Braniff

I just recently flew Gulf Air for the first time in Business from Paris to Manila via Bahrain. They do some things very well, others less so. I thought I’d share my experiences.

The Good

—Very good seats. Even on the A321 Neo used on the Paris leg. Ajax seat on the 787 is the best seat for sleeping that I have experienced - I think having a window seat is essential though to truly enjoy it.
—Very responsive crew
—Quality pyjamas offered on both legs (including daytime flight From Europe).
—Turndown service on the 787 with mattress provided for seat.
—Good choice of in-flight entertainment options
—Bahrain hub outstanding (modern, small and manageable)


The Bad

—Quality of main courses on both flights was abysmal whereas the starters, desserts and snacks were fantastic. The main course was the only one heated - one can only conclude that they do not do that properly
—Beverages are served at a considerable lag after the meal.
—Menu printed on flimsy paper
—Meals served on a tray with no tablecloth
—No cloth napkins. Small, scruffy thin paper ones instead. Useless as bib !
—Terrible reservation call centers, Internet and App

It would take so little to fix many of these issues that it should be easily manageable. Gulf Air could be a truly great airline.

Their lounge in Bahrain is a case in point. It does not feel like a luxury lounge although there is nothing wrong with it per se. There is something with the decor and the organization and style of service that is lacking. It is also in sharp contrast with the rest of Bahrain Airport where clearly no expenses have been spared !

I close with a picture of their updated amenity kits. The horse is gone !

Thank you for reading…

Braniff

flightcrew1

Thanks the very clear review. I just booked business class from BKK to Rome and out of Milan for October and the european sectors using the A321 neos as well. I was a bit wary of booking Gulf business as I usually fly Finnair, Qatar or British to Europe as I'm One World, but the are was like a 1000 euro cheaper round trip so I'm ready to give it a try.

Thanks again the review.

arabiamark

I have to agree with most of your review. I was also on the BAH-MNL leg recently. And like flightcrew1 I was a refugee from the too high Oneworld fares so decided to give Gulf a try.

I agree that the business class seat is nice and restful. I did manage to get a window seat when it mattered, the outbound to Manila which is overnight. The return is all daytime so I didn't feel much like sleeping anyway so being on the aisle wasn't so bad. I was also pleased to get pajamas. It saves your clothes for after you arrive and it's also good better to have pajamas on if you have a food mishap. I thought the food was adequate but it's just a fact of life nowadays that present day business class food is about the same as economy class food of a couple of decades ago. And in my case there was a tablecloth and cloth napkins so I guess YMMV.

I wasn't so impressed with the in-flight entertainment. But luckily I'm easy to please about movies and music. But honestly it wasn't that impressive of a selection. As for beverages, I noticed that after the meal service was done nothing was offered except for water or juice just before landing. I think you just have to ask for it, as unsatisfying as that may be for premium class.

The new terminal is bigger and shiny. For the outbound there was quite a long transfer security line after my comically short Dammam-Bahrain connector flight. It was so far back and crowded that you were blocked off from even having access to the fast track security. They need to try to keep a lane open for that. I ended up just waiting for a while then slithering my way through. I think this will be the norm for most evenings and early am times which are the rush hour for airports around here.

I also agree that the lounge was a bit of a missed opportunity. It's nice enough for now but with a new terminal and acres of space you have to think they could have done better. The food options are nice and extensive enough and I like the bar area. Smokers will be glad to know that there's a spacious outdoor smoking deck, although this time of year isn't the best for enjoying it. The real fail here is the bathroom and shower. It's kind of shabby in general. And there's only one shower that looked like it was added as an afterthought after the last toilet stall. The shower stall doesn't have it's own toilet so you have to go back out and do that business separately. Also the only place to get a towel is by going all the way back to the reception desk and asking for one. Didn't anybody at this airline scout around and see how their neighbor GCC airlines handle this? I see that with my AMEX card I can get into the airside hotel for a sleeping pod. I hope that comes with a better shower setup.

flightcrew1

Thanks arabiamark for that further review on GF. I read that about the pajamas even on the day flights which is great as I always change anyways. The security sounds like what Etihad used to be like before having someone direct people. The shower I'm surprised about and also saw someone on a youtube describe it looking like a gym locker room. The best showers recently I used was in Helsinski after arriving from Bangkok. The new/renovated lounge is amazing. I'm still looking forward to trying GF as it hard to justify QR when the price is so much more.

Ijones027

Can anyone recommend wy on a a330 old j and another flight of 787 or gulf air 787 and second flight on a321neo?
and can anyone explain the flight from mxp to bah with a stop on fco can't even find it on Google?

DudeImGolden

I recently flew gulf air as well. First from AUH to BAH on the A320 and then on the 787 to BKK via Singapore. The hard product on both planes is great, especially the A320 in regional setup! However, they left a lot to be desired on the soft product front. even the seats looks like they were starting to fall apart and my recline was very temperamental on the 787...

As for the Bahrain airport, it's quite nice and shiny! The lounge is nice and has a pool table which is quite fun, however the meal service doesn't look like they have many made to order dishes anymore and it's mostly buffet now aside from the pasta station and a few pizza options.

Overall, i would say gulf air is a solid choice, especially for award bookings. But when compared to the other gulf carriers Etihad, Emirates, Qatar, and even Oman Air) it falls short. Id also rather fly Singapore or even Thai Airways (maybe) instead but still not a bad experience by any means

DudeImGolden

The same thing occured with security to me. Except for the fact they had the fast track lane secured, but everyone just filled both lanes and then waited to head to the left once called upon. I tried getting around people but it was so packed that was an impossible feat and I ended up just waiting for 20 minutes untill i could get through and then turned right towards fast track... That set me off in the wrong foot with gulf air and I don't think they ever really recovered. I asked for a comforter and blanket 3 times on my overnight flight and they kept forgetting, eventually i fell asleep without it. Food and beverage were slow and not great either although the hard product was pretty awesome