Vistara Business Class from Chennai to Delhi Review (MAA-DEL)

By | March 17, 2019

I’ve been waiting to fly Vistara Business Class ever since i got hands on Vistara Infinite credit card that comes with complimentary business class vouchers. As Vistara started to operate from Chennai recently, it is a huge plus for me as it connects to Delhi, to where I fly every now and then. Here’s my Vistara business class experience on the flight from MAA-DEL.

Vistara Business Class – Non-Veg Food

Booking

I called up Vistara helpline to redeem one of my business class voucher. Upon my a/c verification, I got the proforma invoice on email with the taxes/fees that need to be paid (~500 INR). Upon clearing the payment for the same, I got the ticket with PNR on email.

Overall it takes less than 10 minutes and the process is really smooth. Its good to see that the executives are well aware of the credit card linked business class voucher redemptions. You can also mention the seat preference, which will be confirmed automatically once the web check-in for the flight opens.

  • Flight: Air Vistara UK834
  • Route: MAA – DEL
  • Seat: 2F (Business Class)
  • Depart: 17:30 Arrive: 20:20
  • Revenue Ticket: ~25,000 INR
  • I Paid: ~500 INR (Voucher Redemption)

Vistara Business Class – Ground Experience

1. Dedicated Checkin

I arrived at Chennai airport 3 hrs prior to arrival, as I do so usually to experience lounges. But this time there was a challenge, Vistara counter opens only 2:30 hrs before departure. So I had to kill 30 mins in airport before checkin. It wasn’t a pleasant experience because I was already late for lunch and was hungry by then.

The dedicated business class counter along with others finally opened on time and I got the boarding pass in a minute. I love their baggage tags, its not actually inspected at security, but it helps Vistara guys recognise easily that you fly business class.

Vistara Business Class – Boarding Pass

Vistara Business Class – Cabin Baggage Tag

Vistara Business Class Cabin Baggage Tag Backside

Vistara Business Class – Priority Baggage Tag (saves 10 mins)

2. Security – No Fast track

Now the sad part here is, at Chennai airport there was no fast track Business Class security line, like in Mumbai which i availed last time when i flew Jet Airways Business Class. However, luckily the usual line wasn’t crowded during my travel. I then rushed to TFS lounge to get some bites.

3. Airport Lounge

The boarding pass itself has a line printed in it saying: Welcome to the TFS lounge after security. There are 2 TFS lounges in the terminal and I went with the newer one which was opened in 2017. Got into the lounge by showing the boarding pass.

The lounge had nice modern interiors, with soft and nice chappati’s for lunch apart from the other typical lounge food. The full review of the lounge is here: Chennai TFS Lounge Review (Domestic).

Tip: Don’t miss the filter coffee if you visit this lounge.

TFS Travel Club Lounge Chennai Domestic

Vistara Business Class – In flight experience

1. Boarding & Welcome drink

By the time I reached the gate, the boarding had already begun. I used the business class lane and got in pretty fast. Within a minute and while am still getting settled in the seat, the Flight Attendant (FA) greeted me with my last name, which was a nice touch.

The flight attendant then came with a welcome drink: choice of orange juice or coconut water. I went with the coconut water as always and it was good. I was then given the cold towel, dining menu and a set of magazines to choose from.

Vistara Business Class Welcome Drink – Coconut Water

Vistara Business Class – Dining Menu

Vistara Business Class – Dining Menu inside

2. The Seat

The Business class cabin has 8 seats in 2-2 configuration. The seat had ample legroom and you can keep things both in the front and also in the left side of the seat. It’s reclinable but not flat bed, ofcourse.

The seat was actually firm and not soft, but overall comfortable. It comes with a pillow for extra cushion and a pink blanket just incase if you wanna sleep like the Kid/Deepika Padukone in Vistara commercial. 😀

Vistara Business Class Seat

Vistara Business Class Seats

Vistara Business Class – Vistara Magazine

Vistara Business Class – Seat Storage

3. Food

Options are veg or non-veg with a choice of a drink: juice/mocktail/coffee. I opted for non-veg along with the “blue cura cao” mocktail. The food contains chicken, fish, cutlet and a sweet. It was all tasty and colourful. Did you notice the salt and pepper below?

The FA actually came with a wrong mocktail (peach), but for good, as I got the opportunity to test it as well, and i can say its not my taste. It was quickly replaced with my actual blue mocktail, which tastes SO GOOD. Here are the pictures of the same,

Vistara Business Class Food

Vistara Business Class Mocktail (Blue Curacao)

4. Starbucks Coffee

I’m not a Starbucks fan and I infact don’t like their coffee taste, maybe I’m choosing wrong ones. So I decided to check how it tastes in the sky when the FA asked if I need anything else.

You can choose yourself how strong it needs to be as they mix the black coffee and milk in front of you. But sorry, I don’t like the taste as much as I like the filter coffee in TFS Lounge.

Vistara Business Class – Starbucks Coffee

5. The Special Note

Once i was done with my experiments on food, the flight attendants said that they’ve a small celebration prepared for me. I was surprised to see a tray made for me with assorted fruits, juice and a personalised note on it.

It was a handwritten note welcoming onboard on my first Vistara flight and yes, i haven’t flown Vistara before even on economy. Vistara is known for giving such surprises randomly and i was lucky to get one of them. Here are some of the pics,

Vistara Business Class – Special Gift

Vistara Business Class – Handwritten Note

The fruits and Guava juice were so tasty and i was totally filled with Vistara food in the sky that i didn’t bother to check out the arrival lounges in Delhi, which anyways have only tea and snacks.

6. In-Flight Entertainment

Vistara doesn’t have Personal TV’s fitted in the seats so it was giving out Samsung tablets as a part of inflight entertainment for sometime. But it was then discontinued and wasn’t available anymore when i flew. They don’t have wireless streaming in-flight entertainment service as well.

I was said that they may add something to it in the near future. Anyways it didn’t bother me much as the entire flight experience in itself was a sort of entertainment. 🙂

Air Vistara Wings – Somewhere in the sky

Bottomline

Vistara is one of the best premium airline in the country and their Business Class product certainly lives up to my expectations. As Vistara is a joint venture with Singapore Airlines, i hope they make Vistara one of the best airlines in the world, in coming years. That being said, my favourite part of the flight is the Mocktail.

  • Cardexpert Rating: 4/5 [yasr_overall_rating]

Overall it was a good experience to “fly the new feeling” on Vistara business class and i would ofcourse wish to fly again. Having said that, expect one more Business Class review from Delhi, along with the vistara lounge soon 🙂

Also check out: Vistara Business Class Review – Delhi to Bangalore (DEL-BLR)

Have you been on Vistara Business Class or planning to try it someday? Feel free to share your thoughts in comments below.

17 thoughts on “Vistara Business Class from Chennai to Delhi Review (MAA-DEL)

  1. Anand

    Hey Siddharth
    I have received one business class upgrade voucher received on my SBI prime card.
    Like jet, Vistara too have specific economy fare type which only can be upgraded on voucher ? Or all types of economy fare choices can be upgraded.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      I don’t think so. But the problem with upgrade voucher is that it can be confirmed only 1hr before departure. Note: you need to book premium economy to upgrade to biz class.

      Reply
  2. SUMEET GUPTA

    The experience shared was nice in every aspect, but the handwritten note was really heartwarming.
    Nowadays when news came often of crew or airline staff misbehaving with the customer, such surprises r really appreciated.
    Looking to have my first flight with Vistara soon as it too has just started from my hometown Ranchi a few months back.
    I am basically from original steel city of India Jamshedpur but just like salem, the airport has started under UDAN and have just started flights to Kolkata, so have to go to Ranchi for catching flights to different destination.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Cool. Wish you get the surprise too on your first flight with Vistara 🙂

      Reply
  3. Kabir

    @ Siddharth Thanks for a well written review
    Back on my first flight with vistara somewhere in 2015, they had actually bumped me up to business class as a welcome gift. Needless to say, have been hooked onto them since then, and have never been disappointed across any of their three classes. They have even offered economy to premium economy upgrades at heavily discounted prices on a couple of occasions during check in. Probably one airline where it is worth visiting the check in counter even if traveling only with hand baggage
    Recently in january however, i was taken aback during my check in at delhi where the ground staff handling check in told me that i could not avail my upgrade voucher as it was a sunday and any upgrade i opt for will have to be full fare. This was when i was holding a full fare ticket, i did find that odd but did not bother to follow up with them. Ended up having a great flight even in the economy class but am still searching for this fine print.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Awesome! That was a welcome gift with a wonderful value.

      Maybe they were expecting others to actual pay for it. That aside, it seems many are facing difficulties at Delhi airport for upgrades.

      Reply
      1. Anoop E S

        True. I’ve faced it at delhi…

        Vistara is entirely a new feeling. Jet need to reinvent their business class product to stay in the competition.

        Reply
        1. Siddharth Post author

          Yes, as Vistara is about to fly international shortly, Jet has a healthy competition going forward. They got to do something new or at least something great on credit cards front 😀

          Reply
      2. Kabir

        Hi Siddharth, it seems that the issues at Delhi are not there at other centres
        I recently used an upgrade voucher at BLR to upgrade to business and the entire process was seamless and very quick. I actually paid for an upgrade to premium economy and then used the voucher to go upto business class. The very process that was flat out denied at the Delhi counters

        Reply
  4. wah

    He’ll sid,
    Which is best effective way for increasing credit limits,
    Is really maintaining 30% usage will work or we have to max out every month.

    Replies are appreciated.

    Reply
  5. Tanmay Broachwala

    which are the other VISA Infinite credit card options other than CITI PRESTIGE?

    Reply
  6. Sharathkumar Anbu

    AFAIK

    1. Infinia

    2. Standard Chartered Ultimate

    3. Standard Chartered Priority Visa Infinite

    4. Axis Vistara Infinite Credit card

    5. Kotak Wealth Management Infinite Credit card

    6. ICICI Bank Carbon credit card – Not sure if it’s still valid

    Reply
  7. Mouli

    I have 2 Vistara Upgrade Vouchers that are expiring on September 9th, I don’t have any travel plan now.
    If anyone is travelling in Vistara and interested , plz let me know so that I can provide the details
    I don’t want the vouchers to be wasted

    Reply
  8. KARTIKAY GAUR

    Hi Siddharth,

    Dont the taxes include GST? I am assuming the GST component itself would run be around 3-4k for a 25000 flight?

    Thanks

    Reply

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