The longhaul business class product onboard the Azul Airlines A330-900neo is so superb that I would fly thousands of miles out of the way just to fly it again. The only issue with my flight from Viracopos Airport, outside of Sao Paulo, to Ft. Lauderdale was that it was over far too soon.
Azul Airlines A330-900neo Business Class – Superb
I flew down to Brazil just to fly back (same-day) on Azul. I’ve been wanting to fly Azul’s A330-900neo for over a year and receding pandemic conditions finally made the trip possible. There are so few Azul reports online that I had very little idea of what to expect.
I must say, the trip started off on a questionable note. The drive from Sao Paulo to Viracopos was long and I arrived to a mostly-deserted VCP airport. I found the right counter to check-in for my flight to Florida, but the agent spoke no English. Using Google Translate, I was able to obtain my boarding pass and ascertain that the lounge was closed…due to coronavirus.
But once onboard, my questionable first impressions changed quickly. The A330neo business class cabin is beautiful, with 1-2-1 seating using Recaro CL6710 business seats (just like TAP Air Portugal) and muted colors.
The crew was young and beautiful, and in my book beauty is about so much more than physical appearance. Indeed, the crew was kind, conscientious, and attentive (and they spoke great English). They were a bit amused at all the pictures I took, but beamed with pride when I told them it was my first time flying Azul.
Dinner was served after takeoff and began with mixed nuts and drinks and was followed by a nicely-arranged meal on a tray with warm bread, salad, and a main course of fish.
Dessert included three choices and I was granted my request for both cheese and ice cream, both which were every bit as tasty as they look:
Before landing, breakfast was offered including an omelet, cereal, yogurt, and a croissant. Everything was delicious, but I do have a big regret. The menu did not list espresso or cappuccino so I did not even ask. Turns out, it was available…I missed my favorite coffee drink! Guess I’ll have to fly Azul again soon…
I used miles for this flight as part of a larger itinerary, but keep in mind you can purchase tickets for about $750 one-way to Ft. Lauderdale, which I find is a superb price.
CONLCUSION
My first flight on Azul was near-perfect. I’ll include additional details about onboard entertainment, amenity kits, and more in my full review, but expect to be impressed on Azul. I certainly was!
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Cool, thanks for the review!
I’ve been wanting to try this carrier and product for some time. Great pick and review. Looking forward to the full write up!
I am not surprised of the lack of English at VCP. That is not an international destination and that airport is there to serve the rest of the State of Sao Paulo that doesn’t live in the city of Sao Paulo or doesn’t want to go to GRU. That is a large and very wealthy population as Sao Paulo state alone represents 40% of the Brazilian GDP (and there are 25 other states in the country).
One of the things that has always annoyed me, though I get it’s a cultural thing, is that the Brazilian carriers do not offer aperitifs and pre meal cocktails in business. When I first started flying back and forth to Brazil I could not understand this until a friend explained that it’s not the typical Brazilian way. I have lately learned to ask for one after take off or they will just start the meal service and come with drinks after the tray is delivered. Azul may have changed this though as they tend to be more forward thinking. LATAM not so much. The last time I flew them I had to request my pre meal aperitif three times before she finally plopped it on my table, saying loudly, “We are not a bar!!”
I flew AD three times LIS-VCP /rt this year. Seats are comfortable, meals are acceptable (but often no selection if you do not sit in front seats). The liquid called “orange juice” is terrible (sweetened coloured water), coffee is very mean. Amenities are nice! Generally, positive experience.
Yes, that orange juice was horrible (though I appreciated that it was brought proactively).
It is sad to hear that an airline from the country that is the largest producer of oranges in the world serves some orange crap.
I loved flying in C on the TP A330neo, and looking forward to doing so again this Xmas (covid restrictions permitting). Good to read that Azul have a great soft product on top of the great seat- they are doing a great job keeping the competition in check on the LIS route, to the point that it’s often cheaper to buy a separate ticket from another part of Europe in order to benefit from the attractive ex-LIS business fares offered by the likes of LX or IB in order to match them.
Thanks for the first photo with VCP. I have been to VCP once years ago and it was dead, too. At the time, GRU was not quite open but VCP was still dead.
That is a depressingly drab cabin colour scheme.
You think so? I thought it looked great. What’s your favorite color scheme?