Background
The Dubai-based all-737 carrier started its operations in June 2009. This month, it marks its 10th anniversary. The airline flies its B737 aircraft to eight Indian cities — Mumbai, Lucknow, Kozhikode, Kochi, Hyderabad, Delhi, Chennai and Ahmedabad. The airline offers great connectivity to lesser-served, smaller cities in eastern Europe, the Middle East and even Africa and codeshares with Emirates.
Boarding
After a smooth and seamless check-in and immigration process at Delhi’s IGI Airport T3, I walked towards the gate for aerobridge boarding. The boarding process was quick and there was a priority lane for business class passengers. On the aerobridge there was a long queue of slowly boarding passengers but a flydubai staff member ushered me straight to the top of the queue.
The Seat
flydubai’s Delhi-Dubai flight is operated on a two-class-configured Boeing 737-800. The business class cabin features three rows in a 2-2 layout. I was assigned seat 1A. This is an extremely comfortable product for short and medium haul flights — a leather seat with a more than decent recline and extended leg rest. The armrest has a cubby to place small personal belongings like a phone. Good quality headphones are provided to enjoy the 12.1-inch entertainment screen. The centre console also features a charging point.
Which Seat to Choose
I personally prefer window seats as the cabin wall is a great prop to lean or sleep on.
The Flight
On boarding, I was offered a welcome juice, a towel and a menu card. flydubai offers a competitive bar service, including champagne. My breakfast included bread, fruits, yoghurt and an egg main course, followed by a cup of Nespresso. After take-off, the crew offers extremely soft, large blankets to relax. I explored the entertainment system, which offers an excellent selection of movies and TV shows, free of charge. I spent the rest of the flight catching a quick nap. The amazing, smiling cabin crew even offered me a takeaway coffee prior to landing in Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport.
Verdict: A perfectly competitive narrow-body product from India to the Middle East and onwards. We love the network connectivity as well as the codeshare with Emirates, offering maximum flexibility.
