SriLankan Airlines Official Omdömen 

the severe damage to my checked baggage during my recent flight with Sri Lankan Airlines. I was travelling with my family from Chennai to Doha via Sri Lanka on 19/08/2026. Flight Details: * Flight Number: UL 128 MAA to CMB and UL 217 CMB to DOH * Departure / Destination: Chennai to Doha * Date of Travel: 19/08/2026 * Baggage Tag Number: 0603 UL 249685 and 0603 UL 249690 Upon arriving at Doha and retrieving my luggage from the baggage carousel, I discovered that my suit-case was damaged beyond repair. Specifically, the outer hard shell is cracked open and one of the wheels has been completely ripped off. Before checking in at Chennai, my bag was in excellent, fully functional condition. The level of damage sustained during transit indicates negligent handling. As per the Montreal Convention guidelines for baggage destruction or damage, I am requesting full replacement or reimbursement for the damaged luggage.

I am a Sri Lankan student studying in Germany, and I am incredibly frustrated and disappointed with Sri Lankan Airlines. Their so-called "student promotion" is an absolute scam designed to trick students into booking with them.

According to their website, the only requirements for the student promotion are purchasing a ticket directly from their official site and having a valid student status. The site also promises a decision within two working days. When those two days passed with zero communication, I had to chase them via email just to get them to start processing it. After jumping through their hoops and providing all my student documents, customer support denied the promotion because my itinerary includes a flight with a third-party airline.

This hidden criterion was never mentioned anywhere when I was applying. It is incredibly unfair and deceptive, especially considering I am flying 21 hours and 40 minutes with SriLankan Airlines and a mere 1 hour and 45 minutes on the other segment. When I pointed this out and asked if they could at least apply the promotion to my arrival flight, which is a direct SriLankan Airlines flight. The customer support completely ghosted me and stopped replying to my emails altogether.

This entire backward process is a massive waste of both employees' and students' time. Other airlines verify your status and apply student promotions right away during booking, rather than dragging both parties through a tedious, manual email chain just to find excuses to deny the discount at the end.

As a Sri Lankan and a customer, I expected much better from our national carrier. Do not fall for their fake student promotions. They are just using it as bait to get your money before leaving you in the dark.

Cancelled the ticket within 24 hours. Its been nearly 4 months and I escalated through multiple channels, no action so far except the useless replies. The ticket is still active. This appears to be the fund raising strategy of the airlines. I feel that the airline is counting the days before collapsing.

Extremely Disappointing and Unethical Experience

One of the worst airline experiences I have ever had. Extremely poor business ethics and absolutely terrible customer service.

We booked our flights months in advance, only for the airline to cancel our flight just days before departure. We were told that we could be rebooked onto the next available flight, but when we tried to do so, we were told they could not complete the rebooking because of a “system error.”

We called again the following day, only to be told that the alternative flight was now fully booked. We were then pushed towards another flight that was clearly not what we had originally booked or planned for.

At that point, we requested a full refund, which should have been a straightforward and reasonable request given that THEY cancelled our original flight. Shockingly, we were initially told that we could not receive a full refund.

The entire experience felt incredibly unfair and frustrating. From a customer's perspective, it is difficult not to feel that flights are being cancelled and passengers are being shuffled onto other flights for the airline's own operational and financial interests, while the inconvenience and cost are simply dumped onto paying customers.

If an airline allows customers to book flights months in advance, it has a responsibility to honour those bookings or provide a proper alternative when it cancels them. Cancelling a flight days before departure, failing to rebook passengers due to your own system problems, then claiming the replacement flight is full, and finally making customers fight for a refund is completely unacceptable.

This was not just an inconvenience. It completely disrupted our travel plans and created unnecessary stress and uncertainty at the last minute.

Terrible service. Poor communication. Poor handling of cancellations. Extremely disappointing customer treatment.

I would strongly think twice before booking with this airline again. Customers deserve much better than this.

I've flown with SriLankan Airlines for over 30 years, and this shambolic experience has destroyed any loyalty I had left.

I booked a flight through their website, and their own online form has a character limit that cut off part of my name mid word. This was entirely their system's failure. It simply didn't allow enough characters to enter my legal name in full. Yet somehow, this becomes my problem to fix.

Trying to get this corrected exposed a customer service operation that is, frankly, not fit for purpose:

WhatsApp "Chat with an Agent" — a joke. Messages sent, met with total silence.
Emails — ignored every single time. Don't bother.
Phone lines — practically inaudible, and calls go absolutely nowhere.
Ask to speak to a manager or supervisor and you're fobbed off with excuses that they're "busy." Insist, and you'll be left on hold for 10 minutes only to be handed back the exact same excuses, with nothing resolved.
After all that, the "solution" I was offered was to pay $25 to fix an error their own system caused.

This isn't customer service. It's a stonewall, dressed up to wear you down until you give up. Charging loyal, long standing customers to correct their own booking system's failure is nothing short of a scam, and it says everything about how little this airline values the people who've kept it in business for decades.

For a national carrier that claims to be a major international airline, this standard of customer service is simply not acceptable. An airline of this stature should be held to a far higher standard than this.

I'm relieved British Airways will soon be flying to Sri Lanka directly. After 30 years, I am done with SriLankan Airlines. Never again.

Absolutely unacceptable customer service from SriLankan Airlines.

My flight was cancelled by SriLankan Airlines on April 24, 2026, and I immediately submitted a formal refund request. More than three months later, I still have not received my money.

Despite having an official refund reference number and repeatedly trying to follow up, there has been no proper resolution, no clear refund date, and no acceptable explanation for why a straightforward refund for a flight the airline itself cancelled is taking this long.

Holding a passenger’s money for months after cancelling their flight is completely unacceptable. Customers should not have to repeatedly call, email, chase different departments, and escalate complaints simply to receive money they are owed.

This has been an extremely frustrating and disappointing experience and has seriously damaged my trust in SriLankan Airlines. Based on the way my refund has been handled, I would strongly hesitate to book with this airline again.

I will update this review if and when SriLankan Airlines finally resolves the matter.

I flew LHR/CMB round trip and had a really positive experience. All the crew I encountered were friendly and charming and I really enjoyed the food, 3 choices in economy is unheard of, and the salmon choice was an actual salmon fillet. My screen didn’t work both ways but wasn’t an issue for me as I always download my own content and read. But I can understand others frustration if they’re not prepared. Also whenever I asked for extra drinks between services this was never a problem and I loved how engaging the crew were and happy to chat. The only thing I didn’t understand was that on the return to London the 2nd service was done 5 hrs before arrival. Both flights left on time and arrived early.

Is there any option to give them zero star? They are the worst airlines I have ever seen. Unprofessional, lack of coordintion and sadly-lack of common sense. I dont want to write the details, as this will be waste of my time; in addition to last 24 hours time waste due to their flight delaying.

I am extremely disappointed with the way this airline handled my baggage. My luggage was damaged during the journey, and despite reporting the issue and providing the necessary details, the airline has refused to provide fair compensation.

What is most frustrating is not only the baggage mishandling itself, but also the way my complaint has been handled. I expected the airline to take responsibility and provide a reasonable solution, but instead I was left feeling that my genuine concern was not taken seriously.

Passengers trust airlines to handle their belongings with care. When baggage is damaged due to mishandling, the airline should take responsibility and treat the customer fairly.

Unfortunately, based on my experience, I cannot recommend this airline. I hope the airline reviews its baggage-handling procedures and customer service approach so other passengers do not face the same situation

I rarely leave negative reviews, but my experience with SriLankan Airlines has been extremely disappointing.

I requested a refund almost **four months ago**, and despite numerous emails and follow-ups, I still have not received my money. What's even more frustrating is that the airline has repeatedly failed to tell me how much I am actually due to be refunded. Every time I ask for an update, I am simply directed back to the online process with no clear answers or timescale.

The lack of communication and customer service has been unacceptable. As a customer, I expected transparency and timely updates, but instead I have been left chasing for months with no resolution.

I have now had to escalate the matter to the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

Based on my experience, I cannot recommend SriLankan Airlines. I hope they improve their customer service and refund process so that other passengers do not have to go through the same experience.

If I could give zero star, I would for this airline. We flew business class from Colombo to London. The food choices were appalling. Business class was quite empty and I can see why people are not buying business staff miserable and did not welcome at all. Avoid at all costs.

Truly full service airlines. Hundred times better than any Indian airlines.

As a first-time Business Class traveler on SriLankan Airlines (Colombo–Kathmandu, July 20), my experience was mixed. The ground services—including check-in, security, lounge access, and boarding—were smooth, and the seat was comfortable. However, the onboard experience fell short of Business Class standards. The inflight meal quality and overall onboard service were not as good as expected for a premium cabin. While the hard product met expectations, the soft product needs significant improvement to justify the premium fare.

I’m not sure why SriLankan Airlines receives some of the negative reviews it does, as our experience was excellent from start to finish. We flew from London to Colombo and back in Business Class, and the service was outstanding on both flights.
The cabin crew couldn’t do enough for us—they were attentive, friendly, and genuinely made us feel valued throughout the journey. The food was delicious and beautifully presented, and the Business Class seats were very comfortable. I managed to get a great night’s sleep on both flights, which made a huge difference.
From boarding to disembarkation, we were made to feel very special. We normally fly British Airways, but we’ve never experienced this level of service with them. Based on our experience, I would highly recommend SriLankan Airlines and would happily fly with them again.

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!