Hello from India, as I have just finished my Turkmenistan Airlines journey. In the last update, I discussed my flight in Turkmenistan Airlines’ Boeing 777-300ER business class and my unusual transit experience at Ashgabat Airport (ASB).
In this entry, I aim to focus on my connecting flight in Turkmenistan Airlines’ Boeing 737-800 business class, on the 3hr5min journey from Ashgabat to Delhi (DEL). This flight was undeniably the more peculiar of the two. I was called out for taking photographs (understandably), the cabin was completely occupied, the aircraft momentarily turned back mid-flight, and the entire meal service was curious. Let me share some initial impressions, and shortly, I will provide a complete trip report.
Some observations about Turkmenistan Airlines 737 business class
Turkmenistan Airlines’ 737 business class offers a fair amount of comfort, featuring recliner seats arranged in a 2-2 layout, which may feel a bit more spacious than what you’d typically find in the US.
The selection of streaming entertainment was limited, and there was no Wi-Fi.
I had heard that Turkmenistan Airlines and Ashgabat Airport enforce a strict no-photography policy, yet I was not informed of this on the previous flight or at the airport, and I did not hear any announcements or notice any signs. I should also add that I was quite cautious while taking pictures to avoid being noticed, and it worked.
However, on this flight, I was “caught” almost immediately after boarding. I settled into my seat, and moments later, the lead flight attendant called out from the front of the cabin, “photos are not allowed.” Well, that complicates matters.
While my previous flight had been very empty, with just two other business class seats occupied, this flight was entirely different — every single seat onboard was filled. I found it particularly strange that I boarded at the beginning of the boarding process when business class was called. Yet, I must have enjoyed a private cabin for 30 minutes before all 15 other seats filled up at once.
Could these have been last-minute operational upgrades due to an oversold economy class, or do premium passengers in Turkmenistan prefer to board last? It was very peculiar. Additionally, I experienced a bit of confusion when, some time after takeoff, we executed a 180-degree turn and headed back toward Ashgabat.
I was concerned about what was occurring — had airspace closed, was there a maintenance problem, or something else?
Fortunately, just minutes later, we turned back in the opposite direction, as it appeared we had entered a rather broad holding pattern. I would be curious to discover the reason — is the airspace around Turkmenistan and Afghanistan that congested, or…?
The scenery in this region is absolutely stunning, particularly over Afghanistan.
Turkmenistan Airlines’ business class meal service is unusual
I must say, the meal service on this flight struck me as quite bizarre. There was one flight attendant managing business class, and she was very amiable.
Typically, on most airlines, you might anticipate that they serve everyone drinks first or deliver meals swiftly to all. That wasn’t the case here, as I ended up receiving my meal 10 minutes before the descent began.
Why? Well, she served from the front to the back (which is understandable), but it seemed to take a significant amount of time to prepare each meal, resulting in a continuous 10-minute delay between meals being served. I’ve never experienced anything like that before. The service was so sluggish that she would end up clearing the trays of others before completing service for those served earlier.
There were a few menus available on the plane, which would be distributed to the upcoming passengers ready to order. Below is what the menu resembled.
It’s worth noting this flight departed at 6:40AM, so I presumed, “oh, they’re probably serving breakfast.”
I’m perplexed about the chicken breast with cheese sauce, mashed potatoes, and vegetables — is this a traditional Turkmen breakfast dish, or is the airline misplaced in their understanding of what people in other regions typically eat for breakfast? Regardless, I inquired with the flight attendant about the type of “meat” being served with the pancakes, to which she responded… “we serve lunch.” Lunch on a 6:40AM flight, when the menu also features breakfast? Alright… so I opted for the beef stroganoff.
As I watched the flight attendant serving meals to the passengers ahead of me, it appeared as though she was just presenting large trays of paper-wrapped and packaged items, at least from my vantage point. I was quite curious about what the meal would be like.
I finally received my meal 50 minutes before landing, which was just 10