Business Class to Kathmandu for the Price of Economy

Booked 11 months ago at end of schedule, I paid only $155 + 187,500 Air Canada Aeroplan points (which transfer 1:1 from American Express, Chase, and Capital One) to fly from Newark to Kathmandu in business class on Air India.  

If you're interested in leveraging points/miles for a trip like this, shoot me a message at wheelsupwithpoints@gmail.com and keep reading for a full review of the flight.

As part of Skyteam, Air India uses SAS's lounge in Newark, which was a nice respite away from the gate, with a light breakfast before our noon flight.

 Onboard our A350-900, we were greeted with fully enclosed business class suites.  This aircraft was originally ordered by Aeroflot but never delivered due to sanctions.

As opposed to Boeing's 787 Dreamliner which features Electrochromic windows, this airbus features dimming AND blackout electronically operated window shades.

This was much appreciated on a daytime flight to minimize glare during meals and maximize sleep in attempt to arrive refreshed. 

One unexpected touch was the addition of a small wardrobe to stow shoes and hang outerwear.

For lunch, we were offered a starter of grilled prawns with a tomatillo salsa, avocato, and pomegranate pearls.

To follow, I chose the Murg Korma served with tempered lentils, cucumber raita and papadum.

Once lunch service had finished, the flight crew dimmed the cabin lights and allowed us to rest on our 15 hour journey to Delhi.

Two hours before arrival, the crew offered breakfast service with a hearty omelet with sausage and veggies.

With only a 2 hour layover in Delhi, we briefly stopped in the Air India Maharaja lounge for a quick bite, but showers are also available to freshen up.

Complete with full bar, the lounge is expansive, with plenty of space to decompress in between flights.

Follow along for updates on the rest of our journey to Kathmandu and Bhutan, including views of Mount Everest and a hike to Tiger's Nest monastery.