SriLankan Airlines Official Reviews 

I would have given this a no star if i could. Sri Lankan Airways is by far one of the worst airlines I’ve flown. I recently flew from Colombo to KL on their red-eye flight. My husband (6’ 3” tall) and I had paid additional when purchasing the ticket for a seat with extra legroom - our ticket even showed the seats we had booked. When we reached the airport we were allocated normal seats with no legroom - reason given they have changed their aircraft and could not accommodate our original booking for seats with legroom. Their supervisor at the check-in was rude and arrogant and not at all apologetic for their mess-up with our seats. Furthermore the plane we boarded was in terrible condition - seats were torn, the wash basins and toilet bowls were stained brown. It was a nightmare to fly Sri Lankan Airways. Please be warned.

Our flight was cancelled when we were in the departure lounge at Heathrow. The reason given was "technical problems" and the engineers had worked on it, but were unable to repair the plane. As they were obliged to do they bussed us to the Sheraton and fed us breakfast and lunch whilst we waited to return to the airport. We eventually flew 24 hours later on the equivalent scheduled flight at 20:40. Because the flight was very full already we were seated in Row 37 which is right next to the toilets so we were kept awake all night by the sound of flushing and people queuing in the aisle. We contacted them immediately via email to apply for compensation which in these circumstances should be £520 each. They replied 11 or 12 days later claiming that the cancellation was partially beyond their control and so offered us $150 each which is derisory. They had caused us to miss the first day of our holiday and had changed their story. We replied to request details of what exactly was beyond their control and received no reply. A friend of ours had flown with them a couple of months earlier and the same thing happened to her and she ended up flying an indirect route with another airline. We have had two cancellations / late arrivals with Ryanair and Finnair in the past and these airlines both paid the required compensation with no hassle. After waiting the required time we complained to the CAA and within a few days received an email from SriLankan to say they had reviewed our case, changed their minds and we were due full compensation after all. Just fill out these forms and get them witnessed. We did this and were told the money would be with us in five weeks. You will not be surprised to hear it wasn't. After chasing them several times with no reaction, we were told we had supplied an invalid sort code (we hadn't). We provided some alternative account details and then they sent the money to the original account. It was yet another delaying tactic. The whole process from the flight cancellation to receiving the compensation took over six months. Friends of ours had a similar experience and accepted the lower compensation which they try to fob you off with at first. We have heard of other cases since. The lesson here is to persevere, but we will never again fly with SriLankan Airlines after that debacle.

We flew on 30th July from Colombo to London.

My daughter was suffering form food poisoning and being sick every 30 mins. We repeatedly had to ask for more sick bags. Cabin crew showed no interest or concern and were of no help.

Unfortunately many of the entertainment screens were not working including mine. I rebooted many times to have some brief use but it repeatedly froze. Cabin crew member said ‘it can happen’, laughed and went off.

After 3 weeks in Sri Lanka we were so impressed by the helpful and cheerful people we met. Sadly the Sri Lanka aircrew did not meet this description - not a smile amongst them and could not have been much less helpful.

When we were boarding the plane they called the rear 20 rows to broad first. But they then held us from boarding for 10 mins. Before they let the rear 20 rows board they also called the next 20 lower # rows to board, who all just stood up and joined the queue where they were standing. The result was chaos on the aircraft trying to get to the back of the aircraft past so many people in the isle who should not have been there. So easily avoidable.

The overhead lockers above the window seats are not big enough to cope with cabin luggage fitting long ways so have to go sideways - so less luggage than they allow can can fit there and causes a scramble for space.

The only positive is that they fly direct to Colombo.

I just completed a trip from Trichy to Singapore via Colombo through this airlines today.
To summarize, “I’m fully satisfied”. It was a trip with transit in Colombo. Both the flights were good (TRZ to CMB and CMB to SIN) and staffs were friendly. The food quality was good but the quantity was less. But for this 4 hours it’s acceptable. Inflight entertainment was very good. It was an Airbus 330-300 and I was seated at the back (62A). Had a decent leg space.
The price was appealing.
I don’t know how I missed this gem earlier on this route. Will certainly take this flight again (and include a family tour of Sri Lanka..!!!)

My mother was travelling from Bangalore to Melbourne and she had a connecting flight via Colombo.
I was not able to connect with my mom via whatsapp or phone call. So I was stressed out that she might not be able to reach the gate appropriately.
So, I tried using the Sri lankan Colombo chat services, after a few questions, finally the chatbot connected me with a chatting agent. 
Agent, asked about my mother's name and her booking reference which starts with 603. I have provided all the details and am waiting for a response to track down whether my mom has boarded the flight or not.
But, after a long 40 minutes wait the agent responds, stating i would have to reach out to 24 hours customer service provided by Sri Lankan airlines. By the time, agent responded, flight was already ready to take off (UL604).
I was so pissed at how careless this agent was and he mocked me by saying that I raised any concerns with the customer service agent.
This is the importance they gave to their passengers and their families.
Luckily, I tried reaching out to chat gpt and got the Sri Lankan airlines 24/7 customer service which responded quickly, and gave me the information that mom has boarded the plane.
But, I don't understand what is the use of whatsapp chat agent service if they don't have the common sense to care about the passengers and how important time is when there is a connecting flight in next 30-40minutes?
I want to question the airlines, would such a behaviour be tolerated? Aren't we also paying huge airplane fees so that all these services provide us a smooth aircraft journey.
#WorstSriLankanCustomerServiceExperience

Please consider this review as a constructive feedback.
We are aware of the value of the Mel- SL direct flight but we also believe that it can do better.

Mel-Col journey needsso much of improvement compared to Syd-Col service.
Melbourne sri lankan office phone support is terrible. Very rude in answering customer queries and not helpful at all.
Despite the 7hr flight delay, we inquired about the advanced options which we couldn’t access through online and I was simply advised to email the booking staff. No response till today.
In flight attendant service is terrible. Very slow and lousy service even after 7hrs delay. No standard at all. Felt like we were on a private bus.
Poured water on our tables and on us too. No apologies either. Some passengers were very upset.
Terrible food. Chicken and rice was non consumable. Mentioned about Salmon and Mash and served some boiled fish with cold mash.
Inflight entertainment screens were out of order time to time.
Can’t complain about the leg space but seats are uncomfortable for a 10.5ht long haul.
Col-Syd flight and service is much more better compared them.

To be honest for the price of flights this was disappointing. We flew in June. I paid an extra $600 for extra leg room both ways. The flight there wasn't bad and we got our allocated seats but the food was horrible and the TV screens were broken. The option was fish or fish as all the other meals ran out.
On the way back when I went to check in I was told that our seats were no longer available. Despite having this in writing and a printed ticket I was told there must have been a system error and we were seated in the four-seated rows completely in a different section to what we had requested and paid for. We were told there is nothing they can do and no compensation. We are both really tall people which is why we were able to and willing to pay extra for the extra leg room. Again, both screen (entire row) didn't have working TV or changing portal. After they made attempts to reset we were simply told there's nothing they can do to fix it. We landed with only 2% battery and had to run around after we landed we had to trying to find ways to charge our phone to organise transport home.
The staff were nice but beyond that, seats we paid extra for given away, broken TVs and broken chargers. Definitely not what we paid for.

I am beyond furious with the way SriLankan Airlines has treated us today! I am writing this in complete frustration, hoping to get some answers from a responsible person because the customer service and communication we've received from your airline have been nothing short of disgraceful.

We booked a flight from Trivandrum to London Heathrow, with a connecting flight in Colombo. This should have been a straightforward journey. However, our flight from Trivandrum was delayed by TWO HOURS. As a result, we MISSED our connecting flight to London from Colombo by just FIVE MINUTES. FIVE MINUTES!!! All this could have been avoided if there was ANY coordination between the airlines or even an ounce of consideration for the passengers' schedules.

Onboard the flight, none of the staff were helpful in any way, shape, or form. There was zero communication about what we should do or where we should go to make sure we didn't miss our connection. Once we arrived in Colombo, it was a complete and utter disaster. We were then directed to customer service, which was even worse! The staff were rude, dismissive, and utterly unhelpful. They told us they could rebook us on a flight to Dubai—10 HOURS later—and then another flight to London the next day. Essentially, we were looking at a delay of OVER 12 HOURS, and they didn't seem to care AT ALL.

After what felt like endless back-and-forth, we were finally told we’d get food and accommodation at a nearby hotel. Well, that turned out to be another disaster. We were sent to a taxi service, where we waited for TWO AND A HALF HOURS for a taxi to take us to a hotel just 30 minutes away. When we got to the hotel, guess what? NO ROOMS AVAILABLE! So, we were sent to another hotel, and after FOUR HOURS from landing, we finally reached the second hotel at around 5 PM—without ANY food for the entire time.

And what did we find when we got there? NO FOOD available at the hotel! We are now stranded in some random hotel with no food, no communication, and no clue what the next step is. And to top it off, I had to help four elderly ladies in the same situation, who barely speak the language. One of them requires a wheelchair and is diabetic. So, tell me—who is taking responsibility for their health and well-being in this mess?

I’m utterly fed up with this shoddy excuse for an airline. Instead of taking responsibility and sorting out the issue before it escalated, you’ve left us stranded in a foreign country, hungry, with no proper accommodation or any form of communication. The customer service has been abhorrent, the coordination non-existent, and the level of care for passengers is at rock-bottom.

I need to know why we were not rebooked from our home airport when we first raised concerns about missing the connecting flight. Instead, we were flown to another country and left to fend for ourselves. This entire ordeal has been a nightmare, and I demand a full explanation. I expect someone responsible to contact me immediately to resolve this—preferably someone who knows how to treat customers with the basic respect they deserve.

SriLankan Airlines, you’ve lost our trust. And we will be sharing this story widely so that others are aware of the disaster they may face if they choose to fly with you.

Absolutely appalling.

I would give zero if possible. Booked lahore to colombo to male (maldives) flight through sri lankan airline 2 months ago. 10 days prior to the flight received a message that your flight time has changed and you wont be able to catch flight to male. The alternate flights are not available. The airline provided zero support to adjust to alternate flights. All our plans with resort are already finalised. For stress free travel ppl should opt for middle eastern airlines. I was too naive to go for sri lankan airline. Thought it would save time and be more convenient as shorter route

I flew SriLankan Airlines on April 19, 2025, after losing my father, one of the hardest days of my life. After boarding flight UL 605 in Melbourne, we were kept waiting on the plane for 1.5 hours with no proper communication, only to be told the flight was cancelled. There was no coordination or empathy from staff. I was left alone to arrange transport back from the airport while grieving, with no help at all. I called another reputable airline, who immediately understood my situation, rebooked me, and even ensured I had WiFi throughout my journey so I could stay connected with my family. THAT is what real customer service looks like. When I complained to SriLankan Airlines, I got a cold, dismissive email from Himalka Dasanayake, the so-called “Customer Affairs Supervisor” at Bandaranaike International Airport. Instead of empathy or an apology, she basically told me my refund was processed and they would not communicate further. This is beyond unacceptable. Their staff lack basic courtesy and professionalism, and they don’t deserve the trust of any grieving family or any paying passenger. Shame on SriLankan Airlines and on Himalka Dasanayake for treating customers this way. I will never fly with them again and urge others to think twice before putting their trust in such an incompetent and heartless service.

The customer service that I received was outstanding eventhough frankly I was wholly to blame for the issues. They will certainly become one of my favorite carriers

Flying from Melbourne to Colombo to Delhi on 23/06. AC not working in Melbourne - Colombo flight and very hot inside. Asked cabin crew and reply was they will on the AC soon. Feels like traveling in train in Asia. Hopefully everything is fine. (Gurpinder Singh Rajput)

Sri Lankan Airlines charged us double when changing flight dates. Not willing to refund. Shame on you Sri Lankan Airlines....

Our plane in February was delayed with 24 hours. We bought 3 full price tickets (+- 1.000 pounds) for myself, my husband and our 3 year old toddler.

Under EU law 241 a compensation is due, however they refuse to pay compensation for our toddler despite the fact we had to pay a full price ticket for her.

It has gotten to the stage that Sri Lanka doesn’t want to communicate about this anymore with us. Leaving us no other option then to go to court, flag this everywhere as it is just inherently unjust.

Maybe the company is struggling for cash but it is clearly being completely mismanaged, and should be reported to the authorities.

Plain shocking. Delayed twice over waiting 24 hrs. No reason. No office response. No warning. Never again.

As others have suggested this airline should be awarded no stars!
They owe me compensation under UK Law for the flights delayed by 24 hours. Despite agreeing this and me submitting my bank details they’ve still not paid the compensation I’m due. Was told would be sent to my bank 14-21 working days after their email. This date has been and gone and still no money sent. This is against UK law 261

The worst airline I could possibly travel with or communicate with. They have let me and my mum who has Alzheimer's down. I booked extra leg room seats and then according to their policy requested wheelchair for my mother to the cabin. At no point did they tell me that booking wheel chair would mean that my mother would also lose her extra leg room seat that I paid for. A day before the flight I try and do online booking to find out that she has been moved miles away from me 24G which is right at the front and I am in 50K at the back. I called them and pleaded with them and told them that what they did was so wrong. She needs assistance with toileting and feeding. All they could say is "the thing is", "the thing is". No solution to a problem they have caused. Avoid this airline at all costs. This airline has left me a great deal of stress and distress

I would like to share the following experience on damaged baggage.
On 26 February I flew to Delhi from Colombo. On arrival I noticed that one of my suitcase was heavily damaged. Tried to find the staff and got hold of 2 young girls. They were helpless and asked me to send an email. When I insisted she gave me an email which was not correct.
I searched myself and finally found the right email.
Got an acknowledgment and was asked to wait for 10-12 working days.
I was asked to send the details again and the initial reply was that they will see if something can be done . After another 10 days they agreed and informed about the compensation amount and provide bank details.
After another 10 days or do I received a form where I was asked to fill the bank details.
They found some mistake in the form and had to send the rectified form.
Now finally after two and a half months the amount has been credited in my account.
To register a complaint time is needed, but even after that same time is required for follow up. It is really very strange.
Normally all airlines have staff at the airport or handling agents and things can be resolved on the spot.
In any case I am not using this airline again for sure.
Such a bad experience never again.

Very worst airline don't travel with this at all.
Staff not proper

I have been chasing my delay compensation since November 2024. Each time you called them, they will tell you the same story again and again – asking you to send all the complaints / enquiry to customer at xxxxx.com or reservations at xxxxx.com, call the headoffice in Colombo or will send an internal email on behalf and you will be contact soon.

It has been more than 5 months and I still waiting for my delay compensation.

They don’t reply to their customer’s email at all. All they care is your money. Appalling customer service. I would not recommend this airline if you are going to Sri Lanka. Avoid it at all cost.