A short flight, but still a full Business Class experience
From the very beginning, this short Air India flight, AI 2478, has always had a bit of an improvised feel to it — a Lounge bursting at the seams, a welcome drink whose taste surprises more than it impresses, and yet, in the midst of it all, that quiet grin as, for just a few euros more, we’re sitting in a truly comfortable Business Class seat. Air India manages to create a surprisingly pleasant atmosphere on board with few frills, while outside the coastline heading toward Mumbai rolls by. Read our in-depth review to find out what really stands out from this short trip.
Review #135
| Departure – Scheduled (actual) | May 28, 2026, 14:55 (15:31) |
| Arrival – Scheduled (actual) | May 28, 2026, 16:30 (16:31) |
| Flight time – scheduled (actual) | 1:35 (0:59) |
| Delay | 36 minutes upon departure 1 minute upon arrival |
| Aircraft Type (Aircraft Registration) | A320 neo (VT – EXG) |
| Travel Class | Business |
| Seats | 2A & 2C |
Content
Getting Here
You won’t be able to get an Uber or Ola for the ride to Dabolim Airport — those services simply aren’t available in Goa. So your only options for getting there are a taxi or the government-run GoaMiles app, which you can use to book a ride in advance. Of course, a private transfer or one arranged by your hotel is also an option.
Depending on where you’re staying in Goa, the travel time varies significantly: From Panaji, it takes about 45 minutes; from Margao, closer to 30 minutes; and if your hotel is further south toward Palolem, you should expect it to take a good hour and a half to two hours. Public transportation is available, so you can, of course, also travel by bus. However, this is actually quite a hassle in Goa — especially if you’re traveling with suitcases.
We arrived at Goa Dabolim International Airport (GOI) about half an hour after leaving the Grand Hyatt Goa, thanks to a transfer arranged by the hotel. You can drive right up to the building, so you’ll reach the check-in area quickly.
Departure Airport
For a long time, Dabolim was Goa’s only gateway to the world, but the situation has changed significantly since then: Since the new Mopa Airport (GOX) in northern Goa opened in January 2023, the majority of international traffic has been routed through it, while GOI now primarily handles domestic flights and seasonal charter flights. So be sure to check which of the two airports is listed on your ticket — they’re located at opposite ends of Goa state.
The terminal itself, which has been in operation since December 2013, is pleasantly compact with eight passenger boarding bridges and handles both domestic and international flights under one roof — no terminal hopping, no satellite concourses.
In order to even enter the airport, all passengers must go through a security checkpoint at the entrance, where your luggage is screened and you must show your boarding pass.
Check-in
There are two dedicated check-in counters staffed by Air India personnel for Business Class passengers located in the check-in hall. Since we were the only passengers there, it was our turn right away — the process went rather quickly, and after just a few minutes, we were already holding our boarding passes and a handwritten invitation to the Lounge.
Security Check
After check-in, we went up a flight of stairs to a central security checkpoint, which was separated by gender — though this wasn’t communicated anywhere, which caused a bit of confusion for us at first. We accidentally lined up in the wrong line but were then directed to the other one. Overall, it was a bit chaotic until we figured out where to go and how everything worked, but everyone was very nice, and in the end, things moved along pretty quickly after all.
Lounge
We were really excited about the invitation to the Lounge, but the Travel Club Lounge — which is also a Priority Pass Lounge — was, unfortunately, a complete disaster. As the only lounge at GOI Airport, it had to accommodate all premium passengers as well as a number of other guests with access privileges. It was nowhere near big enough, and the lounge was absolutely packed.
It was already clear from the outside that it was going to get crowded inside, so some passengers were already getting a little frantic and trying to push their way to the front of the line at the reception desk. The women at the desk tried, with limited success, to keep the situation under control and check in all the guests as quickly as possible.
We were really lucky and managed to snag two seats that had just opened up, and grabbed some food from the buffet. I thought it was really delicious, but Fabi didn’t want to eat any of it. There wasn’t a private restroom in the lounge either — all guests had to use the public restroom next door. Admittedly, it was huge and pretty clean, but of course that caused even more chaos at the reception desk. So we decided pretty quickly to just go straight to the gate and wait there — which turned out to be a good decision.
Boarding
The atmosphere in the waiting area was very relaxed, with soothing music like in a spa and a pleasant breeze thanks to huge ceiling fans. Boarding was actually supposed to start a full hour before departure, but at that time, the previous flight was still being handled. With a delay of about 30 minutes, boarding began relatively spontaneously — first, a passenger who used a wheelchair boarded, followed by Business Class passengers as well as status members. As is typical with Air India, boarding is done in groups and proceeded in a fairly orderly manner.
Interestingly, check-in took place at Gate B, but the actual boarding gate was Gate 4 —we had to walk quite a while to get there and also go down three flights of stairs, where our boarding passes and security numbers were checked again. From there, we entered the boarding bridge and proceeded directly to the plane.
Welcome Aboard
Right after settling in to our seats we were served a welcome drink, which, unfortunately, tasted somewhat like beet juice with cream and, to be honest, didn’t really win us over flavor-wise. But it came with a refreshing towel and a smile.
Start & Routing
With a delay of just under half an hour, we took off in a 9-year-old A320neo departing from Goa, flying north along the coast before landing in Mumbai right on time after just one hour of flight time, including a few holding patterns.
Source: flightradar24.com
Cabin & Seats
The Business Class section on this Air India Airbus A320neo consists of the first two rows in a 2 – 2 configuration. Following that, the airline offers four rows of Premium Economy in a 3 – 3 seating arrangement, which provides slightly more legroom than the rest of the Economy Class. In total, this aircraft features 164 seats.
Initially we had originally booked an Economy Class ticket for this short flight, but right after we received our confirmation, we got an offer where the upgrade to Business Class cost just 46 euros per person. And as you know us — we jumped at the chance right away.
Source: aeroLOPA.com
The front Business Class section of the cabin was separated from the rest by a curtain, but otherwise the cabin was the same. Of course, there was plenty of overhead bin space — enough room for on board luggage for every seat.
The comfortable, wide seat features two armrests and a small tray for drinks in the center between the two seats. There is plenty of legroom and, of course, an adjustable headrest.
The backrest can be reclined, though the range of recline isn’t particularly wide. There’s also a built-in legrest, though it’s a bit difficult for taller people (over 1.80 m) to use — if you’re 1.90 m tall, you might as well skip using it — since the lower edge just presses uncomfortably into your calf. However, you can use the footrest attached to the front seat, which can be adjusted continuously.
Below the armrest in the middle section of both seats, you’ll find a storage compartment that also houses the power outlet with charging options. The front seat backrest also features storage compartments for magazines or similar items.
The pull-out table is located on each outer side of the seat. There’s also a pretty clever built-in feature that lets you use half of the table when it’s folded down — so you can write on the front section and prop up your mobile device on the back flap to watch TV shows or movies.
Entertainment
We thought it was quite a shame that Air India unfortunately doesn’t offer in-flight entertainment screens on this flight. All that was available was an in-flight magazine and instructions for the airline’s in-house streaming service, Vista Stream. There, you can watch movies, TV shows, listen to music, and play games online on your own device.
Amenities
There weren’t any special amenities on this short flight. The only thing waiting as we boarded was a pillow.
Food, Drinks & Snacks
For such a short flight, you don’t really need a big snack, but if it’s served warm, so much the better. We had two options to choose from, which weren’t listed on a menu but were simply asked about verbally. We could choose between chicken and veggie pasta and both went with the former. Served was a pulled-chicken baguette, which could have been filled a bit more generously and could have offered more in terms of flavor. It came with a piece of cake for dessert.
Restrooms
The restroom for Business Class is located at the front and appears to be exactly the same as all the others on the plane. The fact that Economy Class passengers also used it didn’t seem to bother anyone.
Service
The crew was generally nice and made a friendly effort, but they weren’t particularly proactive or visible in the cabin. They were more or less just professionally there. Other than that, the flight itself was rather uneventful and pleasantly quite.
Arrival
After a few loops and holding patterns, we landed at Mumbai airport in perfect weather, but after a rather long taxi ride, had to disembark using a portable passenger staircase and were taken to the terminal by bus.
As it turned out, although there is a passenger boarding bridge at Gate V8, it is apparently not used for regular flight operations.
Destination Airport
In Mumbai, you’ll land at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, or BOM for short — one of India’s largest and busiest airports, handling over 55 million passengers a year. Both international and most domestic flights operate out of the large Terminal 2, an architecturally elaborate building whose ceiling is adorned with thousands of iridescent elements reminiscent of peacock feathers — definitely an eye-catcher right after landing.
Because of the terminal’s size, the walk through it isn’t exactly short, but everything is well-signposted. Since October 2024, travelers can continue their journey also by Taking the metro (Aqua Line) directly from the terminal to the city.
The walk from the bus to the baggage carousel wasn’t too far, and the hall where the baggage carousels are lined up is nice and high and bright. It’s very well-organized and pleasantly designed, so you’ll find the carousel where your luggage is being put up pretty quickly. We did have to wait a little while, but after a quarter of an hour, we had our suitcases back in hand.
Departure and Onward Travel
As mentioned, you can take the metro from the airport, but of course you can also use one of the many ride-hailing services. These are clearly marked, but they’re not exactly just around the corner on foot. From here, we’re heading to the St. Regis Mumbai before checking in at the Four Seasons Mumbai for just a few hours and flying back to Frankfurt that same night in Lufthansa Business Class.
Conclusion
This short flight with Air India from Goa to Mumbai was decent. The Business Class cabin, with its great seats, is of course leagues ahead of all European airlines and really can’t be compared to any of them at all. The comfort it offers is a truly premium experience and always has me dreaming of being back there on the Frankfurt – Hamburg route! The service was okay, but far from great. And let’s not even get started on the lounge experience in Goa.
Points
We give this flight a solid 8 out of a possible 10 points.
One point off for the truly creepy lounge in Goa and another for the rather below-average service on board including the mediocre food offered.
Recommendation
We highly recommend flying this route in Business Class. Considering the relatively small price difference compared to Economy Class, we think the extra cost was absolutely worth it. Sure — the flight is very short — but the comfort of a true premium cabin with a real Business Class seat is truly great.
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YouTube Review
If you’d like to learn more about this flight, be sure to check out our great YouTube review.
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