BLR - PNQ
G8 283 - Airbus A320
Economy Class
The next morning I was back at the airport for my GoAir adventure, which was a pleasant surprise. Check in opened two hours before departure, though we were able to check in online and print our boarding passes at the automated kiosks beforehand. Having finally gotten the PNRs from the travel agent, I was able to select seats via the mobile app and pay with my US credit card, along with checking in online. The various options (seat selection, meal prebooking, luggage prepayment) were not available with the web interface.
At T-2, it was a quick wait to check our bags and then we were off to domestic security. Security in Bangalore moves fairly quickly, but does require removing laptops, mobile phones, e-readers, power banks (they’re really big on the power banks), etc.
After passing security, a right turn leads to the Above Ground and Plaza Premium lounges, which have separate entrances, but share a raised platform. I was able to try both, and my verdict is that the Above Ground had better food, while the Plaza Premium had a better beverage selection. For a ~6am departure, I was largely just looking for coffee, and the Plaza Premium lounge’s coffee day branded machine brewed the better cup. The bathrooms in both were clean and usable.
Once boarding began, it became clear that this was a bus gate. The buses moved fairly efficiently, and we were able to take off around the scheduled departure time. The legroom was larger than I was expecting, and the cabin was in good repair. The remote stand was a pain though, and in any event, I wouldn't want to spend more than two hours on this plane.
Although I had not pre-ordered any food, I attempted to order a Peri-Peri sub and coke zero onboard. GoAir has a somewhat extensive menu for purchase, but I was told that they were out of coke zero and I was given a chicken ham sub instead of the peri-peri sub without even being told. After a few bites, I figured it out. The bread is very poofy, with little filling. The menu was extensive, and I’ve provided photos below.
