Review: DrukAir A320Neo Business Class Paro (Bhutan)-Bangkok
Intro
In light of Drukair ordering 5 new aircraft yesterday, including a couple more A320neos, I thought I would pick up the next review of the Asia Trip, seeing that it was on the Drukair A320neo in Business Class.
After a splendid time at Amankora Paro and Amankora Thimphu, it was finally time to continue the onward journey to Bangkok. This flight would be interesting as there was a scheduled layover in Bagdogra, India. Overall, I would say flying Drukair Business Class was a very pleasant experience...
Route- Paro (PBH)- Bangkok (BKK)
Seat- 1E
Flight Number- KB130
Aircraft- A320neo
Date- January 1st 2024
Flight Time: 4 Hours 20 Minutes
Price Paid- Economy 508$- Upgrade 175$
Let's get into it!
How I Booked
Unfortunately, there is no way to book these flights through miles unless you have status with Drukair. My original economy ticket came out to 508$, one way per person. Drukai has a monopoly in this market for now, so there is not much I can do.
Business Class was sold out somehow on our dates. However, Drukair blocks 1E and 1F until the day of departure in case they need to get somebody out that day. At the airport, these seats were still available. After a bit of charm, the gate agent offered us those two seats for 175$ per person. For 4.5 hours, that's not too bad.
Check-In
From the Aman Lodge in Paro, it was about a 45-minute drive to the airport.
Once we arrived, our guides, Chozang and Pema, dropped us off at the terminal (yes, there is only one terminal).
Once entering the beautiful terminal, we made our way to the only check-in desk, Drukair.
There was a bit of a queue in the economy line, but we headed over to the business class line to enquire about an upgrade. The staff was very friendly, and a few minutes later, we fronted 350$ in cash.
Bags were tagged, and we were on the way to the lounge.
Security was surprisingly a breeze here. They had the old X-ray scanners and just a small thing you walk through. It was very easy, and with no line, we went through to the lounge quickly.
I have posted a review of the lounge here if you feel like checking it out!
Boarding
Boarding was slightly delayed due to a delayed inbound aircraft, but by 3:50 pm, they boarded the plane all at once. No, there was no call for business class😒.
It's always a treat walking up the jetbridge, especially when you are in one of the most beautiful countries in the world.
Once up the jetbridge, we were warmly greeted by two flight attendants who would be working the business class cabin on this flight.
Approximately 10 minutes after departure, the male FA came around to distribute the first of many hot towels. Most airlines don't give one on the ground, so this was a nice treat.
After distributing the hot towels, a choice of pre-departure beverage was offered. The choices consisted of a signature drink (a fruity whiskey cocktail), a non-alcoholic version, and water.
It was New Year's Eve the night before, meaning I needed all of the water I could get😂.
Departure
The captain announced our flight time of 35 minutes over to Bagdogra. He informed us that once we had landed, the turnaround time would be about 45 minutes.
We made our way out onto the runway at 4:20 pm local time.
We had a backtaxi this morning in order to maximize the runway length.
After a quick 180-degree turn, we were wheels up at 4:27 pm.
The Flight To Bagdogra
Due to the short flight time, no service was offered on this first hop. We had taken out the cribbage board, continued our game from the lounge, and managed to get through about half a game before we started descending.
We touched down at 4:20 pm local time in Bagdogra (time difference).
Ground Stop In Bagdogra
Once on the ground, passengers were allowed to embark that were due to fly the final leg to Bangkok. Interestingly, Bagdogra is a military base in India, so I was asked not to take any pictures.
We were offered a choice of water or juices when we were on the ground. We opted for some more glasses of water. It was one of the crew's birthday, so they were cutting up a cake and offered us some. We respectfully declined, to see as it was their birthday, not ours, but a great gesture nonetheless.
Departure From Bagdogra
By about 5:00 pm, the captain informed us of our flight time to Bangkok, which was about 3 hours. The main cabin door and the cargo door were closed, and we received pushback clearance from the ATC.
It was a gorgeous climb out due to the pinkish skies. One day I would like to return to Bagdogra to explore the town.
The Seat/Cabin
Drukair has a luxurious business class onboard its A320neos, with 4 rows of seats in a 2-2 configuration.
I would recommend not sitting in row 1 if possible since the legroom seems to be a bit better in 2,3 and 4.
There is a legrest at each seat that extends outwards to provide you with comfortable seating.
A trustworthy tray table was located inside the left armrest.
On the right side of the seat lay two buttons, one for reclining and the other for the pop-out ottoman from the seat.
Overall, I felt that the cabin was fresh, modern, and very comfortable for a 4.5-hour flight. I am excited to see whether or not they choose to install lie-flat seats on the A321XLRs, but only time will tell.
Dinner Service
Dinner service commenced about 30 minutes after the departure from Bagdogra. The menu read as follows:
To be frank, that menu is not only stunning but substantial, to say the least.
The flight attendants came around to set the tables up for dinner, and gosh, once again, it looked gorgeous.
As gazed out upon the gorgeous sunset...
The starter arrived. It was some sort of salad that I chose not to eat. Honestly, the starter didn't feel all that premium; the least they could have done was take off the plastic wrapping.
Branded cutlery was presented, which I thought was a nice touch.
The drinks cart came around during the appetizer, and I settled on a local Bhutanese beer since I had only drunk the local whiskey on this trip. While alright, it's not quite like Tona in Nicaragua or Primus in the DRC.
This small box was presented to me and I was a little confused...
Turns out that they were salt and pepper shakers! Who knew.
20 minutes later, the main course of Beef Stew was presented. This was definitely the highlight of the meal as the beef was tender, flavorful, and made my taste buds go erratic.
The crew cleared away the plates once I was finished and brought around the only option for dessert. I know what you're thinking, "cornflakes in business class." Wait, wait, wait.
It was a chocolate brownie with caramel drizzled on top of the cornflakes. This might have been the best dessert I have ever had on a plane. Wow.
All in all, the meal wrapped up about 75 minutes after departure, allowing for the remaining hour and a half to sleep.
IFE/Amenities
If you haven't read my economy review on the A319 yet, you definitely should. The IFE was the same as what was in that review, with a couple of movie options, such as Barbie available, as well as a moving map. No wifi was provided on the flight.
The amenities were basic but consisted of a plush pillow and a thin blanket. The pillow was nice, but the blanket left a bit to be desired.
Service
Service on this flight was nothing short of perfect. I was traveling with my mum (that's why I wasn't in a window), and she's not old, but she's older than me😂 (really? Who knew😂). The flight attendants did everything possible to provide comfort to her, which had never happened on another airline. They brought over a box from the galley so she could rest her feet and have an "angled lie-flat." Needless to say, I was a tad jealous.
Before landing, they distributed yet another hot towel. In total, that makes 5 hot towels for the whole flight. And no, these weren't the flimsy ones that were given out to me on Polaris...
Arrival
KB130 was expected at 10:00 pm local time in Bangkok. However, due to a favorable routing over Myanmar, we were on the final approach by 9:23 pm.
We arrived at our remote stand 15 minutes early as we said goodbye to the last that I will see of Drukair for a while (it's too expensive to go back to Bhutan).
A pet peeve of mine is when there are buses, not just business class buses. They usher business class off the plane to be crammed in the back. I know champagne problems, but it does take away part of the perk of flying in business.
Immigration was efficient and we were on our way to the hotel in no time.
Of course, we had to haggle a little bit price-wise 😂 with the taxi driver.
Final Thoughts
For such a small airline, I think Drukair has really carved out a premium experience for not only their economy passengers but also business class passengers. The plane was modern and fresh. The food was delicious (apart from the starter, so I can't comment on that), the alcohol selection wasn't too bad considering the taxes, and the service was tip-top. I would fly with Drukair again in a heartbeat if given the opportunity, and I can't wait to see what they do at their new airport in "Mindfulness City."
Meal Service | 8.5/10 |
Seat (1E) | 9/10 |
IFE | 7.5/10 |
Lounge | 8/10 |
Overall Service | 10/10 |
Total | 43/50 |
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