Airlines worldwide are queueing up to be among the first to operate the new Airbus A321XLR when it enters service. The question yet to be answered is whether passengers want to sit in a narrowbody for around ten hours. I was a firm no but yesterday I changed my mind, and if I could travel in Air Astana’s business class, I would happily fly long-haul on a single-aisle aircraft.
A medium-haul flight from Bangkok to Almaty
Air Astana’s flight KC392 operates four times weekly between Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) and Kazakhstan’s Almaty International Airport (ALA). Sunday’s flight had a scheduled departure time of 10:15, so the airport was crowded with peak-hour traffic, but the light-filled and spacious terminals created a sense of calm to soften the experience.
Photo: Michael Doran I Simple Flying
Air Astana operates from Level 4, and with just two hours to go before departure, the check-in counters had moderate queues but were moving steadily. Air Astana offers business class priority boarding, so check-in was a simple and efficient process that took no more than ten minutes.
Photo: Michael Doran I Simple Flying
As a business class passenger, I had access to the Fast Track screening and immigration lanes, so that was equally painless, with the entire airport process from arrival to clearing security completed within 20 minutes. Bangkok Airport has emerged well from the pandemic, and the quantity and quality of dining and shopping outlets have markedly improved in the last few years.
This is what the A321LR business cabin offers
Air Astana’s A321LRs are configured in a two-class layout with 166 seats, including 16 business class lie-flat seats and 150 in the economy cabin. I sat on the right-hand side in seat 1K to get a clear view of the Himalayan Mountains, but unfortunately, heavy cloud cover got in the way, although later in the flight, the mountain scenery was spectacular.
The business class seat is a comfortable, spacious personal space with plenty of storage options, a reading light, a water bottle holder, noise-canceling headphones, USB-A and AC power outlets. It has additional storage in the foot well, and alongside the video screen, which in this seat is mounted on the bulkhead.
After settling into their seats, business class passengers are offered a soothing warm towel and a wide choice of nuts and beverages, including French champagne, fresh juices and soft drinks. What I immediately noticed was how much room I had and the spacious and light feel of the business class cabin, which I had not expected from the Airbus A321LR single-aisle aircraft.
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Photo: Air Astana
This is the first time I have flown in business class on an international narrowbody, and I was amazed at the quality of the product and how different it is from the usual look and feel of a single-aisle business class on a domestic aircraft. Rather than just putting an extra large seat in the space, the Air Astana A321LR business class cabin felt equally as comfortable as on any Airbus A350 or Boeing 787 Dreamliner I have flown on.
Time to relax and enjoy Kazakh hospitality
What did not surprise me was the excellent service from the Air Astana crew and the five-star dining options, which tasted as fresh and delicious as if served in a high-end restaurant. The full lunch menu included an appetizer, salad and soup, main course, dessert, cheese and a fresh bakery selection, served on a classical tray with a complete set of cutlery and a delightful wine glass.
Photo: Michael Doran I Simple Flying
The appetizer was a hearty serving of marinated prawn with pomelo and coconut salad, followed by a creamy tomato tom yum soup, which added some spice to the meal. The business class menu also offers a lighter option of fresh salad leaves with cheery tomato and yellow pimento.
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Air Astana offers four main courses to select from:
- Grilled chicken with green curry sauce and Chinese Udon noodles
- Grilled beef tenderloin with mashed potato and mustard sauce
- Steamed seafood curry with jasmine rice
- Vegetable Pad Thai with bean sprouts.
The two flight attendants promptly returned when I had finished my grilled chicken with a delicious-looking dessert trolley of tempting selections and tea, coffee, and premium spirits. The three desserts were a Coconut panna cotta with passion fruit coulis, Opera cake and a Plate of fresh seasonal fruits, including some delicious melons. The cheese board presented Gruyere, Camembert and Danish Blue cheeses with dried apricot and mango chutney.
Photo: Michael Doran I Simple Flying
An authentic Kazakhstan tea tradition
As the nation’s flag carrier, Air Astana wants passengers to feel the spirit of Kazakhstan through a mesmerizing adventure into the realm of Kazakh hospitality on its flights from Kazakhstan. Tea with tary (roasted millet) symbolizes unity and closeness, a tradition that brings together guests in an incredible tea-drinking ritual described on the menu this way:
“Take the cup in your hands, all the while relishing the delightful aroma of the hot tea, feeling the comforting warmth surround you and indulging in the exquisite blend of roasted millet, tea with milk and traditional sweet.”
Photo: Michael Doran I Simple Flying
Around an hour before landing, a selection of snacks appeared, although they were almost like a new round of entrees or a light lunch. I had the choice between a Croissant with chicken and mozzarella cheese or a Poke bowl with Japanese rice and shrimp in sweet chili sauce, opting for the first of those two.
Photo: Michael Doran I Simple Flying
Kazakhstan has built quite an international reputation in the chocolate-making business, and plenty of varieties were offered to accompany a large selection of teas, coffee and other beverages. The variety and quantity of food and beverages available were top-class and showed what attention to detail and a curated menu can bring, even from a small galley at the front of the plane.
Photo: Michael Doran I Simple Flying
The service ties it all together
I have traveled on enough first and business class flights to know that the effort that goes into the dining experience can be lost if the service is not up to a similarly high standard. On this flight, the two business class flight attendants worked throughout the 6:33-hour flight, serving the 16 passengers with skill, warmth and a joke when they instantly appeared whenever the call button was activated.
Photo: Air Astana
This flight exceeded my expectations of how comfortable and enjoyable a medium-haul narrowbody flight would be, particularly after recently enduring a five-hour flight from a Pacific island to Australia with a low-cost carrier. Of course, sitting in a business class cabin with all the comforts and space of a widebody helps, as does the inherent comfort of a bigger seat and more privacy.
Photo: Air Astana
Today’s experience was a lot more than that and, for me, sets the gold standard for what airlines need to do if they want to use the A321LRs and A321XLRs on medium and long-haul flights. They need to replicate the same experience as on an A350 or 787 Dreamliner and find a way to make that work on the smaller jet, not just shoehorn in an inferior product that fits the space.
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