Business travellers visiting the emerging economies of Central Asia are well-served by Kazakhstan’s award-winning airline Air Astana, discovers Nick Walton on a recent flight between Almaty and Kyiv.
Background
While Air Astana, the national carrier of Kazakhstan continues to expand its global network, it’s within the countries of the CIS where is built its foundation for quality and dependability. The airline now acts as a vital gateway for the many nations that make up Central Asia and the former Soviet bloc, including Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.
Check-In/The Lounge
As I was transiting Almaty, Air Astana’s main hub in Kazakhstan, en route between Hong Kong and Kyiv (formerly Kiev), I already had my boarding pass, which was verified by security staff once I arrived at Almaty’s international airport.
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Here, the airline’s business class passengers have access to a curious lounge where the seating is comfortable but all beverages, save for coffee and water, and all snacks are charged for. Travellers are better off grabbing a seat in the main departure hall, where a handful of cafes offer better value and great people watching. For those who like a great deal, the duty-free shop here is also very impressive.
When the evening boarding time arrived, guests made their way down one level to the departure gate 1A for the bus trip across the snow-covered apron to the Air Astana A320-200. As with previous experiences we’re had with boarding remote aircraft at this airport, boarding from the bus was a chaotic free-for-all, but I was soon on board and being welcomed by beaming crew with a glass of Taittinger champagne, a newspaper, and a stylish amenity kit with a toothbrush and toothpaste, eye mask, earbuds and socks, in a Radley leather case.
The Seat
There are 16 seats in Air Astana’s A320 business class seat, a fairly standard configuration for the narrow-body jet. On this 4-hour 50-minute evening flight west to Kyiv, the cabin was approximately 50 per cent full, meaning I had two seats to myself. The seats themselves, while comfortable, are also fairly standard; wide (21 inches), thick and comfortable, they offer plenty of legroom (37-inch pitch), a decent recline, universal AC power points on the armrest, and a small shelf for drinks that pulls out of the centre console. The seats are dressed in deep blue leather and feature rather old-fashioned IFE controls in one armrest, a throwback to the days of plane-wide radio channels, and seat position levers on the other.
Entertainment
The seat lacks an IFE system but as with the other Air Astana flights we’ve taken, crew handed out tablets and headphones soon after takeoff, offering passengers access to approximately 50 movies, games and television shows, with the tablets able to be slung from a strap on the seatback in front.
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While the Air Astana A320 business class product may lack the elegance of the airline’s product on the 767 or the glam of the 757 product, it’s still a very comfortable option for jetting around the Central Asia region.
Dining
Soon after takeoff, the crew began the dinner service. The meal began with an appetizer of smoked duck breast with apricot and walnut soft cheese, baba ghanoush and pomegranate gems. While it might sound like an odd medley, it worked, with the duck perfectly cooked, its richness at once accentuated by the cheese and offset by the fruit. This was followed by a marinated beetroot and carrot salad, which was fresh and zesty.
Our choice of mains included chicken biryani garnished with fried onion, roasted cashew nuts, and mint yoghurt; slow-cooked oriental beef with egg noodles, baked vegetables, and steamed asparagus; char-grilled Dorada fillet with citrus-cream sauce, and sautéed Mediterranean vegetables; and eggplant Parmigiana with tomato-basil sauce and shaved Parmesan cheese. The beef with noodles was a little lacking in flavour but the meal presentation was first class, as was the wine pairing, with cabin crew suggesting the Royal Reserve Saperavi Chelti from Georgia, a deep rich read drop from the birthplace of wine.
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For dessert guests were offered a choice of spiced carrot and ginger cake; triple chocolate mousse; or seasonal fruit, but instead I opted for the selection of cheeses, including Camembert, Danish blue, and red cheddar, which were served with an apricot paste and sesame crispbread.
Service
As with all previous Air Astana flights we’ve taken, the truly stand-out element is always the service. You’d think a relatively small airline like Air Astana would struggle to maintain service standards but it’s actually the opposite – crew were immaculately presented, well-trained, well-informed and, unlike the staff of many of the major players, especially in Asia, were warm, receptive and engaging rather than robotic, harried and ambivalent. This makes shorter flights like Almaty to Kyiv, when the hardware is less a factor, a true pleasure.
What We Loved
Apart from the service, the dining on Air Astana is always a great expression of the destinations the airline serves, with its menus and wine lists laced with tastes of Central Asia.
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What We Didn’t
The cabin temperature was quite high, which is often the case with airline’s operating in cold weather (Almaty was blanketed in snow when we left). Elements of the airport experience, including the lounge and boarding process, could be improved, although these are currently out of the airline’s hands.
Summary
Air Astana, with its world-class service and ever-expanding network, makes travel to the fascinating countries and emerging economies of Central Asia, easier than ever.
Air Astana Almaty to Kyiv in business class from US$820 per person.