Background

This was the first leg on a trip from Bangalore to Leh, Ladakh. The DEL-IXL leg trip report will be up soon if this one gets enough views. We booked Vistara because they offered a decent fare and the second leg had a reasonable arrival time into Leh. We stayed at the Ibis at Delhi Airport so we could catch the early morning flight to Leh the next day.




Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIqeNZ0Cx6Y

June 28th, 2017:

We checked in at the Vistara check-in counters and there was only a moderate crowd because this was the last of the 5 Vistara flights out of Bangalore for that day. The 9 pm departure meant that we would have to navigate the snaking security lines at Bangalore airport. Security checking in Indian airports involves a walk through eh metal detector followed by a manual scan with a handheld metal detector. This is complemented with a boarding pass stamp. This process is inefficient, time-consuming and redundant and always manages to yield an unpleasant experience. After security, it was straight to the gate because the delays led to us making it in time for the final boarding call.

The A320SL was completely full and we were allotted seats in row 14 which were next to the wing. This would come in handy as the effects of turbulence were less in that area. We took off 5th in the queue and took a sharp right turn to the north towards Delhi.

We were served a cup of mango juice right after takeoff which was followed by a full meal. The vegetarian meal consisted of a Biryani (flavored vegetable rice) and an Indian dessert which had cardamom and some dairy-based semi-solid in it. The non-veg option was a chicken biryani. The meal was served in a box and tea or coffee was served after the meal service. The meal tasted good except for the fact that the Biryani was a little too salty for my liking. The tea I had afterward wasn't too watery so it got a solid 8/10 from me.

Blankets were available on request so I took advantage of this so I could have a nice hour nap. This blanket was actually from the premium economy and they were the softest and thickest blankets I have ever received on a plane. Even long-haul blankets from renowned airlines like SQ and EK couldn't compete.

Before landing, there was an announcement from the flight deck which requested medical assistance. After some drama and a quick medical consultation, the crew determined that the man had a case of severe nausea and light-headedness which led to us being given priority clearance into a Delhi scattered with thunderstorms. We arrived with a 30-minute delay due to the congestion and the weather but that did not affect our plans because of our morning flight the next day.

I had a good experience with Vistara and I would recommend them over the other FSC's in India (9W and AI). They have an attentive and efficient cabin crew and their product is a significant step up from other Indian carriers. The blanket on this short 2.5hr flight really showed their attention to detail and desire to excel and this is why they have consistently been the top carrier in the region by leaps and bounds.



Previous trip reports:

Jet Airways, SIN-BLR: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1374593&p=19838559#p19838559

Cathay Pacific 747-400, HKG-HND: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1387423&p=20201661#p20201661

Emirates, DXB-MUC: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1400239&p=20595919#p20595919