Air Astana

Almaty to Bangkok return. Everything ran on time (slightly ahead of time actually) and service was up to the usual AA high standards. I was offered a free upgrade to Business Class on the return (overnight) trip which was very much appreciated - I slept solidly throughout the journey and felt surprisingly fresh on arrival.

ALA-BKK on 13th February 2013 returning on 17th February 2013. Offered a business class upgrade on boarding. The flat bed seats were brilliant for an overnight flight as was the meal drinks selection and level of customer service. A relaxing journey which went quickly due to the level of comfort and service. On the return journey I was in the economy seat I had originally purchased. I slept almost all the way and with my seat fully reclined I was able to stretch my legs out fully. There was certainly more legroom available than on other airlines I have flown into and out of Almaty and Kazakhstan itself. The meal was a lovely Thai chicken curry. The service was great and the drinks trolley was always in service.

PEK-ALA-SVO. Both flights arrived on time. Good food and excellent alcohol selection. Service friendly and efficient. PEK-ALA on 767 and ALA-SVO on 321 old but well maintained. Generous legroom. No individual entertainment. Overall very good value for money.

Return flight from KL to ALA was in complete contrast to the previous flight down. On time crew very friendly and professional. Food and service was very good. After the debacle of the previous flight the agent in KL met me at the gate to again apologise. He had been very helpful previously. I also received an e-mail from the company's senior operations manager who went to lengths to apologise and explain. I do feel this is more than most airlines would do to follow up. This does give confidence that the airline is focussed on continuous improvement. The entertainment unit also had more movies loaded and this kept me fully occupied and well entertained for the flight. However suffice to say that the experience on the return journey was a good one with very good service and perfectly on time with the plane unloading from an air bridge on arrival making unloading of the 767 much more efficient.

Flight Almaty - Bishkek December 9th 2012. Horrible experience! All passengers boarded as scheduled by 10pm. Due to weather conditions we were informed we would have to wait. We were kept on the plane from 9.30pm until 4.30am. No reliable info provided by the staff/pilot. No food provided. At 4.30am we were asked to leave the plane and return to the terminal where we were informed that the flight was cancelled and the next one would be in 2 days. Ground staff rude and incompetent. No-one cared to provide us with snacks and hot beverages.

Long delay in departing Almaty bound for KL. Perfect weather although no real excuse given. On boarding more than 2 hours late and by bus from the terminal to the aircraft which caused more delay we sat on the ground for a further 30 mins while a drunken passenger was off-loaded. At least half the flights I have taken with Air Astana have been delayed by hours not just minutes. On-board I asked the cabin crew to see if the connecting flight would be held or if other arrangements needed to be made. Their reply was that 'we will call ground staff and let you know'. The second time was 'we will talk to the captain' the third time was the same answer. On my fourth request I was then told that we have other passengers who are all going to be late. I was travelling on an Air Astana ticket and there was no concern or accountability shown toward this situation. T Arriving in KL with just 10 minutes to spare for the connection on Malaysia Airlines of course we could not board. 767 used on this route is very old although has had some face-lifts. Seats are narrow for business class seats and they are not lay flat they are "lay on an angle and keep sliding down" seats. The entertainment system is an IPAD style of portable unit. This only had a choice of three last release movies and at the end of the day there is nowhere to put it where you might consider ergonomically sensible to watch it. I would recommend that you definitely leave a minimum of 5 hours for your connections because they will most likely be late!

KC907/8 DEL-ALA-DEL on Y class. The Flex fare reasonably priced. Check in both at DEL and ALA was good. Minimal waiting times and the staff were very professional. Board process was ok. Slightly let down by the fact that we were bussed to aircraft and made to board via steps in the rain. Both flights were on well kept clean A320s. Flights were relatively empty so I had 3 seats to myself. Cabin Crew were pleasant and professional. Food and Drink was tasty well presented appropriate for route and time of day. IFE from drop down screens were a bit of a disappointment and hard to follow. Better off bringing a book. Punctual departure and arrival. Would fly again and recommend to others.

ALA-TSB - Emb 190 Business. Early morning business flight. All on time and aircraft full on this relatively new route. Crew were friendly and breakfast was very nice. Departure formalities from Almaty are confusing and bizarre with no priority for business class at any stage apart from check in. No Air Astana staff to guide you through the complexities rather there are hawkers trying to make some cash who are more of a hindrance. Lounge is horrid not even 2* let alone 4*. No priority boarding for business class. Hand held TV offered but I didn't use it. Would happily fly Air Astana again.

TSE-CIT-ALA. A couple of internal Kazak flights. All on time. Clean and comfortable. Leg room good on both flights. Crews fine but seemed to be little interest in standard health and safety (eg phones ringing in flight people walking around the aircraft during taxi). Did a good job but not a 4* airline!

Service was good provide travel kits headsets entertainment programs excellent but during boarding I was frustrated by rude attitude of flight attendants one flight attendant gave us instructions about emergency exits we set in front and two other crew came to me and asked me if I was instructed or not about emergency exit because I had small bag in my hands. She raised her voice was very aggressive didn't ask me but said firmly that I must change my seat. Then went away to business class returned with flight attendant-supervisor who said it was ok for me to keep my bag in my hands and was very sorry about this situation. I think the crew need more training (working with passengers and working in a team).