Airliners-India.com

malQ · Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2015 10:44 pm Post subject: AI-660 BOM-DEL 23sept'15

Work got over and I moved from Worli side around 14:30 for a 17:00 scheduled departure, reaching the terminal at BOM at about 15:25. Same old weird road movement landside greets you. Entering the Air India terminal at BOM is like going back in time. The snack shop (Vego Veggee??) continues to sell everything at twice the price. More complaints shall be filed.

At check-in, the 16:00 flight was showing delayed to 16:40, so I asked the counter if I could go earlier, the lady behind the counter said only if I was willing to pay the full cancellation plus re-booking charge etcetc for which I would have to go outside to their cash counter etcetc so I just settled for my flight which was showing ontime.

As usual, the baggage handlers at BOM Air India do not get off their stools so loaded my own luggage and asked them if I should tag it too, the portents were already not looking good. Spent some time raising complaint with the airport manager about over-priced and non-FSSAI products being sold under his nose.

Went through security, hung around near Food Court, overheard minor panic about possible dead animal of some sort in the chutney, which by the way is common to all outlets. Decided not to eat at food court.

Flight was at about 17:00 announced as delayed by 45 minutes. At about 17"40, the AIr India staffer showed us on flightradar24 how the flight was on finals. Meanwhile, the next flight, the 18:00 departure, was getting ready to roll back. Eventually it did roll back about 15 minutes before us.

The Airbus-321 we were to go on finally arrived from Goa about 45 minutes behind schedule. We boarded a totally full aircraft out of BOM, my seat number being 6A, just right and in position for sunset shots.

Usual surly food service. Mystery meat tikkas, heavy maida some sort of roll, sandwich with imaginary veggies in it and random carrot type barfee in random custard. Dishwater for coffee, sugar was marked January 2015 and the ketchup, water as well as creamer were from non-FSSAI unknown brands. Asking for a second bottle of water was met with angry daggers. Maybe they collect the water to sell it?

Plane visibly rattled and shook through the evening to land in DEL at some distant end of the terminal. From there we were taken in an overcrowded bus which was running on square wheels. I really hope the people who maintain the buses are not the people who in any way are related to the people who maintain the plane.

Oh yes, the IFE. Only the audio was working in our row. All of us, therefore, watched TANU WEDS MANU on the screen in front of us with audio on our own headsets.

The airline magazine is from the same stable as the airline magazine for VISTARA, and equally vapid, more interesting was a Kolkata edition of Telegraph in the seat pocket.

Landed, baggage came, went home by taxi. Air India is quite an experience.

shivendrashukla · Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2015 1:56 pm Post subject:

Lol

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

Veeresh-ji: you have inspired many of us youngsters to take to report writing.
I count myself to be fortunate to be one of them.
The witty quips and pithy statements, the puns, the sarcasm and the humour: and the ability to make the reader visualise what you write: stand out completely. You should really write more for us.
This short piece was a masterpiece, replete with statements we attribute to you, and your fearless tirade against malpractices.

ameya · Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2015 5:09 pm Post subject:

ROFL. What a TR ! Absolutely enjoyed reading it !
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