder how AI are doing on this route!

Looking forward to the USA stuff now! Very Happy

Jish
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http://www.youtube.com/c/JishnuBasu777

abhijith16 · Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2015 9:25 am Post subject:

stealthpilot · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 2325 Location: BLR, DXB

- A lounge with a view, priorities Laughing

- Great pictures

- The purser told you the captain was scared to leave the FO alone in the cockpit because of German Wings? Rolling Eyes

There are not many things which make me uncomfortable on an aircraft but .... anyway lets leave it at that. That's not special attention that's stupidity. I hope the purser was (at least partly) joking. You really think thats UL stepping up their game?

- I thought you didn't eat seafood? or only chicken? or .... something Wink

- The salad eerrrrrr does that even count as salad? Most airlines unfortunately don't bother with salad (the EK one is also just there to be there if you know what i mean)

- Thanks for the TR (and pics)
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sri_bom · Member Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 2365 Location: Singapore

Thank you for the detailed report Aditya.

The Serendib lounge looks great with its cool décor but if the food is not great than that is a disappointment.

The airport has Sri Lankan airplanes all over so some nice shots.

I am pretty amazed by the business class on Sri Lankan airlines seems to be miles ahead of Jet airways. Right from the welcome drink to the food everything seems to be well thought of.

What about content on the video? Did it have many movies and channels.

The captain not leaving the FO alone I am thinking it is a joke right?

Great TR once again.