SriLankan Airlines Official Reviews 

The amount they charge for business class is not worth. Poor service, entertainment didn’t work in my seat. Paid for internet $10 for full flight messaging - useless. Hardly worked for 10 mins out of 10 hour flight.
Food is average, crew takes ages to serve food. Not recommended.

We (myself, husband and two sons)flew from Colombo to Heathrow flight UL 503 on 9 July 2026 Business class. The biggest disappointment for us was the service and food. The female cabin crew who served us were not warm or welcoming. Instead, they came across as cold, unfriendly and reluctant to help, as though even simple requests were an inconvenience. The business class cabin was far from full, so it wasn’t as though they were rushed or under significant pressure.

The catering was also extremely poor. My seafood starter arrived frozen, with the salmon still like a block of ice. The same happened to my son’s starter. The staff were not bothered. No suitable alternative was offered to him. I was given a vegetarian option, which was inedible, followed by a beef dish that was so tough I couldn’t cut it with my knife. My husband had exactly the same issue with his beef. In the end, my meal consisted of nothing more than a bowl of fruit and pudding!

Even basic requests were handled poorly. When I asked for an extra bottle of water, I was told I still had half a bottle left, despite simply wanting more water to stay hydrated during the flight. My son also found it difficult to get a bottle of water!

Later in the flight, my husband asked if we could each have a cup of tea. Again, the request seemed to be met with an air of reluctance. The tea arrived with powdered milk, even though fresh milk was clearly available. Given the attitude we had experienced throughout the flight, we genuinely didn’t feel comfortable asking if we could have fresh milk instead.

Overall, the service lacked warmth, professionalism and attentiveness, and the quality of the food was totally unacceptable for a business class cabin. We left the flight feeling disappointed and, frankly, surprised that this was the standard being offered. Unfortunately, this was the worst business class experience we have had and we never want to fly with this airline again.

My Worst Airline Experience Ever before boarding – A Warning to Every Traveler
I am extremely disappointed and frustrated with SriLankan Airlines. This has been, without question, the worst customer service experience I have ever had.
I booked airtickets from SriLankan Airlines because I wanted to support our national airline, even though the tickets were more expensive than those offered by other airlines. I believed paying extra would mean better service. I couldn't have been more wrong.
A small correction was needed to match the passport details. Instead of correcting the name on the ticket, SriLankan Airlines told me that they cannot issue a ticket with the correct name. Their solution? Cancel the ticket and buy a brand-new one.
That means I have to:
Pay cancellation charges.
Pay the higher fare for a new ticket because prices have increased.
Bear the entire financial loss for something that many airlines handle with a simple name correction.
What disappointed me even more was the response I received to my email request. I was simply told: (Attached below).
"We regret to inform you that, since another airline is involved in the booking, we are unable to amend the name."
That was the response—without any solution, guidance, or attempt to help resolve the issue.
As a customer, I found this response to be completely unprofessional. Is this really the standard of customer service that SriLankan Airlines wants to provide? If many other airlines can process genuine name corrections, why can't our national airline?
To make matters even worse, they refused to take responsibility for boarding if I kept the existing ticket. They also instructed me to obtain confirmation from the connecting airline—a task that should be handled by the airline issuing the ticket.
When I contacted the other airline, they clearly told me to contact SriLankan Airlines, because they are the airline that issued the ticket and that should be the correct procedure as per my knowledge.
So here I am, being pushed back and forth between airlines while no one is willing to solve a problem that should have been straightforward.
Many airlines allow genuine name corrections, sometimes for an administrative fee. SriLankan Airlines, however, expects customers to cancel their tickets, lose money, and pay today's much higher fares.
As a Sri Lankan, I chose to support our national airline. I expected professionalism, responsibility, and customer care. Instead, I received excuses, inconvenience, and unnecessary financial loss.
In my opinion, this level of customer service is completely unacceptable. My first experience with SriLankan Airlines has been nothing short of horrible.
This will be my first and last booking with SriLankan Airlines. I will never book with them again, and I will never recommend SriLankan Airlines to anyone.

The staff extremely patient..the flight I went with had crying children and rude passengers but the staff navigated through it patiently and did not neglect other passengers they were even kind to each other which created a very pleasant environment to be in. The in-flight entertainment was excellent free of charge with headsets provided at the start of flight and taken in the end ..seats are extremely comfortable with a small throw pillow ..The food was fantastic ..i took the non-veg chicken korma with rice and vegetables and it was excellent with flavour ..i also received side of potatoe salad and gulag jamun ....you can choose between tea / coffee..the creamer provided was top notch not any watered down milk that you get at certain airlines. You can choose your beverage between frizzy drinks , juice, even wine and beer for free.. I think the food really matters because after long hours of check in and transits ..honestly good food makes it better.

I and my friend used Sri lankan Air to travel to Sri Lanka in June.
Out bound flight -UL 504 15/6/26
Return Flight UL 503- 25/6/26
Vegetarian food was booked for both flights- confirmed by email 15/6/26.

Outward flight - staff insisted we had booked vegan food-woulds’y have minded except that it was really horrid food, plus raw veg and raw fruit. Revolting. Couldn’t access the email that showed what we had booked but staff said it would make no difference anyway.
Clearly had no intention of helping us at all.

Return Flight.
Vegan food again! I still could not access the email but again staff not interested. Yet more revolting vegan food- we could see the vegetarian options around us- looked quite decent compared to plain dry tofu, plain dry rice, single piece of very overcooked broccoli that we were given with more raw veg and fruit. Really horrid food.
The return flight was also unpleasant many other ways- my friend was next to an incredibly overweight person who took up a good third of my friends seat- staff did nothing to help. This person was with family who were sitting beside her- she could have been asked to move along the row and swap with a family member, but no, the staff would not do this.
Meanwhile I am seated next to a man who didn’t seem to be in control of his limbs, so a cup of coffee just placed on my table, is thrown all over me, and down the back of the seat so it went all over my phone and ipad, and then dripped on to my belongings under the seat - how he managed this without upsetting his own table is beyond me! So now I’m dripping with coffee, and need to clean everything up. I go to the staff at the back near to where I am sitting- the coffee is clearly to be seen on my clothes, but the staff seem not to be able to understand anything I say, or to see what the problem might be!!!!! I ask for cloths- they don’t understand, I point at the coffee dripping off my clothes- they don’t understand. So I grab some cloths and go back to clear up. I go back for more cloths and request help- what a waste of time. Absolutely nothing was forthcoming from any member of staff- I was quite shocked - even on really budget airlines I have always observed or experienced staff going out of their way to help people who like me have had coffee or tea thrown over them, but not Air Lanka staff. (and at the time this happened they were just chatting to each other- not busy).
Having resigned myself to putting up with coffee stained clothes and shoes in which I had to travel back on public transport- very unpleasant, I tried to watch a film on the in flight entertainment. The film constantly just stopped, and could only be restarted from the beginning again so I gave up on this- didn’t “bother” the staff with this issue as it was clear they had no interest in any problems passengers had, and probably couldn’t punch their way out of a paper bag, much less resolve a technical issue.
I am really quite shocked at the lack of service we experienced on Sri Lanka Airlines- I’m extremely glad nothing really serious happened, I have no faith that the staff would have been able to deal with anything serious, are they even trained?

SriLankan stornierte Mitte Juni unseren Flug Ende Juli von Colombo nach Jakarta per SMSD und E-Mail.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dear ....
SriLankan Airlines regrets to inform you that your flight UL 0364 from CMB to CGK on Wed, Jul 22, 2026 has now been cancelled.
Please contact your nearest SriLankan Airlines office/Travel Agent/Global Contact Centre.
We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience.
SriLankan
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In der E-Mail stand noch nicht mal eine Kontaktnummer. Anyway.
Das Office in Deutschland kann hier nicht helfen, da es nur für Flüge von Frankfurt nach Colombo zuständig ist. Außerdem sagten sie mir, de Flug sei ja noch aktiv. Ich solle morgen noch mal anrufen.
Also am nächsten Tag noch mal angerufen. Die deutsche Hotline ist zumindest freundlich und schnell erreichbar. Dafür gebe ich einen Punkt:) Nun hieß es, sie finden den Flug nicht mehr im System und ich solle eine Mail schreiben nach Sri Lanka. Sie gaben mit drei E-Mail-Adressen. Habe ich auch getan. Da Alternativflüge inzwischen (binnen eines Tages ) um 50% im Preis gestiegen waren und SriLankan auf der Strecke keine Alternative hatte, hatte ich dann mit Malaysian einen Alternative gebucht.
SriLankan hatte ich damit zu einem vollständigen Refund aufgefordert. Das ist auch die normale Standardoption, wenn eine Airline cancelt und keine Alternativen anbietet.
Daraufhin gab es nur Schweigen von SriLankan:
• Chat auf der Website: Wird abgebrochen, wenn man „flight cancelt“ erwähnt
• Das Refund-Formular findet den Flug nicht
• Auf E-Mails an die refund-Abteilung kommt keine Antwort
• Auf E-Mails an die den Support kommt keine Antwort
• Auf das Beschwerde-Formular gibt es eine Bestätigung der Beschwerde aber sonst nichts
• Die Hotline in Sri Lanka hat eine Badansage aber auch nach mehreren Versuchen die insgesamt 90 Minuten dauerten, geht keiner ran, oder es wird aufgelegt. Anrufe nach Sri Lanka kosten 1 Euro die Minute im Festnetz.
Ich habe mittlerweile ein VISA-Charge-Back Verfahren bei meiner Bank mit 20 Seiten Attachments initiiert.
SriLankan Airlines? Nie wieder!

Extremely disappointed with the staff at Gate 9 for SriLankan Airlines flight UL503 on 29 June 2026 (12:10 boarding). The baggage check was handled unfairly, with obvious favouritism towards some passengers. My hand luggage was only 1 kg over the limit, and I wasn’t even given the option to pay for the excess. I was simply told “no.”

The lady in the dark blue saree was very rude, disrespectful, and lacked basic customer service. The two gentlemen at the boarding gate also appeared to treat passengers differently. As a paying customer, I expected professionalism and respect, but instead I left feeling humiliated. SriLankan Airlines should investigate the staff on duty at Gate 9 that day. After this experience, I will think twice before flying with this airline again.

Dire booking experience. Four attempts, stored information not retireved multiple bot challenges cannot change incorrect stored information. Airport experience similar. If you travel to India usually they use a downstairs cupboard as the gate. Standing room only. So sad such a nice country. Anyone with talent tries to leave. IT morons left behind.

My experience flying with SriLankan Airlines from Heathrow to Madurai was extremely disappointing and frustrating. From the beginning of the journey, the service fell far below my expectations. The staff were unhelpful and lacked professionalism when dealing with passengers. Communication regarding flight procedures and passenger assistance was poor.

The flight experience itself was uncomfortable. The cabin appeared poorly maintained, the seating was not comfortable for a long journey, and the overall service quality was disappointing. The food served was below average, and there was little attention given to passenger comfort throughout the trip.

The transit and baggage handling process was also frustrating, causing unnecessary stress and inconvenience. Instead of enjoying my journey, I spent most of the time dealing with avoidable issues and poor customer service.

Overall, this was one of the worst airline experiences I have ever had. Based on my experience, I would not choose SriLankan Airlines again for future travel, and I would not recommend it to friends or family. There are many other airlines that provide better service, comfort, and reliability.

Unverschämt!!!

Die eigentliche Gepäckverspätung war ärgerlich, aber so etwas kann bei jeder Fluggesellschaft vorkommen.

Was mich wirklich enttäuscht hat, war der Umgang von SriLankan Airlines danach.

Unser Gepäck wurde verspätet ausgeliefert, wodurch wir für eine fünfköpfige Familie notwendige Ersatzkäufe tätigen mussten. Nach langem Schriftverkehr hat SriLankan Airlines den Anspruch schließlich anerkannt und selbst einen Vergleich angeboten.

Diesen Vergleich habe ich akzeptiert. Die von SriLankan Airlines geforderten Unterlagen – unterschriebene Freistellungserklärung, Passkopie und Bankverbindung – wurden vollständig eingereicht.

Seitdem herrscht jedoch weitgehend Funkstille.

Trotz mehrfacher Nachfragen über viele Wochen hinweg:

* keine Auszahlung,
* keine nachvollziehbare Statusinformation,
* keine konkrete Aussage zum Zahlungszeitpunkt,
* keine erkennbare Kundenorientierung.

Besonders enttäuschend ist, dass es inzwischen nicht mehr um die ursprüngliche Gepäckverspätung geht. Der Fall war bereits geklärt. SriLankan Airlines hatte selbst einen Vergleich angeboten, der von uns angenommen wurde. Trotzdem wird die Angelegenheit nicht abgeschlossen.

Für eine nationale Fluggesellschaft ist ein derartiger Umgang mit Kundenbeschwerden und vereinbarten Erstattungen aus meiner Sicht nicht akzeptabel.

Sollte die vereinbarte Zahlung noch erfolgen und der Fall ordnungsgemäß abgeschlossen werden, werde ich diese Bewertung selbstverständlich entsprechend aktualisieren.

Not even worth a single star. My experience was extremely disappointing. My elderly mother and I arrived at the Colombo airport more than three hours before our scheduled flight, yet we were denied boarding stating flight was full and left waiting for hours with little communication. Despite requesting wheelchair assistance in advance, the situation was handled poorly and without empathy.

What concerned me even more was witnessing other passengers facing similar difficulties. I observed an elderly transit passenger travelling onward to London who appeared confused and required assistance. At one point, I felt compelled to stay with her and help until arrangements were made, as she had difficulty walking and seemed unsure of what to do. I also met another passenger whose journey to Kochi had been disrupted and who was reportedly rerouted through another city.

The counter staff's attitude was unhelpful, and the manager's response was disappointing. While alternative arrangements were eventually provided, the lack of communication, poor customer care, and inadequate support for vulnerable passengers created a stressful and upsetting experience.

Based on my experience, I would advise travellers with elderly parents, young children, or passengers requiring special assistance to carefully consider their options. I am still unclear about the basis on which boarding was denied despite arriving well in advance of the flight. The entire ordeal was exhausting, stressful, and turned what should have been a straightforward journey into a nightmare. International airlines should treat passengers, especially elderly travellers and those requiring assistance, with greater respect, professionalism, and compassion.

Stay Away From Booking Directly with SriLankan Airlines

I booked a Business Class ticket directly with SriLankan Airlines. After the airline made a significant schedule change, I exercised my right to a refund and submitted my request more than 35 days ago.

Since then, I have sent over 10 emails, made multiple phone calls, provided the information requested, and received repeated assurances that my case was being reviewed. Yet no refund has been processed and no meaningful update has been provided.

As a Business Class passenger, I expected at least basic customer service. Instead, I experienced complete silence, endless delays, and zero accountability.

The lack of response has left me with no option but to escalate the matter to the relevant European aviation authorities and pursue other remedies.

1. The inflight entertainment did not work, despite the crew's attempts to reset it.
2. My tray table was broken and the crew advised me to put the pillow (plus the one from the spare seat next to me) across my lap to rest the table on to prevent my meal from slipping forwards onto me!

The crew's solution to all this was to move me to another spare seat. As my two other travellers and I had PAID in advance to sit together, I was reluctant to move.

3. I read a whole book from cover to cover and then in absolute boredom on this daytime flight, decided to watch the screen for spare seat 29E, but this was not an ideal viewing position and the headset had only one speaker working!

We had travelled out in Business and this Economy experience was an awful 11+hours. I think the least they could do is apologise and return the money we paid for the reserved seating.

Very disappointed in that although I have a case number, there's still no response after 3 months olf trying!

Generally I dnt fly Sri Lankan unless in rare cases and I’ve always had bad experience but this time…

I’d like to express my sincere appreciation for one of your cabin crew members, Chithmi, who worked on my recent flight from Melbourne to Colombo. 12th June 2026 UL605

I travel frequently and usually fly with other international carriers, so this was one of my first experiences with SriLankan Airlines in a long time. I’ll be honest — I wasn’t expecting what I got.
Chithmi was remarkable. She checked on passengers consistently throughout the flight, helped elderly travellers with blankets and water without being asked, and made sure every Sri Lankan heading home was welcomed with a warm cup of Ceylon tea. That small gesture said everything — it wasn’t just service, it was genuine care.
When I asked for an extra meal, she went out of her way to find one for me. And at the end of the flight, she still had that same warmth and smile she carried from the very beginning.
In all my years of flying, I have rarely come across someone who combines professionalism and genuine human warmth at that level. She made me feel looked after — not just as a passenger, but as a person. I haven’t felt that cared for on a SriLankan Airlines flight in a very long time.
Chithmi is a rare find and a true ambassador for SriLankan Airlines. I hope this recognition reaches her and the entire team. She deserves every bit of it.
Thank you. 🇱🇰

Very bad experience customer service for cancellation ticket and refund
World no 1 cheating airline

Extremely disappointed with SriLankan Airlines’ customer service.

I cancelled my ticket within 24 hours of booking and was informed by their customer support that I was entitled to a full refund. Despite this, EUR 145 was deducted from my refund without any valid explanation.

What is even more frustrating is that I have been trying to resolve this issue for over five months. I have sent multiple emails and follow-up requests, yet I have received little to no response from the airline. The lack of communication and accountability has been unacceptable.

As someone who works hard abroad to earn a living, every euro matters. It is disappointing to see a major airline show so little regard for its customers when handling legitimate refund claims.

I expected much better from SriLankan Airlines. Until this matter is resolved, I cannot recommend their customer service based on my experience.

Terrible service. I was waiting to get a compensation for my broken luggage over one month.
Non of the responsible people are not responding for e mails or anything.

It’s worth over 120 £ which they approved 64 usd as compensation.
However, I haven’t received it yet.

Shameful service.

I returned to England on January 5 and immediatlely sent an email to Customer Services complaining about various matters on both the outward and the return flights. Beyond an acknowledgment and being told that I would hear from the airline within a certain number of days, I have heard nothing further. In the meanwhile I have emailed customer services at least 4 more times. I heard nothing. Then I emailed the CEO and still heard nothing. Pretty poor service and not even an apology. My complaints were as follows
UL 504 20 Dec. Seat 7A (Business class)
UL 503 5 Jan Seat 2K (Business class)
I was not happy with either flight as follows
Outward
The plane was freezing
A panel at my feet kept falling off and getting in my way
The television was not working properly and there were lines through the picture
The chief steward came round at the start of the flight and introduced himself. This seemed to augur well but that was virtually the last one saw of him. Every time I visited the toilet, he was sitting down and on his mobile phone while the women did the work. Perhaps that set the tone for the stewards whom one of my companions correctly described as brusque
Snacks - I thought these were supposed to be available but they were never offered.
Return
In the lounge, the hot meal service and adjacent counter were shut down for at least half an hour for a meal change. Too long a shut down
The plane was slightly warmer
The television was a complete disaster. While watching a film I saw the notice about waiting and your entertainment will be restored shortly at least 12 times and that was AFTER I began counting. At first I thought it related to all screens and then realized that other people's screens were working as they should. When I turned to a half hour TV programme the interruption occurred 3 times. All very unsatisfactory

SriLankan Airlines cancelled my flight on [28th of March] and has failed to issue a refund after 2+ months. Despite repeated follow-ups, I received no resolution and was forced to file a credit card dispute. If there 0 star I would've given it to them. They don't respond to emails and looks like they didn't want to process the refund. Please be aware and avoid this airlines.

I wish to formally express my dissatisfaction regarding the handling of my missing baggage claim by SriLankan Airlines under reference AHL – MAAUL34886 / Ref 152670.

Despite repeated correspondence and submission of the requested information, the matter was handled with a concerning lack of transparency, professionalism, and customer accountability. The responses received were largely repetitive in nature and failed to address the substantive concerns raised regarding the actual value of the lost baggage and the inconvenience caused.

Most notably, the airline unilaterally declared the matter “final and binding” without providing a detailed justification for the compensation assessment or offering a meaningful review process. Such an approach reflects poorly on the standards expected from an international carrier entrusted with passenger property and customer care responsibilities.

The communication process demonstrated limited willingness to engage constructively or escalate the matter to an authorized decision-maker for fair reassessment. The compensation proposed appears inadequate in relation to the documented loss and the disruption experienced as a result of the incident.

Passengers reasonably expect transparency, procedural fairness, and responsive customer service when legitimate claims are raised. Unfortunately, my experience with SriLankan Airlines in this matter has fallen significantly short of those expectations.

I sincerely hope the airline undertakes improvements in its baggage claim procedures, customer relations practices, and dispute resolution standards to prevent similar experiences for other passengers in the future.