Gulf Air Falcon Gold A320neo Dubai-Bahrain

DUBAI-BAHRAIN

BACKGROUND Gulf Air has received five of its 12 A320neos (new engine options) on order and the Bahrain carrier will have 39 new aircraft by the end of 2023, including 10 B787-900s and 17 A321neos. Dubai is a key route with seven services daily to Bahrain in January and other neo routes include Istanbul, Athens and Larnaca.

BOARDING Falcon Gold passengers were invited to board to the left of gate D11 in Concourse D and the cabin has 16 seats (eight each side, in a 2-2 configuration). This 320neo was decked in a 70th anniversary livery and promoted the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.

THESE AT I was sat on the second row, in an aisle seat, and was impressed by the seat’s comfort, and there was narrow storage under the armrest and ahead between the seats. You pressed the side button for a ‘half recline’, and the overall comfort levels look fine for most short to medium haul routes (46-inch pitch).

The IFE monitor was a good size, advertising movies, TV, music, games and eBooks, and a handheld unit is located by your shoulder, but I struggled to find headphones or a connection point; looking around the cabin, most passengers seemed happy to use their iPads. Economy class has 120 seats, configured 3-3, with 30/31inch pitch.

THE FLIGHT We pulled back 10 minutes late after some last-minute loading issues and were soon airborne after the animation safety video. I’m always amazed how quickly crew must work on these short sectors.

I was served a lemon mint, cold towel, cheese sandwich, caramel-based dessert, glass of water and fresh cup of coffee with a biscuit. The table was ultra-smooth to eject and it’s a work-friendly environment with USB (two) and plug sockets.

I returned on the A321-200, with its smaller and older eight-seat Falcon

Gold cabin – though this aircraft had headphones and I enjoyed scrolling through the CD selection which made the hour zip by. Falcon Upgrade provides ‘eligible’ passengers with the chance to bid for upgrades.

ARRIVAL The immigration officer couldn’t break my BD20 note for the visa but accepted UAE dirhams. Bahrain’s proximity is a bit different to Concourse D with its train connection; it took minutes to pass through baggage control.

VERDICT The A320neo is a sharplooking product and playing a pivotal part in Gulf Air’s ongoing fleet regeneration.