SriLankan Airlines Airbus A330-200 Economy (Colombo – Singapore)

Sri Lanka is a diverse destination, as I discover on my recent trip there using Qantas Points. Though there are direct flights between Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, and Melbourne and Sydney, sometimes reward seat availability dictates a more creative route. So, a four-hour Colombo-Singapore hop with SriLankan Airlines is a practical workaround to flying back to Australia using Qantas Points.

You’ll find the Airbus A330-200 on some of SriLankan Airlines’ long-haul and medium-haul routes. Here’s the experience onboard the Airbus A330-200 in Economy from Colombo to Singapore.

Check-in and boarding

This flight is the first of three legs on my way home to Melbourne, so I’m issued all three boarding passes upon checking in in Colombo. My bags are tagged all the way through to Melbourne, but I’ll need to collect them upon arrival in Sydney.

There’s not much to see in the terminal, bar some jewellery and souvenir stores. If you have some leftover Rupees, Spa Ceylon has some gorgeous skincare and wellness products. I indulge my candle addiction, then make a beeline for the lounge.

A SriLankan Airlines Economy ticket alone won’t grant you entry into any lounges in Colombo. But if you hold eligible oneworld status (including Qantas Gold and above), you can unwind in SriLankan Airlines’ Serendiva lounge. (If you can be guestedf by a friend travelling in Business Class, you may be able to access the Serendib Lounge instead).

A Priority Pass membership (complimentary with certain credit cards like the American Express Platinum Card and Citi Premier Credit Card) will grant you access to two other lounges in Colombo. DragonPass members also have a few lounge options.

Prepare for an additional security screen before entering the gate. Now, the gate itself isn’t the most flash place to wait for your flight, so don’t expect too much. The seating is cramped, and the flurry of cabin bags make waiting for the flight an intimate affair.

Boarding commences in a reverse fashion, with Economy passengers funnelled through the bus gate first. It’s a relatively empty flight, so boarding is speedy.

A bus shuttles passengers from the terminal to the aircraft.

Eligible oneworld frequent flyers can access SriLankan Airlines’ Serendib Lounge in Colombo.

The check-in process in Colombo is straightforward and efficient.

Spend some extra time in the lounge, if you can.

SriLankan Airlines Airbus A330-200 Economy seating

Economy is spread across two cabins, with seats in a 2-4-2 configuration. My journey begins in a strategically pre-selected aisle seat near the front of the rear cabin. But being a relatively empty flight – and given that I’m flying solo – this turns into window seat ‘A’ for the four-hour journey. That way, I’m able to enjoy the afternoon views en route to Singapore.

SriLankan Airlines’ A330-200 Economy seat has all the usual trimmings you’d expect. Notably, there’s a fold-down footrest, a simple comfort that some airlines reserve for Premium Economy or higher. It’s not essential for a short flight, but certainly a ‘nice to have’. There’s not much in terms of storage aside from the seatback pocket, but there’s a coat hanger accessible for each passenger.

Speaking of which, the legroom for the Economy seats on SriLankan Airlines A330-200 is 31 inches, and the seats have a width of 17 inches – both standard measurements for an Economy seat. For full transparency, I’m 5’4″, and I find the legroom to be ample, considering the short flight time.

Adjustable headrests and pilows make this a comfortable flight.

The seat pitch is around 79 cm, which is fine for a short daytime flight.

Economy seating on SriLankan Airlines A330-200.

Food and beverage in SriLankan Airlines Airbus A330-200 Economy

A full lunch is served around one hour after takeoff, with meal service commencing from the rear. Today’s choices are simple – chicken with rice, fish with noodles or a vegetarian meal. My vote goes to the chicken, which has a slight kick to it. I personally wouldn’t call it spicy, though I’d recommend you keep a glass of water handy just in case.

The beverage selection is equally as simple, with a selection of juices, soft drinks and red and white wine available. My sweet tooth delights in the caramel flan for dessert – the only issue is there’s not more of it to enjoy. Following the meal service, there’s a choice between coffee or Sri Lanka’s famous Ceylon tea. I eagerly indulge in the latter – what a wonderful final nod to Sri Lanka’s rich identity.

The chicken has a slight kick to it, but it’s otherwise very tasty.

Enjoying a final Ceylon tea.

Inflight entertainment, Wi-Fi and power

The touchscreen is responsive, so that’s a tick in my books. But aside from this, the inflight entertainment isn’t particularly noteworthy. I peruse a decent selection of movies, TV shows and audio, with iconic albums from the likes of Elvis Presley and Britney Spears making an appearance. I’m disappointed to find that while there’s a category titled ‘games’, this feature is unavailable. Shame, as I do love a good game of Tetris while flying.

A shared universal power plug is located under the seats, and individual USB-A ports can be found under the screen.

Wi-Fi is available for a fee, with pricing as follows:

• 2 hours of messaging only, up to 5MB – US$5
• 1 hour internet access, up to 15MB – US$10
• 3 hours internet access, up to 40MB – US$25
• Full flight connection, up to 100MB – US$35

I purchase the one-hour internet package with the intent of completing a spot of work while on the flight. The internet connection is slow, but it suffices for simple tasks. You can transfer the connection between devices using an email address. Unfortunately, my 15MB plan is chewed up quickly – I manage to open a single webpage before I hit my limit.

Each passenger has access to a USB-A port under the screen, while universal power plugs are located between the seats.

Basic entertainment is provided – albeit without games – on the responsive touchscreen.

How to book this flight with points

SriLankan Airlines is part of the oneworld Alliance, so you can fly with Sri Lanka’s national carrier using Qantas Points, Cathay Asia Miles, American Airlines AAdvantage miles or British Airways Executive Club Avios.

If you’re booking on the Qantas website, there’s a catch: you can’t search for flights originating in Sri Lanka. You’ll either need to phone Qantas or book a flight departing from Sri Lanka as part of a round-trip itinerary, as we did for our recent Sri Lanka experience.

For instance, searching for a return Classic Reward fare from Singapore-Colombo on the Qantas website will bring up this flight. But a one-way search from Colombo-Singapore will yield an error.

Fly from Singapore-Colombo return in SriLankan Airlines Economy for 40,000 Qantas Points + fees and taxes.

Similarly, you could book this flight as part of a one-way journey originating elsewhere. In the example below, you could use the multi-city tool to search Frankfurt-Colombo-Singapore.

The above example is especially useful if you can’t find a Classic Reward seat all the way to Australia. You could fly from Europe – or elsewhere in the world – to Singapore via Colombo, as there’s often decent reward seat availability on SriLankan Airlines. You could then book a cheap cash fare from Singapore to Australia.

Summing up

SriLankan Airlines A330-200 Economy is a hassle-free hop on short routes, like Colombo to Singapore. All the basics are covered – a comfortable seat with standard trimmings, along with a full meal, Wi-Fi and a selection of entertainment. Sadly, the games weren’t working this time around, but there are enough alternatives to keep you occupied.

It’s handy to know that even when flying in Economy with SriLankan Airlines, you can access a lounge in Colombo with eligible oneworld status or a Priority Pass membership. I’d definitely recommend looking into your lounge options when departing from Colombo.

And, pleasingly, you can book this flight – and other SriLankan Airlines flights – using Qantas Points, making this an ideal route to keep up your sleeve when hunting for those elusive Classic Rewards.

Also read: SriLankan Airlines Airbus A330-300 Business Class (Melbourne – Colombo)

Photography by Victoria Kyriakopoulos, who travelled at Point Hacks’ expense.