The Air India Lounge is currently the only airline operated lounge at Delhi’s International Terminal 3 where Air India’s Business and First Class passengers; many Star Alliance passengers; and Vistara Airlines passengers can spend time before their flight.
After scanning the boarding pass at the lounge entrance, Wi-fi vouchers are handed out and passengers are directed to the Business Class or First Class section of the lounge.
There is a fairly large sitting area with newspapers on display, a small computer work station, and more couches with tables for passenger use.
The food section is on the smaller side and the choice is very limited. It was breakfast time but the bakery items did not look fresh or appealing to me, nor did the cold or hot dishes that were on display. This looked like a very sad offering when compared to the breakfast offered at the first class hotel I just checked out of.
I had a small plate of fresh fruit and then decided to have my coffee at a nearby coffee shop where they serve real Espresso and fresh bakery items to accompany it.
As a Tata Group company, I hope Air India will soon embark upon an urgently needed upgrade to the Air India Lounge in Delhi International Airport.
Delhi Aerocity is a business and commercial hub, featuring several high-end hotels, convention areas, offices, shops and much more. It is located near Indira Gandhi International Airport and is not far from India’s second largest information technology hub and the third largest banking and financial city in India.
The Pullman Aerocity Hotel is located inside the Aerocity complex and is located in the same building as its low budget sister hotel, Ibis New Delhi Aerocity.
The hotel has a large lobby with a small bakery and coffee area and a small seating area. The front desk seems to be always very busy and ran out of cash on my arrival day which I found awkward as there are banks near the building and within walking distance. No ATM was available, so it was not possible to obtain cash for tips or other small expenses. I checked back a few hours later and it was still the same situation.
The room was spacious and modernly equipped. There was a shower and bathtub. The room offered all standard amenities plus a nice view overlooking the airport and the runway. I booked a room with Club Lounge access which was very convenient. A small breakfast was offered. However, I did not use it as they offered a large breakfast downstairs for a small charge which offered a wide choice of food and fresh juices and beverages such as green smoothies and more. The choice of bakery items was excellent.
The Club Lounge also offered coffee/tee and soft drinks all day long as well as a happy hour in the evening which featured a small snack/dinner buffet including desserts. The staff at the Lounge were most charming and helpful and always ready for a little chat or giving out information about Delhi and India in general. I requested the hotel staff to prepare my bill and check-out for the morning as I was leaving early.
Check-out in the morning was a somewhat lengthy procedure and took a very long time as there was no express check-out option available. I did not appreciate this. Accor also did not offer an in-App checkout option which surprised me as this should be a standard feature nowadays. My requested UBER arrived within minutes and transport to the airport took only a few minutes.
Vistara (Tata SIA Airlines) is an Indian based, full-service airline which commenced operations in 2015. The airline is a joint venture between Tata Group and Singapore Airlines who own 51% and 49% respectively. The name “Vistara” was taken from the Sanskrit word “Vistãra” meaning “limitless expanse”.
After the acquisition of Air India by the Tata Group in 2022, the Competition Commission of Indiaapproved a merger of Vistara and Air India in September 2023.
I checked-in online and after uploading my Indian visa confirmation I was issued an electronic boarding pass. Bag drop at the airport was a matter of a few seconds and I was off to the Lounge (Miracle at Suvarnabhumi Airport)
This was a single aisle A320 with a separate business class cabin of 8 seats. I was greeted by a friendly cabin crew member who introduced herself and offered a welcome drink and a cold refreshing towel. Later the purser introduced himself too and menu cards were distributed.
Soon after take-off the first round of drinks were served, followed by a full course meal including dessert and separate coffee/tea service featuring Starbucks brew.More drinks were served later in the flight.
The meal was nicely presented and tasted fine. Customs forms were handed out well ahead of landing so passengers could take a little rest. There is wifi availble for using the Vistara Channels, Inflight maps and their entertainment program.
I found this flight and airline a very pleasant experience. Everything worked well and the crew was friendly and courteous. Bags were delivered swiftly at Mumbai airport and as there was no queue at the E-visa zone for foreigners, I was out of the airport within approx 30 minutes.
Vistara also operates some flights to Europe but the outcome of the merger with Air India leaves many questions open for the near future of this emerging airline.
I can highly recommend Vistara and would fly again with them with much pleasure.
Impressions: I checked-in online via the Vistara app and it worked well. Baggage drop off was fast at DEL Airport as there was no line for the Business Class section. However, staff did not mention lounge access or Fast Track Security/Immigration. The lounge was Air India which I wrote about in a separate review. The Fast Track Security Immigration on the left of Delhi Airport T3, far away from Vistara Check-in but worth the walk as this airport can get crowed. Smooth and fast processing at fast track counters.
Boarding took place according to passenger priority printed on the boarding pass, and was smooth.
The Airbus 321 Neo aircraft was equipped with 12 lie-flat seats which were very comfortable (2 -2). The flight time was around 3:30 hours and it left time to relax after the meal service. Vistara offers inflight Wifi for a fee, or passengers can watch their entertainment on their own device for free. Food quality and taste was excellent and the cabin crew was pleasant and attentive in a friendly way. I find this airline really great and it offers good value for money.
SWISSTRAVELMANAGER 