Air India 787-9 Business Class Review: Mumbai to Frankfurt Experience

I recently flew Air India’s redesigned Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in Business Class on the Mumbai–Frankfurt sector. The aircraft features Air India’s new bespoke cabin interiors, updated amenities, and refreshed service offerings. This review covers the entire journey from the ground experience at Mumbai T2 to the onboard product, food, entertainment, and crew service.

Booking

• Flight: AI2027
• Route: BOM – FRA
• Flight Duration: ~9 hrs
• Cabin & Seat: Business Class, 3K
• Seat Configuration: 1-2-1
• Equipment: Boeing 787-9 (new design)
• Month of Journey: Feb 2026

I booked this ticket using KrisFlyer miles rather than Aeroplan points, preserving my more valuable Aeroplan balance. The redemption cost was about 68,000 KrisFlyer miles plus 3,500 INR in taxes, which covered a connecting segment from BLR.

Lounge

At Mumbai T2 I accessed the Adani Lounge (West Wing). The seating and layout are comfortable, but the food selection and replenishment are inconsistent. During a roughly 45-minute stay I noticed items such as fruit and juice were not refreshed promptly. For variety and better catering, other lounges in Bengaluru and Chennai felt stronger in my experience. I kept my visit brief and relied on the Air India app notifications while waiting for the flight.

Cabin

Air India’s new cabin looks modern and well considered. Materials and finishes feel clean and contemporary, and ambient lighting—especially the seat lamps—creates a pleasant mood when dimmed. The seat itself balances lounging and working needs: the dining/work table is wide and reaches to a comfortable position, and storage is sensible for a long-haul Business Class product.

One downside on my flight was that the sliding door was not operational, which reduced privacy. When active, the door should improve the private-suite feel, but on this sector it remained disabled.

Amenities

Air India provided Forest Essentials amenity kits on this flight, a welcome upgrade from the previous Ferragamo kits. The kit includes useful skincare items and felt premium; I appreciated the change. That said, the moisturizer volume felt modest compared with some competitors that offer separate body and face lotions in larger portions. A refreshed pouch color would also be a nice cosmetic improvement.

Food & Drinks

The welcome service included drinks and warm nuts. I chose an apple mocktail that was surprisingly refreshing; the nuts were warm but not as crisp as I would have liked. Over the roughly nine-hour flight there were two service rounds: a full main meal shortly after takeoff and a lighter refreshment around two hours before landing. I pre-selected an Asian Vegetarian Meal for the flight.

The three-course main was well prepared and presented. Portions were appropriate and the flavours were satisfying for an aircraft meal. The pre-landing refreshment also felt substantial and thoughtfully plated.

Overall, the catering impressed me more than typical expectations. Air India’s food service remains a strong point and on this flight it stood out positively compared with several other carriers I’ve flown recently.

Wi-Fi & IFE

Wi-Fi was not functional on this sector, which was disappointing for a 2026 long-haul flight. The inflight entertainment system itself was solid: a high-quality display, comfortable screen size, and a decent content selection. A wireless charging pad is fitted at the seat, although its placement required reaching to the right and felt slightly awkward.

I experienced an audio fault with my original seat where sound came through only one earpiece. Cabin crew offered an alternative seat, which I accepted; this allowed me to use two different seats during the flight.

Sleep Quality

The fully flat bed was comfortable for sleeping and resting. The 787’s cabin environment—improved pressure and humidity compared with older aircraft—made the cabin feel fresher, and I found sleep quality to be good. One minor limitation was the entry space to the seat, which felt a bit narrow when getting in and out.

Crew & Service

Cabin crew exemplified warm Indian hospitality: attentive, polite, and genuinely caring. Their service made a meaningful difference to the onboard experience and, in my view, matches the high standards often associated with top Asian carriers.

Bottom Line

• Cardexpert Rating: 4.8/5

Air India’s new 787-9 Business Class is a clear improvement and reflects the airline’s broader transformation. Highlights include a comfortable seat, attractive cabin design, strong catering, and excellent crew service. A few areas for refinement remain—functional sliding doors, reliable Wi-Fi, and small amenity tweaks—but overall the product is competitive with leading international carriers. With consistent execution and more aircraft of this standard, Air India is well positioned to challenge other global operators.