It's not everyday you get to board the national airline of a country most people can't even locate on a map. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't giddy with excitement to try Azerbaijan Airlines. The largely overlooked carrier is surprisingly relevant for some crafty fliers due to Azerbaijan's strategic location between Europe and Central Asia, rendering it an efficient spot for connections.

With that being said, what is it like on-board Azerbaijan's flag carrier? Join me today as I try Azerbaijan Airlines's regional A319 business class product from Jeddah to their hub in Baku. Could AZAL maybe be the world's most overlooked airline? Read on to find out.

The Jeddah North Terminal Experience

Jeddah's King Abdulaziz Airport has several terminals — each of which provides a different passenger experience. Most passenger flights leave from the new modern Terminal 1 but Azerbaijan Airlines flights (along with several low cost carriers) still depart from the old North Terminal. The North Terminal is so old and out of the way that my Uber driver couldn't believe I had a flight leaving from there and instead dropped me at Terminal 1.

I proceeded to run around like a lost puppy before getting assisted by an off duty Saudi Border Guard who spoke no english but was keen to help me make my flight. Another twenty minute Uber ride later (the terminals are really far apart) and I finally got dropped within walking distance of the correct terminal. My new driver couldn't find it either and had to ask a construction worker on the side of the road for assistance.

Azerbaijan Airlines Check-in was tucked in a back corner of the terminal and was staffed with a few very helpful check-in agents. My agent was nice and professional, getting me quickly checked in after validating my Azerbaijani Visa. Business class passengers get a special check-in line that made no difference since all the check-in lines were empty when I arrived.

Security and passport control started with an impromptu document check-point before being allowed to enter the security/passport line. A small crowd formed as passengers arrived quicker than the airport workers could process resulting in a few arguments breaking out and one man getting thrown out of the terminal. I kept my head down and eventually got through.

Passport Control was quick but security took longer with a roughly 30 minute wait (on top of the initial queue to get in the line). I could not find any sort of priority or business class line.

The North Terminal itself was nothing to write home about. It was loud, crowded, and had minimal food/shopping options. The gate areas were also small and didn't have anywhere near enough seats. The space has a sort of "bus terminal" like atmosphere and is in need of a refresh. I hope Jeddah's airport either modernizes the existing North Terminal or develops a new terminal for the carriers still using it.

The 'Business Class' Lounge

I was surprised when I realized Azerbaijan Airlines passengers do receive lounge access in Jeddah. It took me a while to find it as it was strangely nestled directly to the left of security checkpoint. I had no idea at the time if I would be let in since the check-in agent didn't provide any info about a lounge but I gave it a shot and it worked out.

Aside from the strange location, the lounge had a few other quirks. Unlike many airport lounges, it didn't seem to have a name, simply branding itself Business Lounge. Fair enough I guess. Even funnier is that the lounge seemed to also simultaneously bear the name First Class Lounge depending on where you looked (on maps and online). Maybe it recently got rebranded? Or maybe it's having a mid-life identity crisis. Who knows.

Unlike the terminal, the lounge was roomy and quiet, which was much appreciated. There was an abundance of dated but functional furniture to sit on. I'd recommend sitting by the windows as they brought some nice light in to what was otherwise a fairly dark space. I opted not to try any of the food offered as the options were limited and didn't look super fresh.

Compared to other business class lounges around the world this one certainly isn't winning any awards. However, one of the core value propositions for a lounge lies in how much better it is than sitting in the terminal itself. In this case, the lounge was a significant improvement.

Boarding & Pre-Flight Service

The North Terminal at Jeddah has no jet bridges, instead boarding all gates with busses (which is ironic considering I compared it to a bus terminal before). Boarding began on time but not without its fair share of chaos. There were no boarding announcements, signs for boarding groups, or really any indication of where to go. In lieu of this, most passengers crowded together and formed a rather ambiguous line that snaked through the gate area.

At one point, a few women tried to cut in front of me. However, the man behind me had other plans, instantaneously yelling at them in Azerbaijani demanding that the line cutters let me proceed first. They seemed irritated and tried to fight back but this mystery man had justice on his mind and wouldn’t take no for an answer. I tried to thank him but he didn't seem interested in communicating with me.

The one singular perk of having a bus gate is the amazing plane views you get when boarding the aircraft. Today’s A319 — nicknamed “Gazakh” — was glistening beautifully in the sun as I grabbed some photos before stepping onboard. There is no denying that Azerbaijan Airlines' dark blue livery is one of the most recognizable in the sky.

The boarding process left a lot to be desired, especially for business class passengers. We received the same chaotic boarding experience and vehicular transit to the plane as economy class — which was functional but fell short of the typical industry standard of offering priority boarding to premium passengers.

Things started looking up when I stepped onboard and got my first glance at Azerbaijan’s slick A319 business class cabin. This 19 year old plane is not exactly a spring chicken, but the cabin itself looked clean and well maintained. There were 2 rows configured with a 2-2 layout. I was booked to be seated in row two but moved up to row one to allow a family to sit together — which turned out to be a bit of a mistake. 

I always give high praise to airlines who carry their brand colors into their seat design and Azerbaijan Airlines certainly deserves to be recognized here with their bright blue seat accents.

Flight attendants were speedy with in-flight service, bringing around hot towels, nuts, and a tray of drinks. I selected the drink with the most interesting color and asked the flight attendant what it was. To my delight, it was Azerbaijani Juice Kompot, which I enjoyed whilst watching the Yemenia plane next to us. After all — It's not everyday you come face to face with Yemen's national airline.

Seat Analysis

The seat was comfortable and well padded with a nice leather material overtop. The headrests were plush and had adjustable sturdy wings that worked well for napping. I also liked how the seat-back padding curved inward which helps passengers feel more supported.

The seats felt decently spacious from a width standpoint — assisted by the thick armrest separating neighboring passengers. The end of this armrest contained a small table suitable for drink glasses and other small items. Despite the generous width, legroom was quite limited in the first row due to the bulkhead wall. I was quite shocked when I first sat down and realized how tight it was. I'm only 5'6'' and I couldn't even get close to extending my legs — which is disappointing for business class.

These seats are fairly typical for regional business class around the world but they have a few unique quirks too. One of which is the water bottle storage located between the seats under the center console, which admittedly was quite a handy addition.

The seats also had some unorthodox seat controls which supposedly controlled seat recline and the extendable leg rest. Having a leg rest is a nice feature —but unfortunately my seat controls seemed to be stuck. No matter how hard I pushed and pulled, I couldn't get the seat to change position at all.

Other then these features, the seats were pretty bare bones. There was no other storage or power outlets — the latter of which proved to be a problem for me. Azerbaijan Airlines also didn't install any sort of IFE screens on-board, which is somewhat excusable due to the short routes this plane frequently operates. However, there was a streamable IFE portal that could be accessed after connecting to the in-flight Wi-Fi network. The Wi-Fi network provided no internet connection and was solely for the purpose of streaming the airlines' limited entertainment catalog.

Amenity Overview

Azerbaijan's blue color scheme continued with their on-board amenities. Upon arrival to my seat, I was greeted by the bluest blanket I have ever seen as well as a plush pillow. There were also menus and water bottles (stored in the nifty water bottle holder) for all business class passengers.

Getting such a high quality pillow and blanket on what was functionally a regional flight was quite impressive. I also always appreciate when airlines have water bottles waiting for passengers at their seats since they make it easier to stay hydrated.

Main Meal Service

The menu on board was a little lopsided for business class in that there was an impressive four choices for the main course but only one appetizer option. I'm honestly not sure how they cater four different main courses on board when the cabin can only ever seat eight passengers at most.

Flight attendants began meal service quickly after takeoff. Before I knew it, my Vitello Tonnato veal appetizer arrived, served on a nicely presented tray. From a looks standpoint, this course was well above average for regional business class. The veal itself was a little dry but it was flavorful with a nice amount of salt.

I also ordered a cup of tea that was served with the chocolate mousse dessert from the menu. Receiving my dessert course before I finished my appetizer was definitely a first for me and I'm still not sure why the crew thought it was necessary.

Once I finished my appetizer, the quick and responsive service flow came to a halt as I sat with my empty appetizer tray for nearly an hour. The gap was so long that I started to wonder if the appetizer course was all we would get. Perhaps the dessert served with my tea was an indication the meal service was done?

Just as I was starting to lose hope, a flight attendant came around to deliver my main course.

This course might not win any awards for presentation but I'd be damned if this wasn't one of the best plane meals I've ever had. I can still vividly recall the lamb's juicy flavor combined with the accompanying vegetables. I certainly didn't have Azerbaijan Airlines delivering a culinary masterclass on my bingo card, but I'm not complaining.

Overall, this meal service was pretty impressive. Aside from the somewhat strange service flow and varying crew responsiveness, the meal quality and quantity well exceeded expectations.

Final Verdict

So — is Azerbaijan Airlines the world's most overlooked carrier? Not quite, but it's closer than I expected. The hard product is dated and the ground experience at Jeddah was subpar, though most of that isn't AZAL's fault. What is their fault is the lack of priority boarding, the strange seat controls that didn't work, and a disjointed onboard service flow. Luckily, all of those things are fixable. On the flip side — the crew were kind, the blanket and pillow were appreciated, and the lamb was one of the best meals I've had on a plane in recent memory. Traveling through Baku to get between Europe and Central Asia is Azerbaijan Airlines' best use case, especially considering you'll pay a lot less than you would elsewhere.