Right across Asia, many of the large carriers garner a lot of the attention when it comes to travelling in style, yet there are a few hidden gems and one of them is Sri Lankan Airlines, which flies to Colombo from across the globe, including London and Sydney, as James Wilkinson discovers.

Colombo-based Sri Lankan has been a rising star for years when it comes to flying to Asia, South Asia and beyond and for those who like to travel in style, the carrier has a formidable Business Class offering that includes excellent cuisine, flatbed seats and top-notch entertainment.

Sri Lankan’s business class is headlined by the comfortable and spacious ‘Cirrus’ seats on offer, which are laid-out in a 1-2-1 configuration and are a similar style to what you’ll find on fellow oneworld carriers American Airlines and Cathay Pacific.

The Business Class cabin on the A330-300 features 28 lie-flat seats and they have a pitch of 77-79 inches and a width of 21 inches.

You’ll find a number of storage spaces around the seats, which all have direct aisle access, plus charging ports and inflight entertainment is available on 15.4-inch screens that feature 50 TV channels, 120 movies from Hollywood and Bollywood, an extensive library of audio albums, radio channels and games.

The cabin also has relaxing mood lighting and on selected aircraft, night sky displays adding to the sleeping experience, alongside an Aigner amenity kit which includes essential cosmetics and toiletry items.

When it comes to dining onboard, Sri Lankan offers a delectable choice of meals, which can be pre-ordered on flights from Colombo.

Highlights include the local Sri Lankan dishes, including a Kandyan-style five spice chicken curry with steamed basmati rice, carrot and leek curry, Malay pickle and fish cutlet; a Sri Lankan fish curry accompanied by cashew and pea curry, brinjal pahi and vegetable fried rice; and Lamb biryani with mirchi baingan ka salan and mint chutney, garnished with nuts and raisins.

You’ll also find an excellent selection of dishes for breakfast, including a Traditional Sri Lankan one that features Kiribath or Milk Rice, a rice dish cooked using coconut milk, paired with Fish ambul thial Sri Lankan style and ‘Seeni Sambal’, an onion preparation simmered in tamarind, sugar and spices.

Another excellent option is a savoury omelette topped with creamed leek and corn, accompanied with rösti potato, creamed spinach in tomato cup, pan seared chicken, cheese and onion sausage.

LOUNGING AROUND IN COLOMBO

Sri Lankan’s Business Class starts at the airport, where travellers will find priority check-in at the silk route and complimentary access to the Serendib Lounge of Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo.

The Serendib Lounge, available for the carrier’s valued premier customers, is located on the first floor of the departure hall at Bandaranaike International Airport and it overlooks the aircraft gates at the terminal.

With a seating capacity for 80 people and dining capacity for 20, the lounge features places to relax, work and dine and it features a buffet, wines, beers, spirits, coffee and tea.

Overall, the carrier offers a delightful experience for business travellers and is a fantastic alternative when heading to key destinations in Asia, South Asia and globally.