Trip Report: Air Malta (A320neo) Business MLA-VIE

The Details

Flight: KM514
Aircraft: A320neo
Class: Business
Seat: 3A and C
Route: Malta (MLA)-Vienna (VIE)
Distance: 986miles
Duration: 2hrs 4min
Departure: 7:19AM
Arrival: 9:23AM

The Preflight

After a wonderful week in Malta, my fiance and I were headed to Vienna for the weekend before returning home to the United States. We arranged an Uber from the St Julian’s Marriott and arrived at the airport at five in the morning, two hours prior to departure. There was a single business class check-in line and it took a few minutes for us to get our boarding passes.

Security was a breeze and we were soon in the La Valette Club. This is the single lounge at Malta Airport that all airlines contract with for their business class passengers. It is also a Priority Pass lounge.

The lounge itself was on the second floor of the terminal. There was a variety of tables, sofas, and chairs available.

Along the windows were grouped sofas.

There was also an outdoor patio with nice views of the apron.

The buffet was located in the middle of the lounge. Along the wall was the drink selection. There was juice, a selection of medium-tier spirits, soda, beer, and an espresso machine.

Breakfast options included cold cheeses, fruit, and deli meats. Hot options included frittatas and fried pastries.

There was also some dessert including profiteroles, brownies, and muffins.

From the terrace, we had a clear view of the A320neo taking us to Vienna today. She was the same aircraft that took us from London to Malta on our previous fleet, registration 9H-NED.

We headed downstairs at 6:40AM to find the gate area a zoo. There were no organized lines and the area was packed. Boarding commenced at 6:51 and we walked onto the apron to board via air stairs.

The Flight

Air Malta offers 180 economy class seats onboard their A320neos arranged in a 3-3 configuration. As with most European carriers, the business class consists of a blocked middle seat. The size of the business class cabin can also be configured by moving a mobile curtain above the headrests. We were seated in 3A and C this flight, the last row of business class.

The Recaro slimline seats offered 18 inches of width and 31 inches of pitch.

There was a simple tray table with two cup holders, a literature pocket, a pouch, and two USB ports. Both the aisle and window seat legroom was unrestricted.

All of the passengers boarded by 7:07 and we pushed back five minutes later. At 7:19 we took off from runway 31 bound for Vienna.

Service began 15 minutes after takeoff with the breakfast menu. There were no options but I appreciated that there was a description of the food.

Twenty minutes later, flight attendants came through with beverage service. I had a small bottle of below-average Prosecco.

Service was leisurely and halfway through the flight breakfast was served. It was very tasty with scrambled eggs, bacon, mushrooms, and roasted tomatoes. Much better than the first-class eggs I had with British Airways on this trip. The bread was warm, fluffy, and excellent. There was also a side of fresh fruit and yogurt. A warmed croissant was also served.