• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Home  >  Flight Reviews • Gulf Air  >  Review: Gulf Air A320-200 Business Class
Flight ReviewsGulf Air

Review: Gulf Air A320-200 Business Class

Matthew Klint Posted onMarch 16, 2023March 15, 2023 3 Comments

For my next leg of the journey home, I flew Gulf Air from Abu Dhabi to Bahrain on an A320-200 in business class. The short flight featured drama onboard and the meal fell woefully short of my expectations.

Gulf Air A320-200 Business Class Review (AUH-BAH)

I chose to fly Gulf Air instead of Etihad into Bahrain (BAH) because Gulf Air had scheduled its new Airbus A320neo on the route. However, upon arrival in Abu Dhabi (AUH) I noticed (using FlightRadar24) that my aircraft had been swapped for an older A320, a plane and cabin I have already reviewed.

Nevertheless, we are talking about 281-mile flight, so it was not a big deal.

Boarding was delayed, commencing only about 20 minutes before scheduled departure. Then we hit drama onboard.

Etihad Transfer Counter
I was able to get a boarding pass for my flight from the Etihad transfer counter

Gulf Air 547
Abu Dhabi (AUH) – Bahrain (BAH)
Thursday, April 7
Depart: 11:40 PM
Arrive: 11:45 PM
Duration: 01hr, 05min
Distance: 281 miles
Aircraft: Airbus A320-200
Seat: 3A (Business Class)

You might recall that a young man decided he was entitled to business class and self-upgraded. Drama ensued. But with remarkable patience and restraint, order was restored and we pushed back, though now late.


> Read More: The Self-Upgrading Imbecile On My Gulf Air Flight…


Seat

The cabin is quite tired on the A320-200, with the seats and cabin showing wear and tear and the fluorescent light hard on the eyes.

In the 16-seat business class cabin, seats are configured 2-2 with 45 inches of legroom and:

  • Seat back 10-inch screen
  • 7-inch seat recline
  • Adjustable footrest
  • 6-way adjustable headrest
  • universal power port

The flight was lightly booked with business class less than half full (another reason why the idiot should have just taken his own row in economy class).

Not only was the seat showing wear, but the windows were filthy…cleaning windows make a big difference!

IFE

Each seat onboard had an individual monitor with a selection of movies, TV shows, games, music, and a moving flight map. However, headphones were not offered on this short service, so consider bringing your own.

Food + Drink

Prior to departure, Arabic coffee and a date was offered to business class passengers. That was followed by water.

No alcohol was served on this short sector, though I was told this was not due to Ramadan.

After takeoff, a “snack” was offered that included a trio of sandwiches and a cake.

While I appreciate that Gulf Air serves a meal on such a short flight, it was terrible. The sandwiches were stale and just unbecoming of a carrier and country with a rich culinary tradition. Etihad, Emirates, and Qatar all manage to serve a far superior meal on shorthaul flights…Gulf Air must do more (and recall that back in the day Gulf Air was the leading carrier in the region).

I had a glass of sparkling water to drink and the meal tray also included a glass of still water.

Service

Kudos to the crew on this sector, which provided charming and excellent service. Unlike on my connecting Gulf Air flight to London (stay tuned).

Arrival Into BAH

The new terminal at Bahrain International Airport is gorgeous and upon landing, I followed the line for connections, re-cleared security (dedicated line for business class) and made my way to the lounge, where I would spend the night.

CONCLUSION

On the one hand, the self-upgrader and poor meal onboard, plus the aircraft swap, made this a disappointing flight. On the other hand, the crew was warm and kind and I landed safely in Bahrain. I’m happy to fly business class on these very short flights when I can include it as part of my connecting itinerary. But if I were just traveling this sector alone, I would save my money and fly economy class.

Previous Article Is United’s Quarterly Loss A Negotiating Strategy To Temper Pilots’ Contract?
Next Article “Petty” Flight Attendants Quarrel Over Upgrade, Refuse To Work With One Another

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

Related Posts

  • Lufthansa A320neo Business Class Review

    Review: Lufthansa A320neo Business Class

    March 25, 2023
  • Review: Turkish Airlines 777 Business Class Los Angeles – Istanbul

    March 24, 2023
  • United Airlines 737-700 Business Class Review

    Review: United Airlines 737-700 Business Class

    March 22, 2023

3 Comments

  1. ted poco Reply
    March 16, 2023 at 7:15 am

    Even old an tired it still looks better the American airlines domestic.

  2. Esteban Reply
    March 16, 2023 at 9:25 am

    If this was on a US domestic or euro flight then people would cheer the great service and offerings but Gulf Air is sandwiched between two unbeatable giants (and Etihad right at home) with a higher level of service, lounges, catering, hard product, etc.
    I think in general Gulf Air is just a second or even third option when flying to the UAE but not the first or preferred choice.

  3. Steve Reply
    March 16, 2023 at 12:54 pm

    Just had three short haul and one long haul on GF in J.

    The poor food really stood out. In one case, the chicken ‘salad’ was three slices of compressed chicken on top of some lettuce, although it was given a fancy name. All of the GF employees – check-in, gate, FAs, etc. were awesome on all flights. And the BAH lounge was A-OK. And the capability of using Aeroplan for these flights outweighs the poor food.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Recent Posts

  • Thai entry requirements
    Thailand Entry Requirements: Updated Website March 26, 2023
  • Tin Building close up
    Review: Tin Building by Jean-Georges (New York City) March 26, 2023
  • Hilton Shreveport bed
    Review: Hilton Shreveport March 26, 2023
  • Vueling Fine flight attendants
    Airline Faces Government Fine For Telling Female Flight Attendants To Wear Makeup March 25, 2023

Categories

Popular Posts

  • American Airlines unaccompanied Minor Predator
    American Airlines Flight Attendant Freaks Out After Man Offers His First Class Seat To Child February 25, 2023
  • Kayleigh Scott United Airlines
    The Tragic Death Of A United Airlines Flight Attendant March 21, 2023
  • United Airlines Domestic First Class Menu
    United Airlines Refreshes Domestic First Class Menu February 28, 2023
  • Southwest Airlines Wife Slap
    Enraged Husband Attacks Man On Southwest Airlines Flight After He Bumps Wife March 8, 2023

Archives

March 2023
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Feb    

As seen on:

live_and_lets_fly

The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles is the most beautiful of all Polaris Lounges. Stay tuned for a detailed look and many more photos on the blog tomorrow. Well done @united.
@malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire i @malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire its A380 fleet. While not surprising, it is sad to see the growing list of carriers retiring this superjumbo jet. On Malaysia Airlines, I flew the #A380 once from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London (LHR) and had the entire first class cabin to myself (full review on the blog). It was a beautiful flight that I will always remember.
Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited tha Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited that a new carrier, Avelo, has launched, especially from an airport just 12 minutes from my home!
I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxair I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxairport. Hopefully this summer it will return.

.
.
.
.
#Lufthansa #FirstClass #747 #747-8 #StarAlliance #Miles #Points
I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. This is not only a lovely, all-inclusive resort, but one of the best properties to use your @hyatt World of Hyatt points.
.
.
.
.
#Hyatt #BigSur #California #WorldofHyatt #CA-1 #Points #Hotels
In terms of a spacious first class product, the @E In terms of a spacious first class product, the @Emirates suite on a 777-300ER is hard to beat. My preference is Suite 2K.

.
.
.
.
#Emirates #777 #firstclass
Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from I Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from Instagram ahead of the birth of my first child. Goodness, how time flies. While I’ve enjoyed catching up on others over the years, now it is time for me to return to Instagram. In this first post, I highlight two joys in my life, my two children, whom I trust will grow up to be prolific travelers that circumnavigate the globe as ambassadors of love and respect.

.
.
.
.
.

#travel #airplanes #airlines #miles #points #familytravel #human #integrity #honor
United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improv United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improvement over UA's current business class seat. Check out my blog at liveandletsfly.com for 70+ photos of how @united is transforming its entire business class experience starting this December!
The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben! The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben!
Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen - Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen -- oh, and I love 40°F summer weather!
One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure of flying with in all my years of flying. Thank you @flysas SK940 on 11 Aug 2016
Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I a Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I assign a window seat months in advance, don't move me to a center seat "for my convenience" with no way to get my original seat back... 😞
Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be rac Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be racing the #Delta flight to JFK at the gate next to us, which also departs at 12:45p. With @onemileatatime
Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregenc Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregencycasablanca #cassablanca #hyatt
Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the i Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the inside of the @grandhyatt_shanghai ... It is 40°C outside! 😓
From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minut From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minutes flat. I ❤️ #bur #burbankairport
@malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in se @malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in service at #kul -- beautiful livery!
View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful bran View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful brand new @parkhyattguangzhou -- look for a full review coming soon on the blog #hyatt #parkhyatt #guangzhou #parkhyattguangzhou
Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, which closes tomorrow and the Queen of the Skies #747 which will be retired in 2018.
The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. If you're ever here, get up at 5am and have a walk around the city before it gets busy. You can hear the birds instead of honking horns.
Load More... Follow on Instagram
facebook twitter instagram rss

This site is for entertainment purposes only. The owner of this site is not an investment advisor, financial planner, nor legal or tax professional and articles here are of an opinion and general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances.

 

Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Outside of banner ads published through the Boarding Area network, this compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site. While we do try to list all the best miles and points deals, the site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners.

 

Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.