AMSTERDAM — Airways had the opportunity to fly one of the latest and most talked-about routes recently. IndiGo (6E) started flying to Manchester (MAN) and Amsterdam (AMS) from Mumbai (BOM).

For this trip report, I flew from Amsterdam to Mumbai on flight 6E22 and further to New Delhi in a 6E Stretch. In the first week of July, the airline launched its first direct services to European destinations—Amsterdam and Manchester. 

The route, previously served only by the Dutch national carrier KLM (KL) and India’s flag carrier Air India (AI), now has 6E joining the competition, serving passengers from Europe to India and beyond.

Check-In Process

IndiGo operates from counter 31 at Terminal 3 in AMS. Multiple counters exist for both IndiGo Stretch passengers and Economy customers. 6E looks after its premium passengers with a smooth process right from check-in, offering dedicated counters.

Since I was only traveling for a week, I had a bag weighing almost 10kg, but Stretch passengers can carry up to 46kg. After dropping the bag, I received my boarding pass, which granted access to the lounge in AMS, along with a priority tag for fast-track security clearance.

I walked towards the Security and Passport control, where there was a slight delay in the baggage screening process. However, I was early enough to be one of the first passengers to check in, so I stayed relaxed overall.

The lounge is just a 5–10 minute walk from Immigration and is easily recognizable with its lights and hundreds of mini Dutch houses for which KL is famous. After validating my access with my boarding pass, I entered the lounge.

I found multiple sections—workspace areas, quiet places to relax, chairs by the glass windows for aircraft watching, a food and drinks section, and even shower facilities (for an extra charge).

Since it had already been a long day, I was famished and headed straight to the food section. The spread offered Mediterranean, Continental, and Asian cuisines. I opted for rice, slow-cooked mushrooms, and potato fries, along with some water. After returning my plate, I couldn’t resist grabbing a mango smoothie for dessert. 

I finished with a coffee and headed to the windows for some plane spotting. Unfortunately, the view was entirely blocked by an aerobridge, making photography impossible. Nevertheless, I sat watching the movements while sipping my cappuccino.

At around 12:45 p.m., it was time to board. I left the lounge and headed to the E gates, where passengers were already waiting. Boarding began with IndiGo Stretch passengers, and I was among the first to board. Stretch passengers have a dedicated aerobridge, similar to Business or First Class boarding on other airlines.

Namaste from 6E22

I boarded LN-FNC, a wet-leased Boeing 787-9 from Norse Atlantic, and headed to my seat at 1A.

The aircraft was configured with 56 Haeco 3050 recliner seats in a 2-3-2 layout within the Indigo Stretch cabin, while the economy cabin featured 282 seats in a 3-3-3 layout. The seat pitch of 43” and width of 19” made me comfortable and all settled for my 8-hour journey ahead.

Cabin crew soon came to me, providing amenities such as blankets, socks, a dental kit, and earphones for the audio. Then came a welcome drink of Aam Panna and ABC juice. The first sip instantly reminded me of India, as it was sweet, salty, tangy, and refreshing.

We taxied to runway 36C and took off heading north. As I was way up in the front, I didn't have a view of the engine. But ample leg space and a spacious seat made up for it.

In-Flight Experience

As we approached the cruise altitude, cabin crew came around to ask the preferred choice of drinks and food. I had pre-booked an Indian non-vegetarian meal, and I got an orange juice with it. Soon came the appetizers, featuring chickpeas, kidney beans, and mint sauce, as well as another appetizer with yogurt and spicy potatoes. 

After finishing those, the cabin crew served a vegetarian meal - rice, paneer dum makhani, creamy spinach, and roasted lotus stem. At that point, I remembered I had pre-booked a non-vegetarian option.

The crew apologized for the airline's failure to uplift my meal from India, but to my surprise, they provided a non-vegetarian Indian meal from Economy as well. I ended up having both! It was a thoughtful gesture, and I thanked the crew. After lunch, the crew brought dessert—Indigo signature Kulfi. 

After all the food, I took some rest as I barely slept last night. The reclining seats were comfortable enough to allow for a good sleep for almost 3 hours. The in-flight entertainment had a good collection of movies and TV series, which was enough to pass the time.

The crew checked on passengers frequently, ensuring we were comfortable.

During my second movie, I enjoyed a light snack of empanadas with IndiGo’s signature cocktail. The crew even demonstrated how it’s made, and it turned out to be quite refreshing.

Landing, Transit in Mumbai

Soon, it was time to land. The crew prepared the cabin for landing, where we arrived at a cloudy, rainy Mumbai airport. After a brief delay in moving to the gates, I bid farewell to the crew and walked towards the terminal. IndiGo Stretch passengers benefit from priority immigration and fast baggage delivery, so I was through in no time.

Since Mumbai was my first port of entry into India, I had to collect my bag and re-check it for the domestic leg. The process was smooth, and I quickly moved through the dedicated security line for premium passengers. Duty-free shopping was accessible, but unfortunately, there was no lounge access for Stretch passengers on domestic flights.

After freshening up, I walked to gate 49A. Priority boarding for Stretch passengers once again made the process easy, and I settled into seat 2A.

Onboard 6E762 to New Delhi

As part of its 18th anniversary, 6E introduced the Stretch cabin on its Airbus A321neo, with 12 Recaro R5 recliner seats in a 2-2 layout. The 8-month-old aircraft had seats with privacy wings for reduced noise, an additional 5” recline with a 38” pitch, and 60W USB-C fast charging ports.

Economy class consisted of 208 Recaro R2 seats in a 3-3 layout, with a 28.5” pitch, except for row 18 at the emergency exit, which offers 35”.

In-Flight

We pushed back at 5:46 a.m. for a scheduled 6 a.m. departure and took off right on time, showcasing 6E’s on-time performance. I had pre-ordered a vegetarian breakfast, and the crew suggested I try their classic blue tea. At first, I was curious, but they explained it’s made from butterfly pea flowers and is entirely natural.

Breakfast was served in a cold box with the “India by IndiGo” branding. Curated by Oberoi Flight Services, it included a vegetable galouti roll, an almond streusel muffin, and pink-salted mixed nuts. Despite being a cold meal, the roll was surprisingly flavorful.

Landing, Overall Experience

As it was a long trip from AMS, I took a short nap before landing. The recline was comfortable enough to let me wake up refreshed. We landed in New Delhi 20 minutes ahead of schedule and parked among other 6E aircraft. The walk to baggage claim was long, and it took me another 10-15 minutes to reach the baggage belts.

Overall, I’m happy 6E has started long-haul flights to Europe, bringing healthy competition to these routes. This expansion benefits passengers with more choices and better service. As I bid farewell to the crew and aircraft, I knew this wouldn’t be my last trip with IndiGo’s wide-body—especially not in the Stretch cabin!