Based in Colombo, SriLankan Airlines has been a member of the Oneworld alliance since 2014. In this review, we test the Sri Lankan Airlines Business class service on an Airbus A320 flight from Colombo to Singapore.
Flight Details
| Flight number | UL308 |
| Route | Colombo (CMB) to Singapore (SIN) |
| Aircraft type | Airbus A320 |
| Class of travel | Business |
| Seat number | 2A |
| On-time performance | This flight arrived on time. |
| Star rating |  |
The route
Flight Cost
This flight was booked as part of a one-way journey from Colombo to Brisbane via Singapore, which cost around $1,100 one-way. If you were to book this flight individually, you could expect to pay around $670 one-way.
It is also possible to redeem Qantas Frequent Flyer points (or points with any other Oneworld airline) for Sri Lankan Airlines flights. This flight would cost 43,800 Qantas points + ~$163 taxes in Business class.
Airport Experience
After multiple security checks, I checked in and cleared immigration at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport. Colombo Airport is not the world’s most modern or efficient airport, so this took almost an hour.
I eventually made my way to the Sri Lankan Airlines Serendib Lounge, which Business class passengers have access to. This lounge seems to get mixed reviews, but I personally like it. It’s not huge (it’s literally a large, square room) but has great food and drink options, clean bathrooms and showers, wifi, apron views and even a spa, where I was invited to receive a complimentary 15-minute massage.
Boarding for this flight was via a bus gate. Priority boarding was enforced, but worked exactly the opposite way to how it normally does. Economy class was invited to board first, and Business class passengers were told to wait until the last boarding group was called! The result, however, was that the Business class passengers got a private bus and boarded after all of the Economy passengers – which makes some sense when boarding is done through the front door.
The Hard Product
Sri Lankan Airlines has four rows of recliner Business class seats in a 2-2 configuration on its Airbus A320. This is a standard layout for a narrow-body aircraft, however I was very impressed with the legroom. There is virtually unlimited space for you to stretch your legs out, and the seat reclines a long way. Even though I was seated by the window, I had no problems getting past my seat neighbour to access the aisle.
The seat itself was very comfortable, and had a fold-out in-flight entertainment screen (and tray table) inside the armrest.
Blankets and pillows were provided. For a short-haul Business class product on an Airbus A320, this is about as good as it gets… that is, short of having a lie-flat bed – which some airlines are starting to install on their narrow-body aircraft.
Note that some flights on the Colombo-Singapore route are operated by Airbus A330s with lie-flat beds. The A330-200s feature Sri Lankan Airlines’ older Business class product, while the Airbus A330-300s (which Sri Lankan Airlines flies to Melbourne) feature the newer product.
The Soft Product
Even though we boarded last, and the Business class cabin was completely full, the cabin crew still had time to offer pre-departure champagne, juice or water and a hotel towel before we pushed back.
Lunch was served after take-off. Here is the menu from this flight:
And the excellent Sri Lankan tea selection…
There was also a selection of quality gins and wine to choose from.
The lunch service started with a drink from the bar and some warm cashew nuts.
This was followed by the main course. I chose the tempura style prawns, which were delicious.
A slice of cake was served for dessert, which was also very tasty.
Like all of my other Sri Lankan Business class experiences, the food on this flight was full of flavour and high in quality. I was also impressed with the excellent hospitality from the smiling cabin crew.
Sri Lankan Airlines A320 Business Class
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Airport Experience
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Hard Product
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Soft Product
Final thoughts
Sri Lankan Airlines offers an enjoyable and comfortable Business class experience with great Sri Lankan hospitality and delicious food. The only thing you don’t get on their Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft is a fully-flat bed.
Having flown Sri Lankan business on this route a few times, I can say that service is “hit and miss”. At times the cabin crew were just plain lazy and not interested whilst at other times they were friendly and helpful. I find the younger crew seem more motivated and not so the older. Food is tasty but I find lacks the finesse of other top tier Asian airlines (SQ/CX/MH). The planes are old and the A330 aircraft is far superior. I’d probably rate them 3 start overall.