Last Updated on 13/07/2023
Flying with Air Malta and want to know if business class is worth it? In this post, I’ll be sharing my experience flying business class with Air Malta to give you all the information you need before you upgrade.
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Review Air Malta Business Class Upgrade
With only around 6 rows of business class seats, getting a business class seat on an Air Malta flight is rather exclusive indeed! So exclusive, that it’s unlikely you will be offered a business class upgrade upon check-in, as I was advised that any upgraded seats need to be authorised by headquarters in Malta first…
However, like other airlines, Air Malta does offer passengers the chance to upgrade before a flight or bid for a chance to be upgraded, which is always worth a shot to enjoy all the business class benefits that I will be sharing in this post.
Though it’s worth noting, as a short-haul airline, Air Malta does not offer all the perks of business class such as flat-bed seats, which if you’re a frequent flyer you may have become accustomed to.
So, is Air Malta business class worth it? Well, you’re about to find out!
Air Malta Business Class Options
Booking Air Malta business class comes with some options, particularly in terms of baggage:
Just Business – 1pc 32kg check-in bag
Smart Business – 2pc 32kg check-in bag
Business Freedom – 2pc 32kg check-in bag
However, other than slight differences in price for the additional baggage benefits and refund amounts, the differences in these business class options are fairly minimal.
Air Malta Business Class Benefits
There are a number of benefits of flying business class with Air Malta and I’ll run through these below to give you all the details you need for your flight.
Air Malta Business Class Baggage Allowance
As I mentioned above, Just Business includes 1pc 32kg check in bag, whereas Smart Business and Business Freedom options enable you to check in 2pc 32kg bags.
I checked one bag in for my Just Business seat and took my handy Travel Hack Hybrid (which fits loads of items) on as my hand luggage!
Check out my reviews of other Travel Hack Cabin bags below:
Air Malta Business Class Priority Check-in
Air Malta check-in online opens 24 hours before the scheduled flight and enables you to select seats for free (excluding extra legroom seats). Airport check-in for Air Malta flights opens 2-3 hours before flight departure. Therefore, to get a seat next to loved ones it’s worth checking in online the night before to avoid any last minutes delays getting in the way of your seat selection at the airport.
As a business class passenger, you have a priority lane to avoid any unnecessary queues, meaning you don’t have to worry about not being allocated desired seats and can simply check-in and drop off your luggage without any delays at the Air Malta business class check-in desk.
Air Malta Business Class Priority for Security
Business class passengers can also use the priority lane through airport security, which is another benefit, especially when travelling during public holidays or peak season.
Air Malta Business Class Lounge
Who doesn’t love an airport lounge? Well, with Air Malta Business Class seats you get access to the airport lounge to enjoy pre-flight.
The hustle and bustle of a busy airport, scrambling to find a seat to enjoy some relaxation before a flight can at times be overwhelming, and this is where an airport lounge can be a real benefit.
In order to offer some comparisons between Air Malta economy class and business class, we flew out in economy from Heathrow to Malta and returned business class from Malta to Heathrow, which is great for review purposes, but did mean we missed out on enjoying the airport lounge at Heathrow before our flight.
For those of you flying business class from Heathrow to Malta, Air Malta use the House Lounge located on Heathrow Terminal 4. If you try it, please let me know your experience in the comments at the end of this post.
Our business class flight from Malta to London Heathrow gave us access to La Valette Club Malta Airport Lounge, which was ideal, particularly as Malta Airport is relatively small therefore at busy times it can be difficult to find a seat before a flight.
In retrospect, I wish I had taken a picture to demonstrate just how busy the airport was to show the benefits of the lounge in comparison.
I’d always recommend getting to Malta Airport a little earlier to enjoy the full benefits of the lounge area, but as I mentioned with business class you needn’t worry as you get free access to the airport lounge regardless.
La Valette Club Malta Airport Lounge is located to the left of World Duty-Free and The Hard Rock Cafe and is tucked slightly out of the way that we didn’t see it at first glance.
Simply take the lift up to the La Valette Club Airport Lounge located on the third floor, where you will be greeted by reception who will sign you in.
It’s worth noting, there are no boarding announcements over the airport tannoy in the lounge to enable relaxation pre-flight, though there are a number of screens located throughout the lounge which can be seen from the seating areas to view boarding gates and times.
The airport lounge operates on a buffet self-service basis, meaning you can help yourself to a variety of drinks (including alcoholic beverages with a great selection of spirits and beers on offer).
Our flight ended up being delayed, which meant we got to tuck into chicken skewers, salad, cheese and crackers, as well as get our fill of Maltese pastizzi! I thoroughly made the most of the free-flowing prosecco too, which was a nice treat!
The Malta airport lounge has various seating options including sofas, lounge chairs, and seats with plug sockets to charge devices, as well as outdoor seating enabling passengers to get some air or soak up the last bit of sunshine before a flight.
Air Malta Business Class Priority Boarding
As you’d expect, business class passengers board the aircraft first, which may be of benefit for some. Though, with dedicated overhead compartments, I do not think this is a necessity as the rest of the passengers file past to get to their seats regardless.
Business Class on Air Malta Flights
Business Class on Air Malta flights consists of six rows, meaning getting a seat is rather exclusive.
The small business class area onboard Air Malta flights does not have some of the luxuries you may have experienced on other business class flights, such as fully-flat beds, privacy screens or bars – but that’s because Air Malta operates only short-haul flights.
Passengers are allocated a window or an aisle seat to enable business class passengers more space on the flight with an empty middle seat. Seats also come with a cosier headrest.
Air Malta offers passengers generous legroom onboard their flight, therefore in this respect, there was not much difference between business and economy flights. This may be disappointing for those who regularly fly business class with other airlines, who enjoy the extra legroom benefits of business class, but at a measly 5ft 3 inches myself, my little legs had ample space!
The business class area is cordoned off by way of a red curtain, which in some ways shields the serving of the onboard business meal, but the curtain is opened for take-off and landing in accordance to airline policy. Although, one additional benefit for business class passengers is that only business class passengers use the toilet facilities at the front of the aircraft, meaning fewer queues.
Air Malta Business Class Menu
Once seated in Air Malta Business Class, the Air Stewards will offer you a welcome drink of your choice – I had a cold, crisp glass of prosecco, which always tastes nicer served in a real glass.
We were then presented with the menu on a printed card, which was another nice touch. The reverse side of the menu also provided more information on the traditional Maltese dishes served aboard.
The meal was nicely presented on a tray with a traditional Maltese ceramic tile, along with metal cutlery wrapped in a colour-coordinated serviette.
Similarly, to the glasses, it’s always nice to use real cutlery to dine.
We enjoyed the meal and the service provided by Air Malta Business Class, which given the small area of passengers did exceed my expectations.
The meals were followed by the usual choice of tea or coffee.
Air Malta In-Flight Magazine
When I wasn’t feasting on the Air Malta Business Class meal or taking pictures from my window seat, I was browsing the Air Malta in-flight magazine.
The magazine has so much information to plan your visit to Malta, including things to do, places to visit and restaurant recommendations.
One of the recommendations, Ta’Kris Restaurant in Sliema was located around the corner from where we were staying, and let me tell you, this was a spot-on recommendation! Ta’Kris ended up being one the best restaurants that we ate at in Malta!
Air Malta Destinations
You can fly Air Malta from Israel, as well as many European destinations.
Which UK airports does Air Malta fly from?
Air Malta flights from the U.K. depart from London Heathrow and London Gatwick (Psst – prices can be a little cheaper from London Gatwick).
Is Air Malta Business Class worth it?
So, now you know where Air Malta departs from and the benefits of business class – Is business class worth it?
Yes! I’d say, Air Malta Business Class is worth it for the easy check-in and access to the airport lounge alone, as it made so much difference for an easy and stress-free flight.
Overall, there wasn’t much difference in business class prices to what we would pay for flights normally – our flights cost £415 return each (we departed Economy Go Smart, and returned Business Class on the Just Business seats). The in-flight meal and additional luggage options were also of great benefit to us.
To get the lowest-priced seats for Air Malta Business Class, book seats at least 90 days in advance.
I hope this Air Malta Business Class Review has given you a good overview of the benefits to help you decide whether or not an upgrade is the right choice for you! If you’ve flown Air Malta Business Class, let me know what you think in the comments below.
Happy travels!
Jaz
The Comments
Laurel
Are there any options for vegetarians or is it just one menu?
thelifeofasocialbutterfly
LaurelHi Laurel, many thanks for reading my post. I do not recall seeing another menu with veggie options, but this may be because I didn’t request one. It may be worthwhile sending a message to kmbusinessclass@airmalta.com to see what your options are. Hope this helps 😊
Trevor Davis
I got up graded last time i flew to Malta in June a complete suprise. Very enjoyable.
So this time i have booked economy going out but business comingback in September.
Just wanted to know if i could use the Malta airport lounge.?
thelifeofasocialbutterfly
Trevor DavisI was able to use the Malta Airport lounge with my business class ticket flying back with Air Malta last year. I’d double check on the website, but as far as I know from my experience you can 😊 Enjoy the food and drinks! I’d definitely pay to use the lounge again as seating is limited in the public areas.