Air Algerie A330-900neo Business Class Review Finds Service Short
A recent review of Air Algerie's business class on its Montreal to Algiers route reveals a disappointing experience marked by no meal choices, missing amenities, and indifferent service, despite the modern Airbus A330-900neo aircraft.
A passenger reviewing Air Algerie's business class on a flight from Montreal to Algiers paid a cash fare of $1,171. The journey on flight AH2701 took six hours and fifty minutes. The fare also covered a connecting flight from Algiers to Tunis on a wet-leased Airbus A320.
Boarding for the Montreal departure began at 3:20 p.m., ten minutes late. Business-class passengers boarded early. The inbound aircraft, 7T-VLB, wore a special livery celebrating Algeria's football team. The cabin was incredibly hot because the APU was broken. The flight eventually departed 25 minutes late, with the door closing at 4:35 p.m. versus a 4:10 p.m. scheduled departure.
Seat and cabin configuration
Air Algerie's Airbus A330-900neo business class cabin contains 30 seats arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration across eight rows. The seats are from the Stelia Aerospace Solstys line. The passenger was assigned seat 6A, a window seat on the left side in the third-to-last row.
| Specification | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Seat Pitch | 44 inches |
| Seat Width | 21 inches |
| Flat Bed Length | 77 inches |
Some aircraft in the A330neo fleet were formerly flown by Air Belgium.
In-flight service and amenities
Service was slow to start. The crew distributed warm towels first. Tablecloths were handed out 15 minutes later. The first course arrived another 10 minutes after that, roughly 50 minutes after takeoff. No menus were provided and passengers were given no meal choices. The first course was warm smoked salmon with egg and olives, which the reviewer said did not taste good. No alcohol or diet soda was available.
No amenity kits were provided. Pillows and blankets were available but not nicely presented. Headphones were passed out after takeoff and were described as economy-grade. The 16-inch touchscreen entertainment monitor lacked a map feature. The selection was described as lackluster, with about 100 movies and 36 TV shows. One available sitcom episode was the 2015 pilot of Fresh Off The Boat. Despite Wi-Fi hardware being installed on the ex-Air Belgium aircraft, no Wi-Fi was offered.
Power outlets included AC and USB-A ports underneath the seat. There was no USB-C or wireless charging. The cabin had no individual air nozzles above the seats and was kept warm. During boarding, a flight attendant responded to a lavatory request by saying "wait."The crew was described as indifferent, checking on people they knew while ignoring others."good morning." The takeoff roll was powerful. The captain performed an aggressive turn onto the runway, accelerating over 15 knots while turning 90 degrees. Sunset views were seen after takeoff.
The reviewer noted Air Algerie targets the local community with limited international connecting traffic. The airline has no useful mileage partners for earning or redeeming, making cash purchase the practical option except for its own frequent flyers. Despite the modern aircraft, the experience ranked among the worst in five million miles flown by the reviewer.
