SriLankan Airlines A330-300 economy class Colombo-Singapore

BACKGROUND SriLankan Airlines operates seven A330-300s, configured with 269 seats in economy and 28 fully flat seats in business class. These are mainly operated on medium- and long-haul routes, including the Colombo-Singapore service. Flight UL308 is scheduled to depart Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport at 1215 and land at Singapore Changi Airport’s Terminal 3 at 1845.

CHECK-IN

I checked in online, which allowed me to request a special meal (vegetarian Hindu) and choose my seat free-of-charge. All passengers (including Singapore residents) must complete an electronic SG Arrival Card in the three days before they enter Singapore. Seat reservation is complimentary for Platinum members of the carrier’s FlySmiLes loyalty programme, Oneworld Emerald members, business class passengers, passengers with an economy flex ticket (myself included) and those travelling with infants or eligible for wheelchair facilities.

If passengers aren’t included in any of these categories, there’s a US$10-30 charge depending on the route – or you can wait until online check-in opens 48 hours prior to departure for a complimentary seat reservation.

Ahead of my flight, I received two emails for upgrades. The first concerned the carrier’s Neighbour Free Seats initiative, which allows you to book up to three seats (i.e. a whole row) so you don’t end up sitting next to someone. I clicked on the link out of curiosity, but received an, “oh no, you’re out of luck” message. I presumed this was due to the lack of seat availability

There was a Burger King, which was attracting quite the crowd at 10am

on the flight, confirmed by staff at check-in. The second email was about bidding for a business class seat. This service is available from 12 hours until five hours prior to departure for flights from Colombo.

I arrived at the airport at 0945, two-anda-half hours before the flight. A queue had formed to enter the building, with a security guard checking boarding passes and tickets. Passengers were required to put their carry-on and hold luggage through security screening to reach the next area. This was quick and took just under ten minutes, with a security sticker affixed to the luggage.

The SriLankan Airlines check-in was located at desks 6-11; there were also self-check-in kiosks, as well as a bag-drop kiosk. Members of FlySmiLes or Oneworld passengers with Ruby status were able to use a priority lane, as were those who checked in online but had hold luggage. There was an additional lane for business class passengers. My passport and boarding pass were checked again before I proceeded to border control, upstairs.

On exiting, there was a board detailing the walking time to reach each of the gates, various duty free shops, cafes, a wellness spa and a Burger King, which was attracting quite the crowd at 10am. I proceeded in the direction of my gate, presuming that security would be en route, but realised there were scanners at each gate. I found a space to sit and tap away at my laptop – but don’t rely on the free airport wifi as it’s very poor.

BOARDING I headed through security at the gate where there were two machines, with a short queue. My passport and boarding pass were checked by staff and I sat in the large and busy waiting room, which had plenty of seating. The aircraft boarded from the back first – rows 50-62 – followed by business class passengers and those from rows 32, and then finally all remaining passengers at 1155. It was a smooth process.

After we boarded, the pilot made an announcement, saying the conditions for the flight were smooth and that the duration would be three hours and 35 minutes (it is advertised as four hours). We took off at 1225, and were offered headphones ten minutes into the flight.

THE SEAT The economy cabin was beautiful, with turquoise-toned seats in tropical patterns complementing the staff’s peacock-emblazoned uniforms. The colour scheme and design make for a wonderful nod to Sri Lanka’s beautiful landscapes and wildlife, which I was sad to leave behind. Economy class was split between two cabins, with rows 20-37 separated from 50-68 with four washrooms. There was an additional large washroom in front of 20H and 20K, and one behind 64A and 64C. The cabin was configured 2-4-2 (AC-DEFG-HK) and my seat 26G was a well-located aisle seat, though I usually opt for a window seat for the views. As for seats to avoid, I would not choose those in rows 20, 50 and 64-68 due to the proximity to the galley and toilets.

All seats included a decent-sized IFE monitor, complete with a USB-A slot and an AC power port for device charging. There was also a coat hook, though this bordered on the neighbouring seat. I found the seat to be comfortable, with a pillow provided and a footrest. Seats also had a foldaway tray table, but mine was not sturdy and I felt my tray of food could slide off at any moment.

THE FLIGHT The benefit that comes with ordering a special meal is you get served first. I received mine at 1300, while other passengers were served 20 minutes later. At this point a trolley also served juices and fizzy drinks. My meal came on one tray and featured a cold bean and chickpea salad, a glass of water, a main dish of rice with lentil daal and a vegetable curry, with fruit for dessert. This was all tasty. Staff then offered tea and coffee at 1337, and trays were removed at 1400, though this was a little late in my opinion, as it’s annoying to have an empty meal in front of you when you’re trying to manoeuvre.

The IFE system was impressive, with more than 130 films – both classics and new releases. However, I couldn’t enjoy it properly as the headphones were poor quality, so I had to opt for films I’d seen before or didn’t care much about, in case of missing key points of the plot. Another technical problem was that the films froze every so often, and I had to keep exiting and then resuming them – I did this four times before giving up. SriLankan Airlines’ A330300s should be equipped with inflight wifi, though I didn’t see any signs for this during my flight.

ARRIVAL

We landed at 1828 at Singapore Changi, and disembarked around ten minutes later. The aircraft parked at Gate B8 in Terminal 3, which is a fair walk to the arrivals area and immigration Hall B. Everything was very well signposted and I was through immigration by 1850 thanks to the speedy e-gates, which are open to various passport holders – including all member countries of the EU, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the UK. My biometric information was also recorded and scanned when I entered Singapore.

There were signs on approaching this area reminding passengers that had not yet submitted their arrival SG card to do so, with tablets available to complete it.

I’m always relieved to land at Changi, with its biophilic and beautiful, spacious design particularly refreshing after sitting in a huge container for some hours. My luggage arrived at 1915 and, as I made my way to the “nothing to declare” channel, I was asked to put my luggage through a security scanner.

Once clear, I departed the area and proceeded to the airport’s dedicated ride-hailing pick-up area, located in the basement. It’s an excellent, clearly signposted way to book a cab, with the Grab app letting you know which door and level to wait at.

I’m always relieved to land at Changi, with its biophilic, spacious design

VERDICT

SriLankan Airlines offers a good service in economy for short- and medium-haul flights, with a decent meal, comfortable seat and friendly service. While the IFE system has great content, the technical side needs improving – as do the headphones.

Hannah Brandler