Air India 777 First Class: Not Awful, But Totally Uncompetitive

Hello from Germany, as I just flew Air India’s Boeing 777-300ER first class on the 9hr25min flight from Delhi (DEL) to Frankfurt (FRA), as part of my current review trip. Truth be told, my main motivation with flying Air India’s first class was to check out the new Air India First Class Lounge Delhi, which didn’t disappoint. What a spectacular experience, and clear example of what Air India could be as it tries to reinvent itself. The problem with visiting the Air India First Class Lounge is that you then have to fly Air India first class, which… is not very competitive. On the plus side, my Air India first class flight actually wasn’t bad. The cabin was in better condition than some of the horror stories I’ve seen, I was the only passenger, the crew was lovely, and the food was tasty but basic. However, there’s little that’s first class about the experience, and I felt like the soft product was nearly identical to business class. Let me share some initial thoughts, and then soon I’ll have a full review. My Air India first class flight was pleasant, comfortable, and restfulHowever, there was nothing first class about experienceBottom line My Air India first class flight was pleasant, comfortable, and restful My flight was supposed to be operated by one of Air India’s ex-Etihad Boeing 777-300ERs, featuring eight first class suites. That’s the best first class product the airline has, though it was swapped at the last minute with no warning to Air India’s “native” 777-300ERs, with just four first class seats, in a 1-2-1 configuration. We’ve seen some shocking stories of the extent to which these cabins are falling apart, so at least that wasn’t an issue. These planes were recently lightly refurbished, and the cabin was in relatively good condition, outdated as it was. Air India 777 first class cabin Air India 777 first class seat Air India 777 first class seat The only real maintenance issue I noticed is that my tray table was super lopsided, to the point that if anything was placed on the “outer” side, it would dip greatly, so I just kept everything toward the left part of the tray. Air India 777 first class tray table These planes don’t have Wi-Fi, and the IFE system is almost amusingly outdated, and feels like something out of the 2000s, at best. Air India 777 first class entertainment But I do have to admit that I slept spectacularly well on this flight, probably the best I’ve slept on a plane in years. I’m a horrible airplane sleeper, and I managed to sleep six straight hours, which is unheard of for me. I found the bed to be comfortable, especially as I could have unlimited pillows and blankets. Since I was the only passenger in first class, the cabin was kept perfectly dark and quiet the entire time, and the air nozzles helped with not feeling too hot. Air India 777 first class bed If the goal of flying in premium cabins is to arrive well rested, then Air India first class gets a 10/10 score. Heck, I certainly arrived much more well rested than if I were flying Emirates first class, where I’d be guzzling Dom Perignon and shoveling caviar (okay, I’m slightly exaggerating on my consumption, but you get the point). 😉 I also have to mention that the crew was totally lovely, in particular, cabin manager Ritu. However, there was nothing first class about experience Here’s the part that confuses me about the Air India first class experience. In business class, Air India has very nicely upgraded its soft product, from food, to drinks, to amenities, regardless of whether your flight features old or new cabins. I’ve reviewed the carrier’s Airbus A350 business class and Airbus A320neo business class. Meanwhile in first class, I found the service to be virtually identical to that in business class. Like, there was almost no soft product differentiation, with the exception of alcohol. It was the same pajamas as business class… Air India first class pajamas The same amenity kit (or at least very similar) to business class… Air India first class amenity kit As far as I know, there was no difference when it comes to food, with the exception of it being dine on demand. I was on a flight departing at 4AM and landing at 10AM, and there was the choice of breakfast and dinner. The thing is, I absolutely love Indian food, so I was quite happy. But when the presentation and everything is virtually identical to business class, one can’t help but be a bit confused. It just feels like Air India put a ton of thought into its business class soft product, and then put no thought into first class. Below was the breakfast, which was tasty, but nothing memorable. Air India first class breakfast And then below was the lunch before landing. Air India first class lunch Air India first class lunch Air India first class lunch You’d think that Air India was in American Airlines’ camp in planning to discontinue first class based on this, but it sounds like the airline intends to keep it around. I’m not surprised first class was empty, because this product just isn’t worth paying cash for. Heck, I’d say Air India’s new business class is better than the carrier’s old first class, all things considered (when you factor in things like entertainment and Wi-Fi). I’m not even suggesting the airline needs caviar, or anything. Instead, how about a beautiful tea presentation? That wasn’t even offered. On the plus side, the alcohol was a bit elevated. The champagne on offer was Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Blancs, decidedly a step up from business class. Air India first class champagne & nuts Bottom line My Air India 777 first class experience was a mixed bag. On the plus side, it wasn’t as horrible as I was expecting based on the reviews I’ve seen. The cabin was woefully outdated, but in relatively good working order. The crew was also friendly, and the food tasted good but was basic. The thing that surprised me is how little effort was put into the soft product. Even though this was a plane with old cabins, Air India has refreshed its soft product on all flights. It just seems like first class got the short end of the stick when it comes to updates. What do you make of Air India’s 777 first class?