SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier of Sri Lanka, operates as a Oneworld alliance member connecting travellers across Asia, Australia and beyond. Despite financial challenges in recent years, the airline delivers hospitable in-flight service and a comfortable product, particularly on routes bridging the Middle East and Indian subcontinent.
The main drawback? The outdated hub airport in Colombo offers only average facilities for departing and transit passengers. Still, this small but mighty carrier moves significant passenger traffic throughout the region. If you’re flying SriLankan, here’s how to make the most of your journey.
The airline’s network
SriLankan operates a limited long-haul network to London, Paris, and Frankfurt in Europe, plus northeast Asian cities like Tokyo and Oceania destinations including Melbourne, and Sydney. The bulk of its flying focuses on regional routes within a few hours of Colombo.
Regional destinations span the Indian subcontinent and Middle East (Abu Dhabi, Chennai, Dhaka, Doha, Dubai, Karachi, Kathmandu, Kuwait City, Mumbai, Riyadh), and southeast Asia (Bangkok, Jakarta, Singapore, among others).
This geographic positioning is exactly why Oneworld brought SriLankan into the alliance, bridging the gap between the Middle East and Asia where the group needed coverage. The airline also maintains codeshare partnerships with multiple carriers, including Oneworld members like Qatar Airways, and others such as Oman Air.
Many SriLankan flights operate as codeshares for other Oneworld partners, giving it access to more global passengers whilst letting regional travellers make shorter connections than backtracking to other alliance hubs.
A small fleet for SriLankan Airlines
SriLankan Airlines operates an all-Airbus fleet of 23 aircraft (10 A330s and 13 A320/A321s) across its network. The widebody A330s feature flat-bed seats with direct aisle access in business class and 2-4-2 in economy, whilst narrowbody planes offer 2-2 up front and 3-3 in the back.
This generous seating configuration makes the aircraft particularly comfortable because business class passengers always have direct aisle access. Some of the newer A320 and A321neo aircraft offer wireless in-flight entertainment, whilst others have seatback screens (availability varies by configuration). Onboard Wi-Fi is available for a fee on A330-300s and A320/321neo aircraft, subject to availability. All A330s also have seatback screens, whilst only the oldest planes lack entertainment.
You’ll see SriLankan’s logo frequently at Male airport in the Maldives, just south of Sri Lanka, where it offers several daily flights to the island paradise.
Inflight service
SriLankan hospitality is excellent. The majority of my flights have had friendly crews who deliver service that reflects the regional focus of the airline. The airline caters to a largely regional clientele, so if you enjoy South Asian cuisine, you’re in luck. If you want to guarantee a particular option (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or diabetic-friendly), I recommend ordering a special meal at least 48 hours before departure.
For a country famous for its tea, I appreciate the wide selection available in business class. My favourite is the Ceylon Earl Grey, served from a small pot on a silver tray left at your seat. Small details like that make a big impression and showcase the thoughtful service you’ll find onboard.
Navigating its hub airport in Colombo
The airline’s primary hub is Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. The airport dates back several decades, and its slightly awkward layout has made it less attractive for connections compared to other modern hubs in the region.
The airport is building a new terminal, which promises to give the hub a much-needed upgrade and make transfers a more pleasant experience. Until then, travellers have to go through security control at each individual gate. This means you need to be at your gate much earlier than normal, and leave behind any water bottles or other liquids you might be carrying.
The new terminal will also have a gate accessible for the A380. This could introduce more competition from carriers like Emirates or Etihad, who could then bring their biggest aircraft to the market.
For now, flights depart from a mix of jet bridges, and bus gates. Between flights, passengers can check out shops, lounges, and duty-free areas in the airport. There’s also the Serenediva Transit Hotel for those with long connections, but I’ve slept on the lounge sofas overnight many times without a problem.
SriLankan Airlines lounges
The airport has two lounges for the airline, plus several other facilities the airport operates. The Serendib Lounge is SriLankan’s main lounge, with seating for 80 and dining capacity for 20, and for a flagship facility, it’s surprisingly disappointing.
While the staff tries their best, and the hot buffet is tasty, the quality of the furnishings is poor. I usually pick this lounge because it’s easier to find than the others, and has some natural light.
The Serenediva Lounge is designed primarily for top-tier customers, and business class passengers on short-haul flights, and is truly compact. You’ll be dodging other people’s suitcases as you search for a seat. It has no windows or natural light, but it does offer a few choices for hot food, and refreshments.
When transiting through Colombo, I usually opt for one of the Priority Pass-accessible lounges because they tend to have more light and better food choices. That said, their furnishings are often just as worn. Let’s hope this all gets a refresh when the new terminal opens.
Some helpful hints when flying SriLankan
There are a few pointers that can save you money, time and stress when flying the national airline of Sri Lanka.
Take advantage of its location and the competition
One of my favourite tips for travellers heading to the Maldives involves SriLankan’s frequent flights to the destination. Finding award seats to the Maldives can be tough, but it’s often easier to find a redemption to Colombo using your miles. Once you’re there, you can buy one of the many cheap tickets for the one-hour hop over to the Maldives.
Not only does SriLankan fly the route, but it also competes with other airlines that operate fifth-freedom flights, where they can sell tickets between two international points. These include carriers like Gulf Air, and Emirates, which fly between Colombo and Malé, often undercutting the prices of the national carrier. It’s a great way to save both cash and frequent flyer miles.
Just remember to leave enough time between flights. Since you’ll be on separate tickets, many airlines won’t transfer your checked bags. You’ll likely have to go to baggage claim, retrieve them, and recheck them for your new flight.
Oneworld redemptions aren’t always easy to find
Don’t rely on Oneworld partner websites to show you every available frequent flyer redemption on SriLankan. I suggest calling the airline where you have your miles, and asking an agent to search specifically for flights on SriLankan if it fits your travel plans.
For example, I know that the American website doesn’t always show all available award seats on SriLankan, but the British Airways website might. It’s best to call your main airline and have them check flight by flight. I’ve often uncovered some great redemptions this way that weren’t obvious at first, just by calling American, where I keep most of my miles.
Bid for an upgrade
If you buy a cheap economy ticket on SriLankan, check out its bid-for-upgrade programme. On the website for the airline, you can use an offer slider to choose how much you’re willing to pay for an upgrade to business class per segment. The site will indicate if your bid is likely too low.
Out of the dozen or so flights I’ve taken on SriLankan, very few have been full. This means that even a low-ball bid might get you an upgrade, depending on your appetite for risk. I typically bid just a little above the lowest option, and have only missed out once.
It’s a great way to sit up front for a bargain, even when you can’t find a mileage redemption. If you don’t want to pay for an upgrade, you can always pre-book an extra-legroom seat in economy for an additional fee.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up to date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
