So, here’s the deal—I was supposed to be in Hyderabad today, but SriLankan Airlines had other plans for me. They canceled my flight, and let’s just say, rebooking was about as fun as assembling IKEA furniture without instructions. Apparently, if you book a SriLankan flight out of Hyderabad, you need to call a tiny, one-person office in Hyderabad itself to get anything sorted. But whatever, I rolled with it. This first flight wasn’t really the star of the show anyway.
Chennai’s New Terminal & A Curious Check-In Experience
First stop: Chennai Airport’s Terminal 2—brand new, shiny, and a much-needed upgrade. It handled over 18 million passengers last year, so you can imagine how cramped things used to be. Everything looked great—the check-in hall, the departure lounge, the whole vibe. But you know what was missing? A business class check-in line. Strange, right? Even though this flight was supposed to be on an A330-200 with 18 business class seats, they decided a priority lane wasn’t necessary. Oh well, at least check-in was smooth.
The Travel Club Lounge: Surprisingly Impressive
Before boarding, I stopped by the Travel Club Lounge, which, for a contract lounge, was actually pretty solid. Tons of seating, good food, decent drinks—it did the job.
Now, let’s talk about SriLankan Airlines itself. If you didn’t know, it started as Air Lanka in 1979 after the government shut down Air Ceylon. In the early days, they had a wild mix of aircraft, from Singapore Airlines’ old Boeing 707s to a random 737 from Maersk. Over time, they expanded, even flying 747s and A340s to Europe.
Fast forward to 1998, Emirates bought a 40% stake, took over management, and basically transformed the airline. But by 2008, the government and Emirates didn’t see eye to eye, so Emirates pulled out. The result? A financial nosedive—$875 million in losses between 2009 and 2015. Ouch.
Boarding Rule
Alright, back to today’s flight. Boarding was a bit of a mess. I handed over my boarding pass and got pulled aside for no apparent reason. I stood there awkwardly while half the plane boarded before finally being allowed through. Not ideal. And then, as I stepped onboard, a flight attendant hit me to not take any pictures. Cue the world’s most exhausted-sounding SriLankan accent. I mean, I wasn’t even being obvious—just capturing my personal experience.
The Business Class Experience
The seat? Classic 2×2 recliner style—a little worn but comfortable with tons of legroom, a power port, and a decent-sized screen. No lie, better than I expected. We pushed back nearly 20 minutes ahead of schedule, which was a pleasant surprise. A quick taxi and a smooth eastward takeoff, and we were on our way.
In-Flight Service & A Surprisingly Good Meal
For a 60-minute flight, the meal selection was pretty impressive—four choices! I went with the chicken biryani, which came with chana dhal, tempered potatoes, fried shallots, and curry leaves. Verdict? 9/10. The dessert, on the other hand—supposedly a crème brûlée—was just jelly. Shoutout to airlines that use small water bottles instead of cans—way more convenient. And despite not being a tea drinker, I gave their Ginger Ceylon Black Tea a shot. Surprisingly good.
Entertainment & The Cleanest Narrowbody Bathroom Ever
The in-flight entertainment? 10 movies and a few shows—not amazing, but fine for such a short flight. The headphones were clunky, but whatever. The real MVP? The bathroom. Seriously, it was spotless and stocked with more amenities than I’ve seen on some long-haul flights.
Would I Fly SriLankan Again?
Honestly? Yes.
The lack of priority boarding were annoying, but overall, the flight was smooth, service was decent, and the meal was great.