Air Astana Business Class Review

When we booked our flights from Seoul to Almaty, we knew it wasn't one of the world's longest flights—that’s why we used Seoul as a stopover, after all (more about stopovers here). But after our Delta One upgrade, when we got the email about upgrading out of economy on Air Astana, we thought, why not?

Air Astana uses a bidding system for its unsold lie-flat business seats. And spoiler alert, I'm so glad we did it!

Not only was the upgrade to Air Astana’s lie flat business class significantly cheaper than booking business class from the start, but it ended up being the perfect springboard into what we knew was going to be a tiring trip.

Air Astana Upgrade Bidding Process

One thing I really appreciated about Air Astana is that they give eligible passengers the option to bid for an upgrade after booking their ticket.

The process was simple. You'll enter the amount you're willing to pay, and Air Astana shows a scale indicating how competitive your offer is. Obviously, the closer you are to the end of the range, the “better” your offer to them is. There wasn’t much guidance online about it, but Almaty isn’t an insanely popular or wealthy destination either. So we went with 15% above the minimum allowed amount, figuring we'd either get lucky or keep our money.

And it worked!

On our outbound flight to Almaty, only a handful of lie-flat seats remained empty, so it seems like everyone who bid ended up getting a seat. We also did the same on our return flight—which departed around midnight, the horror—had noticeably more empty business class seats.

If you're hoping to upgrade, late-night departures may give you slightly better odds, although that's purely based on our experience and not at all what logic would dictate.

Air Astana Business Class Seat Review

Okay this might be the most shocking statement of this entire review…

I actually preferred these seats to Delta One.

Now, I know that's probably a controversial opinion. Delta One Suites offer sliding privacy doors that create your own little cabin, while Air Astana has a much more open layout. But for me, the open design actually felt more spacious. I never felt boxed in, and getting in and out of the seat was easier without walls surrounding me. It helped that on our outbound flight to Almaty, Andrew and I were in the middle together. If I were next to a stranger, it might feel a little different.

Like most modern international business class seats, the seat converts into a fully flat bed, making it incredibly easy to sleep during the flight, which I absolutely did on our midnight return. There was also plenty of room to comfortably use my laptop, multiple charging ports for electronics, and a large entertainment screen directly in front of the seat.

Everything felt thoughtfully designed without being overly complicated.

Sleeping in Air Astana Business Class

Air Astana provides both a pillow and a blanket for overnight comfort. Unlike Delta One, however, there isn't a separate mattress pad.

Honestly? I didn't miss it.

The seat itself was comfortable enough that I slept really well without the extra layer. I do wish, however, for a larger or additional pillow 😂.

The only minor downside was temperature. Much like Delta One, I eventually found myself getting a little warm after being tucked under the blanket for a while—but only when I was in the middle. On our return flight, we had two seats by the windows and the temperature was far better and much more comfortable for sleeping.

Air Astana Business Class Food

Business class meals were delicious, with a variety of options both for food and drink. I ordered the chicken, while Andrew chose the fish, and we both really enjoyed our meals. The presentation felt much closer to restaurant service than traditional airline food, which is the type of boujee thing I love and why I think flying in economy again is going to break my heart.

I can’t speak for the food on the return flight because I was passed tf out from the moment we could put our chairs in the flat position until they told me I had to sit upright for landing again. There were several different options, though, and they told me the meal could be served at any time on the flight. I said maybe toward the end and then did not wake up in time. I wasn’t even mad about it LOL

Air Astana Business Class Amenities

Each passenger receives an amenity kit, and one unique touch was that Air Astana actually offers different kits based on gender. It's a small detail, but it makes the experience feel a little more personalized. Although Andrew’s bag contained a comb, which I said he could use for his arm hair instead of his head. Cue the notorious side eye 😂

Combined with the pillow, blanket, charging ports, entertainment system, and attentive cabin service, the overall experience felt polished from beginning to end. We actually had the same flight crew for both directions, and they remembered us both, including my questions about the allergens in each dish!

Air Astana Lounge at Incheon Airport

One perk of flying business class is lounge access before your flight, and the Air Astana Lounge at Incheon Airport was a fantastic place to relax before boarding. There was plenty of seating, a good selection of complimentary food, and self-serve drinks available throughout the lounge. My favorite feature? The massage chairs, of course.

After several days of walking around Seoul, my body was tired and sore. It’s an air massage chair, offering the perfect opportunity to decompress—pun absolutely intended—before getting on another flight.

Is Air Astana Business Class Worth It?

If you're paying full price, whether it's worth it will depend on your budget. But if you're able to win an upgrade through the bidding program? Absolutely.

The lie-flat seat alone completely changes the experience, especially if you're arriving in Kazakhstan ready to begin a road trip through the mountains. Instead of losing your first day to exhaustion, you arrive rested and ready to start exploring. And explore you will!

Plus, I liked Air Astana’s setup better than Delta One. While Delta's sliding doors provide more privacy, Air Astana's cabin felt more open and spacious, which ended up being more comfortable for me personally. "More features" don't always equal a better experience.

What I Loved

Comfortable lie-flat seats
Spacious cabin design
Easy upgrade bidding process
Excellent food
Large entertainment screen
Multiple charging ports
Lounge access at Incheon
Massage chairs in the lounge
Comfortable pillow and blanket

What Could Be Improved

Thicker/bigger pillow
Cabin temperature runs a little warm in the center seats