Gulf Air Business Class: A Review

Booking Gulf Air Business via Aeroplan

When I started looking for flights from Dubai to Paris, I knew I wanted to look for Business class award availability because it would be a longer flight. I started with a Google search to see which airlines flew that route and then I started searching individual airline websites. This was before I knew about websites like point.me. As a family of 4, finding 4 business class seats on the same flight can be a challenge. I searched Emirates, United, Air France, and several others. Eventually I searched on Air Canada, after I remembered they have an extensive partner network. I was hoping I'd find something and I was in luck! I actually found award availability for business class in Gulf Air and Egypt Air for this route. Ultimately, after researching both airlines, I decided to book the Gulf Air flight. The flight cost 36,000 points and $193.75 in taxes and fees each for a total of 144,000 Aeroplan points and $775 in taxes and fees. The cash value of that flight at the time of booking was $8832 for a 5.6 cent/Aeroplan point value! I was stoked to find this availability and get such a great point redemption! As this would be an overnight business class flight, we knew we could get enough sleep in the lie flat seats to hit the ground running for our day in Paris!

The Plane

We flew the A321neo plane from Dubai to Bahrain and then Bahrain to Paris. While this is not Gulf Air's most premium business class product, I was still impressed. The seat arrangement for this narrow body plane is a 2-2 configuration. For our family of 4, it was perfect, but as a solo traveler, not having direct aisle access could be an issue for some travelers. For us, it was PERFECT!

The Seat

Gulf Air has installed the Collins Aerospace Diamond seat on its A321neos, which is a very comfortable and spacious seat for a single-aisle aircraft. The seat is 21 inches wide and has a pitch of 45 inches, which means plenty of legroom and recline. The seat also converts into a fully flat bed, which is a rare feature on narrow-body planes. The seat has a large touchscreen monitor, a personal reading light, a universal power outlet, a USB port, and ample storage space. We strategically planned this flight overnight so we could sleep and arrive in Paris rested to make the most of our 1-day stopover there! Shortly after takeoff from Bahrain, the crew offered to make our beds and we all eagerly accepted the offer. The lie flat seats were more than comfortable and all of us were able to get about 5 hours of sleep. Our only complaint was that the flight was too short and we would've loved a few extra hours of bliss in the comfort of Gulf Air's business class!

The Verdict

I was very impressed by Gulf Air's business class product on the 787-9. The seat was comfortable, the service was attentive and courteous, the food was tasty and satisfying, the entertainment was diverse and enjoyable, and the amenities were generous and useful. I would definitely fly with Gulf Air again and recommend it to anyone looking for a premium experience in the Middle East.

Comment below if you've ever flown Gulf Air Business Class or if you are hoping to try it out some day!

The Lounges

The lounge in Dubai was honestly lackluster. One plus was that it was not crowded at all. They also offered free Wi-Fi, a limited drink selection, and a limited buffet dinner. We did find enough to eat that it saved us buying anything in the airport, but it definitely wasn't our favorite lounge and isn't one we are looking forward to returning to anytime in the future.

On the contrary, the lounge in Bahrain was quite impressive. As this is their hub, I wouldn't expect any less. The lounge is spacious, beautiful, and very comfortable. The food was plentiful, delicious, and covered a wide variety of tastes and preferences including a variety of items such as pizza, hummus, curries, and ice cream. They also had a bar and a vast variety of beverages. There were lounge chairs, free Wi-Fi, newspapers, magazines, TVs, showers, and a business center. They also had a billiard table which our kids enjoyed playing. I highly recommend checking out this lounge if you are in Bahrain and flying Gulf Air!

The Service

The crew on our flight were very friendly and attentive, and they made us feel welcome from the moment we boarded. They offered us a choice of welcome drinks, hot towels, newspapers, and amenity kits. They also took our meal order before takeoff and asked us about our preferences for drinks and snacks. The service was efficient but not rushed, and the crew always checked on us to see if we needed anything.

The Food

Because this was an overnight flight, we weren't too interested in the food. We were really more focused on getting sleep that the meal offerings. After take-off they did offer a light snack (a sandwich of some sort I believe, but we all declined). They did serve breakfast before arrival in Paris and it was delicious. We had the waffles with fruit compote served with fresh fruit and a pastry. The portions were generous and the presentation was elegant. The food was served on china plates with metal cutlery and linen napkins. The drink selection was also impressive, with a variety of juices, soft drinks, wines, beers, and spirits.

Recently we flew from Dubai to Paris in Gulf Air's Business Class and I would fly it again in a heartbeat. The service was great, the lie flat seats very comfortable, and the value for miles spent was amazing!

Let's get into the details.

The Entertainment

The entertainment system on this flight was excellent, with a large selection of movies, TV shows, music, games, and podcasts. The screen was responsive and easy to use, and the sound quality was good. The system also had a live map and flight information feature, which I always enjoy watching. The plane also had Wi-Fi, which was reasonably fast and reliable.

The Amenities

Gulf Air provides business class passengers with a nice amenity kit that contains skincare products from Aigner, as well as a dental kit, an eye mask, earplugs, socks, and a comb. The kit comes in a fun decorative pouch with a picture of a horse that can easily be repurposed after the trip.