From Bangkok to Kathmandu I was thrilled to fly Nepal Airlines for the first time on its flagship Airbus A330 jet in business class. I walked away with a very positive impression of the onboard product.
Nepal Airlines A330 Business Class – First Impressions
We will start with the ground product, though, where Nepal Airlines left much to be desired. It uses one of the Miracle Lounges in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, which I find to be a depressing and crowded network of lounges not worth stopping it. My top choice in Bangkok is the Oman Air Lounge, which is a Priority Pass Lounge and where we spent much of our layover (we visited the Turkish Airlines Lounge too).
We also encountered a delay of about one hour due to a late-arriving aircraft. It seems that it is rarer to have an on-time flight than a delayed flight when it comes to Nepal Airlines.
But all that was soon forgotten once I stepped onboard.
First, the cabin is very fresh, with lie-flat seating in a 2-2-2 configuration (seats are similar to what you find on Turkish Airlines on its longhaul A330s).
The cabin was very clean…just spotless.
We were warmly greeted and shown to our seats. Shortly after, we were welcomed again and offered a pre-departure beverage.
Nepal Airlines is a dry airline…there was no bubbles pre-departure and no alcohol in the air. One of the flight attendants told us that this was to control passenger behavior, which makes sense considering all the onboard alcohol-related incidents we report on Live And Let’s Fly.
Dinner was served and it was quite delicious. The first course included a fennel salad with salmon and dill. On the side: crackers and cheese, a bread roll, and a tart topped in sliced fruit.
There were no menus so I really cannot tell you what I ate for the main course beyond the fact that it was white fish, very spicy, and quite delicious.
We deplaned via stairs at Tribhuvan International Airport…it is always exciting to step foot in a new country for the first time!
CONCLUSION
I will have more to say about this flight in my full review, with more info on the amenities, IFE, and other aspects of the service onboard. My first flight on Nepal Airlines was a good one: I would not hesitate to fly Nepal Airlines again, especially on the A330.
With the mention of being a first time visitor to Nepal, consider a year end review of all the countries visit that year and your lifetime. Maybe even dots for what cities or regions visited.
Flight: Delayed 2h 40m
Reason: Rainy weather – unsuitable for dry airline
I saw Josh Cahill’s video on Nepal Airlines during the pandemic when we were supposed to be at home and took it with a grain of salt. However, based on multiple reviews on it, it is duly noted that Nepal Airlines isn’t a bad choice when flying to Nepal.
Please tell us the highlights of your trip to Nepal some time. I noticed that Nepal Airlines is heavily branded throughout your pics. The brand is certainly not hard to miss. I’m glad you enjoyed your flight.
Dry Airline for passenger behavior? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Alcohol isn’t taboo in Nepal. You can buy alcohol everywhere, including at the KTM airport; it’s free in many lounges. Kathmandu is literally on the map because of their anything goes attitude they had in the days of the Hippie Trail. They literally have a place called ‘Freak Street.” “Dry airline” should be replaced with “Cheap airline masquerading nonexistent morality.”
No, you cannot do anything you want anywhere in the world, not even in KTM. This will sure put you in trouble.
I was wondering how you think about consistency in reviews across geographic areas? As I think about the hard product (not all aisle; the fabric on the seats may have been clean but it appears old?), lack of choice on the menu (not even knowing what you’re eating), alcohol availability, etc, these pictures don’t seem to really compare with any favorable review you or other bloggers would post.
So I do wonder about the overall positive theme and finisher of this “I would not hesitate to fly Nepal Airlines again, especially on the A330.”
I’m sure it was a pleasant experience, but as I look at other carriers to KTM like CX, QR, TK, or even AirDubai… I just don’t see any comparison from the photos and described experience? Much less to other widebody carriers around the globe where this hard or soft product doesn’t seem competitive.
I would absolutely love to fly Nepal Airlines as well and I don’t discount what they provide but did wonder how you think about providing a relatively high grade to this flight when it seems subpar in comparison even to other carriers flying to KTM?
Thanks in advance. I don’t mean to be trivial or dismissive, at all. But I did wonder how you view consistency in ratings across carriers in the same geographic region or globally?
It’s a decent qn imo. Would this still get a 3.5 star rating (no amenity kit, alcohol, reverse herringbone seat etc) but not bad for the price ?
Or more subjective. Clean, easy, nice chicken curry. Pleasantly SURPRISED. Would fly again.
Not that either path is wrong. I’d prob prefer less of the ratings. Noting lucky is almost purely in the four seasons hotel bracket atm and they all get 4.5 star ratings. Was happy to read a more considered view of a budget hotel in Sydney.
How exactly do you know this?
MaxPower, great question. A couple considerations. First, I love flying new and obscure airlines – it is one of the things that I hope separates this blog from others.
Second, while I increasingly like this seat (which you also see on LOT Polish, Turkish, and others), of course the soft product pales in comparison to the Gulf carriers. On the other hand, this was the only nonstop option to KTM and I think this is better than Thai (had that been an option).
I don’t drink much these days, so the loss of alcohol was not a huge concern to me – but I agree with Jerry that it is very cheap not to offer it.
I’ll continue to go out of my way to review obscure carriers, but I was very pleasantly surprised (which perhaps betrays my low exceptions going in). And I would fly this carrier again – especially on the A330 – but to be clear, I am not ranking it above the other carriers you mention. Nope, I’d have to rate it below.
Thanks for the time and thoughtful response!
I’ve travelled to KTM through Qatar Airways few times; it’s the worst carrier ever. Not in the plane itself, but the airport in Doha is pathetic. You cannot even sit on the floor when they do not have anywhere to sit! Well, I did not travel in a business class, but the economy class is very average. Just my personal experience, and not to discount what everyone is saying.
I would be also i terested how did you book it. Cash,points..
Cash. $433.60.
That main course was Thai rice with white fish in green curry sauce and fried Thai zucchini with egg. A common Thai meal I would say. Judging from the picture, I’m pretty sure it was from some catering companies at BKK
I would imagine so – certainly had that lemon grass Thai taste.
Were you on the flight that did go around before landing?