Hey again everyone, welcome back to another flight review. Today we’ve got a real rare gem, an airline that deserves more recognition. I can say without a doubt, this was the best hour and a half flight of my life.
Our journey today begins in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, aboard Air Astana business class on its Airbus A321-Neo over to Almaty, Kazakhstan. We initially booked economy as we weren’t expecting much on such a short journey but saw rates for business drop to around 400 dollars and thought we’d give it a go. This would probably be our only time visiting these countries.
Air Astana flies out of Tashkent Terminal 2. After a quick check-in, we were provided our boarding passes and lounge card.
Upon arrival at the lounge, the agent informed us that the ground floor was for guests of all sorts of qualifications, but the second floor was reserved for business class. In contrast to the crowded and noisy ground floor, upstairs was a haven. We were given a card to swipe up past the gate at the stairs. The lounge was wonderfully laid out with a small buffet and drinks section and even a smoking room. The seating area was very spacious with large, comfortable sofas. There was one gentleman in the smoking room, but the rest of the space belonged just to the two of us.
From the buffet we tried some macaroons, alfredo pasta, and traditional Uzbekistan rice pilaf. The pasta and pilaf were the only two hot options and were both very tasty. We also grabbed some cold cuts and a coffee; the cold wrap was rather bland.
But this lounge was so tranquil and comfortable I could’ve easily stayed here for hours.
With less than an hour until boarding, we walked around the terminal and did some plane spotting. Here we caught the first glipse of our Air Astana Airbus A321 Neo taking us over to Almaty today.
Here is when the one piece of criticism about the experience falls. The boarding process was extremely chaotic, with no priority boarding. The real issue was that every lined up inside a very narrow hallway, even before entering the jet bridge, and there were two different entrances to the hallway so people were just entering from both ends and the line seemed endless.
On the bright side, everyone was very polite and no pushing and shoving occurred.
Here's the first look at our cabin, and oh my, how gorgeous is this. The A321 Neo business class configuration has a 2-2 configuration in one row, and 1-1 ‘king seat’ in the next. I couldn’t believe how fresh the cabin looked and how clean everything was. The seat can also fully recline into a lay-flat bed, awesome. The two by two is perfect if travelling as a couple, and the king seat offers great privacy and also bonus space, definitely the pick of the bunch for solo travellers.
The IFE screens were also massive for a narrowbody jet, apologies for not getting a front shot.
Our flight attendants came by with a wet towel and handed us a menu. There were enough drinks on the menu for a transatlantic flight, especially with 6 hand-crafted cocktails. I was honestly blown away by the content, particularly when comparing this with other one-two hour short haul journeys.
Once we began taxiing, I snapped some more images of the beautiful Uzbekistan airways jets. Unforutunately, I didn't get the opportunity to try them out of this occassion, having flown in from Doha aboard Qatar. Hopefully I'll have a chance to try them in the future, as I've heard some generally positive reviews of their long-haul journey to New York (especially with catering!).
What a truly beautiful livery Uzbekistan Airways has. Soon, we were off to Almaty at 13:49pm, 11 minutes ahead of schedule.
Once airborne, we were quickly provided with tablecloths and meal service began. This was the best meal I’ve had on an hour and a half long flight. Each of the three mini-pittas were piping hot and had delicious fillings.
I ordered a Gin & Tonic which was hand-made in the galley and tastes incredible. With chocolate cake being by far my favorite when it comes to desserts, this hit the spot with the cherry compote. Delicious and wonderfully presented!
As the girlfriend dozed off to sleep, I took time to enjoy the gorgeous view. Not too long after the meal service, I went with a second cocktail in the Cuba Libre, this too was quickly crafted and delivered.
There was a decent amount of selections from the IFE system, but an quick flight such as this one didn't give me enough time to truly explore all its options. Who needs in-flight enteratinment when you have your S.O to chat with the whole way!
Sadly, our trip was coming to an end as we began descending into Kazakhstan. I could have seen myself staying in this cabin for hours, more than happy for a transatlantic 10-hour flight.
I would highly recommend everyone take a chance to visit Kazakhstan. It is a lesser-known tourist location, but you will not be disappointed with its breathtaking snowy mountains and breathtaking views.
