SriLankan Airlines Official Reviews 

A deeply disappointing experience on an extremely expensive one‑way flight from Colombo to London.

For a 12‑hour journey, the in‑flight entertainment system was not working for many passengers, which is unacceptable at this price point. The cabin crew seemed poorly trained, and the selection of drinks and soft beverages was surprisingly limited.

Overall, this airline falls far below basic international standards. I would avoid it if possible. It has become a burden rather than an asset, and it’s disheartening to see our hard‑earned money supporting such poor service.

Dear SriLankan Airlines Customer Service,

We are very disappointed that we have not received any response to our two previous emails. In addition, when contacting your team by phone, no solution was offered. This gives the impression of either a complete lack of customer service.

Passenger details: – Ticket No. 603 2115352632 •
Booking reference: FU8LUS

We kindly ask you to address our issue promptly and provide a clear solution.

Sincerely,

Worse crew, horrible planes

I am extremely disappointed with the customer service at the Dubai City Office of SriLankan Airlines.

My flight was cancelled due to the ongoing Middle East conflict, and I have been trying to contact the Dubai office to reschedule my ticket. Unfortunately, the telephone number provided (+971 4 396 1222) is not working, and I have been unable to reach anyone for assistance.

During such urgent situations, especially when flights are cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, passengers expect proper communication and accessible support. It is very frustrating to have no way to contact the office despite calling multiple times during the stated operating hours.

I kindly request SriLankan Airlines to ensure that their contact numbers are active and that customer support is responsive, particularly during emergencies. Passengers should not be left without guidance when travel disruptions occur.

I hope the management takes immediate action to improve communication and customer service.

We traveled to and from Colombo with Sri Lankan airlines from Heathrow. We travelled home on 2nd March and were so grateful that we had booked this direct flight rather than changing at Dubai. In our experience the check in staff and flight crew were very fans professional. We had enough leg room. The meals were very good and we got home! To be honest the in flight entertainment screens were a bit dated but who cares. We were comfortable and fed in a seat that we had to be in for 12 hours and we got home safely. Thank you Sri Lankan airlines!

Paid a lot from business class.
Food dreadful. Run out of the food most people wanted. The substitute was cold (salmon) .I asked for it to be heated up and it came back the same. The attendant just giggled and said no microwave.Despite putting label up saying do not disturb I was woken at 4 am , 2 hours before landing, to be fed disgusting breakfast.
NOT WORTH THE MONEY.Swim if you have to but do not fly with these jokers.

This is regarding service of UL232 flight on 24th February ( Dubai to Sri Lanka)
Very poor service from cabin crew. Never smile. We have to pay for that.
No Welcome or send off.

Lift off TV. No entertainment.
Very poor service.
Food was excellent.
Never recommend. This type of Cabin crew. Never helpful.
They never checked passengers seat belts / seats, before landing and take off..
Budget air lines offer better service than Srl Lankan air line

Delays both ways, full on chaotic airport transfer, last minute changes to boarding gates causing unnecessary run around and fatigue, ear aches unbearable. I and my kid almost cried with ear problem. We never experienced such a worst flight in 20 years flying.

I received an email form Sri Lankan Airlines to bid to upgrade to business class . I bid and won an upgrade . On the day of the flight they downgraded me back to economy . They have charged my credit card and are not refunding me. I have been on the phone to the for 1 hour and I am getting nowhere . awful customer service !!

Felt compelled to redress the balance of reviews for Sri Lankan Airlines based on our experience as a family of 4 traveling from LHR to Colombo and back (routes 503 and 504).

Minimal delayed departure at both ends (½ an hour) - recent data suggests this is the norm. Smooth check in and baggage processes. Economy seat comfort acceptable (I'm 6'2" and was no less uncomfortable than on other long haul flights!).

Would have appreciated being left alone on the way out and not being asked if I wanted tea, coffee etc when my eyes were clearly shut. Aside from that, the cabin staff were immaculately turned out and very pleasant. Food was pretty good too. Not really any alternatives for our kids, although they were served first which was considerate. They also received a little model plane each to build which was a nice touch.

Good choice of movies and telly on the entertainment system. Unfortunately, we had a glitchy row of seats on the way back and had to regularly exit and resume what we were trying to watch. Additionally, I wanted to buy a bottle of Arrack from their Duty Free, but they only accepted cash which was surprising in this day and age.

We were a bit apprehensive prior to travelling after reading the slew of negative reviews. Hope that our experience provides those travelling the same route some reassurance that actually, overall, they're pretty good.

High level overview. A very budget airline doing long haul.

The good:
Direct UK flights
They carry surfboards as included baggage at no extra cost
Slick check in on both flights.

The bad:
Poor customer service
Very dated planes with defunct in flight entertainment
Poor in flight care - food and drinks
Paying extra for pre-allocated seats
100% delay record for both our flights

Pre-flight customer service is non-existant, attempting to glean anything from the customer service team if you have any queries is painful. I attempted to add details: my daughter's needs including peanut allergy; child meals; seat bookings; surfboard size restrictions... all were pointless efforts despite calling many times, emailing customer services and even raising a complaint ( emails and complaints aren't acknowledged let alone responded to), and each time I spoke to someone I was told something different.

In flight... bear in mind these planes are old. The in flight entertainment is extremely poor. Outbound across 4 seats we had a seat back unit that was broken, wouldn't even play any media and crashed at the thought of anything other than the home screen, and one seat where the unit worked the audio didn't. On return leg the units did work, but with a glitch every 5 minutes or so the whole rear 50 % centre 4 seats units froze, the solution being to revert to a main screen select another film, then select the one you were watching, so annoying. This continued for the whole flight.

The live news channel hasn't been updated since 2022, I read a BBC news brief on The Queen (RIP) doing a visit somewhere or other, so they dont subscribe to support packages.

The games function for kids does not work at all.
So plan to bring your own entertainment to keep little ones occupied!

Food and in flight service is poor. This does not compare with any flagship carriers like Qatar, Emirates or even Etihad at a push. Yet the price point is comparable!
3 hours into both 11 odd hour flights we were informed there was no beer available from the drinks. On the return leg I asked why on both flights and was told they reserve them for the front (Business Class) and also passengers on the return leg. I have flown many long haul flights with multiple carriers, I have never heard of this or experienced similar - again pangs of budget airline to save any replenishment costs at UK airports.

Would I fly Sri Lanka Airways again? Not a chance, the price point and poor service outweigh the direct option in my opinion to save 1 hour lay over in UAE.

Our flight using Sri Lanka Airlines was brilliant. The cabin crew were incredibly friendly and attentive, frequently checking that everyone was well. We had lunch and dinner onboard our flight and the food was very nice...the grilled fish being particularly good! The flight itself left and arrived on time too which was a bonus. For people like us who travel fairly frequently, this has been an excellent flight!

I recently travelled from Sri Lanka to Malaysia on flight UL314 on 10th February and would like to share my experience regarding the difference between the ground staff and cabin crew service.
At the check-in counter, I inquired about upgrading my ticket to Business Class. The staff member assisting me, Ms. Eisha , was extremely helpful and accommodating. Although she informed me that Business Class was fully booked and an upgrade was not possible, she kindly arranged for my baggage to be tagged as priority. I truly appreciated her professionalism and willingness to assist.
However, my experience onboard was disappointing. After taking my seat, I found the cabin temperature to be quite cold. I requested a blanket twice from a cabin crew member named Joshi (I believe this was her short name, as her full name was quite long). Unfortunately, my requests were ignored both times. I felt that my concerns were not taken seriously, and this left me feeling uncomfortable and undervalued as a passenger.
While I commend the excellent service provided by your ground staff, I believe there is room for improvement in cabin service standards. I respectfully request that management ensure cabin crew are properly trained and attentive to passengers’ needs, so that SriLankan Airlines can continue to uphold and enhance its reputation for quality service.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my feedback.

I am extremely disappointed with my partner’s recent experience with SriLankan Airlines.

Passengers are encouraged to pay for upgrades that advertise specific facilities — including flat-bed seating and enhanced onboard comfort — only to be placed on a completely different aircraft that does not provide the product that was sold. This is not a minor inconvenience; it is a significant downgrade from what was promised at the time of purchase.

Selling an upgraded experience and then delivering a different aircraft without those features feels misleading and unfair to customers who have paid a premium specifically for comfort.

What is even more concerning is the handling of the refund request. Instead of acknowledging that the upgraded product was not delivered, the response was a generic explanation about “operational requirements” and a refusal to refund the upgrade charges. Providing meals and beverages does not compensate for the absence of the core feature that justified the upgrade in the first place — the flat-bed seating and comfort.

Customers deserve transparency. If a specific aircraft with certain facilities cannot be guaranteed, that should be clearly communicated before payment is taken — not explained afterward.

Very disappointed with how this matter has been handled. I urge other passengers to be cautious when purchasing upgrades and to verify carefully what aircraft will actually be operating their flight.

This experience has significantly affected my trust in SriLankan Airlines.

I suspect their website is using some kind of algorithm to manipulate customers and rip them off?
I have noticed on several occasions, that when I go to their website to check prices for certain dates, not buy the ticket straight away, then return later in the day, the prices have suddenly gone up by a £150!
This only happens for the specific dates that I had checked on earlier, and not other days which are only a few days earlier or later!
Mind you this is during off season for air travel.

This time their food nearly made me sick.
The infotainment touch screen was not working properly at all, and as a result I was not able to watch movies properly.
As usual economy seats have little to no leg room (except the ones near the emergency exits). If you are 5 foot 10 inches or taller, you will be uncomfortable!

I was forced to pay several hundred pounds more to fly with this airline from London to Colombo.
Due to my circumstances I had no choice but to fly direct.
Passengers would get better value for their money if they transit in the middle east using Emirates, Qatar etc.
Those airliners are not only cheaper but better in every regard.

my complaint regarding items stolen from my luggage during travel with SriLankan Airlines.

I have raised this issue multiple times over the past five months. On at least five separate occasions, I was informed that I would receive a response within 12 working days. However, I have not received any meaningful update, resolution, or compensation to date.

I have provided all required documentation and details, including correspondence with Ms. Himalka Dasanayake, yet no action appears to have been taken. The complete lack of response from the relevant authorities is extremely concerning.

I flew Business Class and it was the worst I have experienced.
No WiFi both ways.
3 sets of headphones that didn't work. Luckily I had my own with me.
Panel hanging off the side by my seat.
No first choice of meal.
Warm white wine.
Entertainment system kept packing up on outbound and didn't work at all inbound.
Cabin crew opened overhead lockers twice and dropped objects onto passengers heads.
Stewardess opened my table without asking and dropped it straight into the Crown Jewels!
Tried to take my plate when I was still eating.
Moved my seat without asking.
Inbound no fast track at security.
Having filed a complaint on my return I got a reply saying they had noted my concerns!
Quite frankly I feel robbed, paid thousands for the seats and didn't get what I paid for. Avoid Sri Lankan would be my advice but definitely go to Sri Lanka, its beautiful.

Awful airline. Customer service is non existent.

Been waiting 2 months for a refund despite being told it’s being processed and that it would take 25 working days.

Constantly lie on the phone about team being busy but will call back.

Have had to try claim back via credit card company.

Flew return flights to London/Colombo in business class. Never again. The flight out was OK but the flat bed was extremely hard and uncomfortable. The return flight was awful. The food choices weren’t available - and we were in row 3. The staff were miserable and had no interest in serving us. Drinks weren’t refilled and if you asked for a second glass of water or wine during your meal they treated you with contempt. Took trays and half finished drinks away without asking Spent most of the time sitting in the galley. Also extremely rude when putting seats back to upright without asking us before the Captain announcement - to lean across someone without warning and adjust their seat and press down the armrest they are leaning on almost verges on assault. This was 45 minutes before landing. The people we met in Sri Lanka were all extremely friendly and happy to serve, where appropriate. How sad that this air crew seemed to think we owed them a favour

Save your money and fly with someone else. Sri Lankan Airlines is currently charging for "extra services" that they cancel almost immediately after taking your payment. Their business model seems to be "take the money now, refund in 14 days, and ignore the customer for 12 days in between." Shocking communication and zero accountability. Never again.