SriLankan Airlines Official Reviews 

385
TrustScore 1.5 out of 5

1.7

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Considering 111 reviews, most reviewers were let down by their experience overall. Customers frequently encountered issues with the service, including significant flight delays without explanation and problems with baggage handling. Many also expressed dissatisfaction with the customer service, citing unresponsiveness, long resolution times, and a general lack of helpfulness from staff. Reviewers often found the pricing to be unfair, especially regarding seat selection and unexpected additional costs. The response time from customer care was consistently poor, with many waiting extended periods for replies or resolutions. Some people also felt that the cabin crew could be rude, inattentive, or unprofessional, leading to uncomfortable journeys. Conversely, a small portion of people felt satisfied with the staff, highlighting specific staff members for their professionalism and genuine care. These positive experiences often mentioned comfortable flights and good service, suggesting occasional positive interactions despite the overall negative sentiment.

What people talk about most

Service

People report negative experiences with service, with many reviewers expressing shock and disappointment at... See more

Staff

Reviewers mention ambiguous feedback about staff, with many customers expressing dissatisfaction with their... See more

Customer service

Clients share negative opinions on customer service, with many reviewers expressing extreme disappointment... See more

Price

Consumers express significant dissatisfaction with pricing, often feeling that costs are excessively high and... See more

Response time

Customers consistently express disappointment with response times, frequently reporting complete silence,... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Terrible service! Please avoid travelling via Srilanka Airlines. The ground staff have no clue how to manage check-ins. They decided to let a minor sit by himself, when questioned they had no... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Paid for extra leg seats outbound and inbound. Seats were not available when we checked in. Tried emailing to confirm our seat numbers but no emails are returned. Tried to resolve this with thwir... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Very disappointed with SriLankan Airlines. For years I could select my seat when booking online (except extra legroom), but now they charge for all seats. They only open free seat selection 48 hours b... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Flying business class on Sri Lankan Airlines with OneWorld Sapphire and yet my checked bag never made it onto my flight. And zero help from the airline in locating it even 24 hours later. Inflight e... See more


1.7

Bad

TrustScore 1.5 out of 5

385 reviews

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1.7

All reviews

(385)

115 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Our flight UL166 from Kochi

Our flight UL166 from Kochi, scheduled to depart at 10:20 AM, was delayed until 12 PM. Consequently, we missed our connecting flight from Colombo to London. The staff later mentioned that the flight did not wait for us as other passengers on the flight would miss their connections. Does that mean our time and money are of no value? Are we traveling for free?

The customer service at Colombo airport was extremely poor. We were not informed that we had missed our flight. A staff member just asked us to follow him, and we thought he was trying to expedite our transfer to the London flight. He told us we missed the flight only when I specifically asked him. The staff then nonchalantly suggested we wait until the next day's afternoon flight, offering free accommodation and travel as if this was a satisfactory solution. Don’t assume everyone will be happy to accept anything given for free.

Our trip was not a leisure visit to Sri Lanka, and this unexpected delay caused us to lose over 12 hours. I was scheduled to return to work on Monday, the 15th, after a three-week holiday due to a family emergency. This disruption made it very difficult at work, as I had to negotiate additional leave. Furthermore, I was traveling with my four-year-old daughter and my elderly parents with health issues, which made the situation even more challenging.

After an hour of conversation with the staff, they suggested a flight from Colombo to London via Riyadh. We had to agree to this as it was the only option available. Another solution suggested by the staff was that I could take a night flight if I had to return to work, while the rest of my family stayed until the next day due to insufficient seats. This was an unreasonable and impractical suggestion. The entire journey was made hectic due to this delay.

Additionally, the food served on the Colombo to Riyadh flight was pathetic, and the flight from Kochi was untidy. This was my first and last travel experience with your airline.

14 July 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Worse airlines ever. You should rather swim

Im being forced to give 1 star (as you cant rate them zero) which they dont even deserve. Worst airline and travelling experience for someone who flies frequently with several airlines. I booked this flight due to a family emergency (funeral) as it was the quickest one from LHR to LHE, with only one hour layoff. The flight was 2 hours delayed, missed my connecting flight. And the next flight from colombo to LHE was 12 hours away. I was provided with two meals (lunch and dinner) and a hotel room. The room looks like a rehab cell, no windows, AC takes an hour to bring room to bearable temperature and the TV cable is from 1930s. No mini fridge thus the water bottle was boiling. The lunch and dinner were same (plain rice and chicken curry) no other option to choose from. The inflight experience was even worse. It was a 10hours journey from LHR to colombo, however due to delay it took over 12 hours. The audio was not working on my seat and as the flight was fully booked, u couldn’t even switch seat and ended up sitting there staring at the blank screen due to no freaking audio available and nothing to do for 12 HOURS. Least I requested was an upgrade after all this from colombo to LHE but these greedy people want more money, even though alot of seats are available. I made a complaint and the guy at the counter just smiled and said i have to pay more (not even apologetic). Writing this review from the airport. Still waiting for my flight. Please never book with Srilankan Airlines. I need to be compensated as I am late for a funeral and this experience is unacceptable for the amount of money i have paid for this dodgy airlines

23 June 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

PLEASE AVOID THIS AIRLINE IF YOU CARE…

PLEASE AVOID THIS AIRLINE IF YOU CARE ABOUT GETTING TO YOUR DESTINATION ON TIME!!!
Caused me to miss my connecting flight and the next available one was 12 hours later!!! I had booked this in an emergency and couldn’t even get there in time. What’s the point. I need my money back or some kind of compensation!

23 June 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

This is the worst airline in the entire…

This is the worst airline in the entire world. It will surely collapse under the weight of it's own sin and be thrown into the fiery pits of hell for all eternity. There is no customer service (as in, you can't contact anyone, all the phone numbers don't work and their emails/Whatsapp is basically useless). They cancel your flights and cause you to miss connecting flights. NEVER FLY THIS AIRLINE.

15 June 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Merely contributing to the scores of…

Merely contributing to the scores of bad reviews for reason of:
Horrible customer service, lost time and funds in attempts to right any wrongs, website functionality, missing flight rewards, failures to honour travel vouchers, but primarily: lack of appropriate (or any) response to legitimate enquiries/concerns.
Conversely, in-person service on actual flights has always been commendable.

27 May 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

SriLankan Airlines Unresponsive

I flew SriLankan Airlines, a member of OneWorld, on two occasions (1) from DEL to CMB on 18 Apr 2024 (2) CMB to DEL on 17 May 2024. I wanted to claim airline mileage with my OneWorld frequent flyer program which is American Airlines´ AAdvantage. I submitted flight details and boarding passes to AAdvantage but website does not recognize the flights and sent me to SriLankan Airlines. I approached two SriLankan Airlines representatives at the airport. The first was outright unhelpful and disrespectful and the second gave me SriLankan Airlines’ email address for customer assistance. I corresponded via email but after several back-and-forths, the issue remains unresolved.
As of 06Jul2024, air miles were credited - thanks to American Airlines´ AAdvantage.

18 April 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Boycott!

My worst flight experience! I found myself unexpectedly stranded for 48 hours in a transit city Colombo I had not intend to visit yet. This predicament arose due to the abrupt cancellation of my connecting flight by Sri Lankan Airlines just before boarding. Passengers were conveniently lied to that the flight was merely postponed and provided with unofficial handwritten schedules that proved to be false. Sri Lankan Airlines demonstrated a lack of accountability and failed to make proactive efforts to arrange replacement flights. The airport became a scene of chaos with passengers, both crying adults and children from many flights, screaming their frustrations and fighting for their rights. Some endured waits of over 18 hours without any accommodation provided. Eventually, after much of my own efforts, a replacement flight was secured, although not without additional mishaps, including a failure to honour promised airport transfer and errors in passenger booking and luggage handling. Those who did not take action were left waiting for over a week for a replacement flight. Replies from the thrashy airline's customer service were slow and only received with continuous follow-ups. They ultimately refused to cover all direct costs incurred as a result of the cancellation. While flight cancellations due to non-natural reasons or incompetence may be inevitable, the unethical and dishonest handling of the cancellation by Sri Lankan Airlines was deeply concerning. Other airlines that fly to the region include Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Oman Air, Gulf Air and Turkish Airlines, among others. If there are other flight options, boycott!

28 September 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

A 4 hour delay from midnight with no information

A 4 hour delay from midnight with no information or refreshments was bad enough. Customer Affairs only try to avoid answering any questions about compensation and Live Chat refers me back to ...Customer Affairs.
Avoid Sri Lankan Airlines at all cost.

25 February 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Never Fly with Sri Lankan Air

Baggages not delivered at Heathrow Airport which contains important items for wedding. Lost gifts from family and friends. Purposely mishandled baggage and I have the evidence for it.

18 May 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

This should be minus -1

This should be minus 1 . Do not use this airline even if the price is right. Totally unreliable, no communication skills and they just send holding e mails when you contact them. My flight was cancelled late at night until the following day. I missed one day of my trip and was legally entitled to compensation. They refuse to pay and it is now 3 months. I am taking legal action for myself and two friends but it is time consuming. Flight UL 504 27 February 2024 London to Columbo

27 February 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

We pre booked and paid for our seats 3…

We pre booked and paid for our seats 3 months before our flight.
We were given different seats I explained we had pre booked & was advised cabin crew would sort it out on board .
They didn’t .
The seats we paid £120 for had been resold the week before our flight & those were the passengers sat in the seats.
It was so upsetting.
Cabin supervisor said contact Sri Lankan airlines when home for refund.
It took 4 months of almost daily emails to them which 90% were not even acknowledged before our money was eventually refunded but again after that email , which advised it would take up to another 20 days for our money to reach our account it took another month.
Absolutely awful experience & we will not reuse Sri Lankan airlines.
I don’t understand how by law they can re sell seats that are already sold .

21 January 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Srilankan Airlines is the worst

Hey everyone,

My recent flight with SriLankan Airlines was an absolute nightmare. As a Sri Lankan citizen and a student in Malaysia, I thought supporting our national carrier was the right move. Boy, was I wrong!

I show up at the airport ready to go, only to be told my seat was given away because the flight was full. Ended up taking a detour through Chennai with a three-hour layover before finally reaching Malaysia. Not cool, especially when I had booked a direct flight.

To make matters worse, the person at the boarding pass desk was so rude and ignorant! Tried to sort things out at the boarding desk, but they couldn't care less. Forced me onto a transit flight without a second thought.

To top it off, my baggage decided to take a detour of its own to Chennai! So there I was, stranded in Malaysia without my stuff.

Lesson learned: Avoid SriLankan Airlines at all costs if you want an easier trip. Save yourself the headache and go with a different airline.

5 May 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Here's a very bad review based on the…

Here's a very bad review based on the experience you described with SriLankan Airways:

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Title: Unprecedented Disappointment with SriLankan Airways

I am utterly appalled by my recent experience with SriLankan Airways. My flight was abruptly cancelled without any explanation provided, leaving me and other passengers in utter confusion and disarray. The lack of communication was astounding. Despite numerous attempts, I received zero response from their customer service. Even more frustrating, no one at the UK office seemed capable of picking up the phone or responding to emails, including the head of the department, whose involvement in resolving the issue was non-existent.

The absence of basic customer support and accountability is not only disappointing but also unacceptable for an airline of its stature. This experience has significantly diminished my trust and confidence in SriLankan Airways, and I am left with no choice but to advise others to reconsider booking with an airline that shows such disregard for its customers.

1 May 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Disregard for passengers

On the final day of our honeymoon Sri Lanka Airlines helped to ruin it. They didn't check us in for our full journey (which we didn't know) causing us to miss our third and final flight. Their partner airline Malaysia Airlines forced us to wait in a 1 hour 15 minute queue at the transfer desk only to turn us away and say it was too soon until our flight. Upon calling Sri Lanka Airlines they offered absolutely no support to help us get another flight. We also found out the airline marked us as no show - a major security concern as records clearly showed we flew from Colombo to KL and this was not our final destination. Neither airline made any effort to find us at the airport despite us being at the correct location. I believe the airline never wanted us on the third flight as we found out our baggage was never sent to the plane and we kept having staff lie to us and give us conflicting information. We had to book a new flight for $1200 (although Malaysia Airlines tried to charge us $2400 from KL - Perth) and have been provided not even one dollar of compensation. I am absolutely disgusted by this experience and will never fly with either airline ever again.

15 February 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Terible experiance avoid at all costs

absolute crooks, delayed by over 36 hours getting home due to missed connection. No F*cks given, put into a dirty hotel but they do not care or give a dam and no compensation given. Avoid at all costs as Zero customer service or support

25 February 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Cockroaches on the plane

Cockroaches on the plane - crawling on our seats and on the tray tables and extremely unhelpful staff. My complaint has still not been acknowledged 4 months later after multiple attempts to speak with someone. Never fly with them

5 February 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

A very long flight

The food was not very nice, the movies were all old films and the service although reasonable they never tell you when or what the cause of any delays were. And 10 hours of poor food and poor films does not make for a good flight/holiday

8 April 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

The staff are lovely but...

The staff are lovely but.... for the third time I have had a non working TV on the flight. 10 hours with no entertainment is difficult. I have also in the past had a broken food tray that red wine slipped off and covered me and a 4 hour wait for headphones on the rare occasion my TV was working. Sent complaints before that have never been responded too. If I visit sri lanka for a 6th time I will try Emirates. Can't be any worse!

1 April 2024
Unprompted review

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